Boarding in Red Wing, Minnesota. The train was only a few minutes late, which only extends the anticipation! This is one of six stations in Minnesota and it is unmanned. One cannot check bags here but there is ample storage on the lower level of the train for luggage.
A little roomette decor and the Empire Builder Route Guide, which is available here http://www.djcooley.com/store/maps/tceb/empire_builder_route_map.htm
We had two roomettes right across from each other with one adult, and one teen in each. Here is the hubby, getting ready for bed. Teens get the top bunks!
Dawn in North Dakota. View from the "rail fan window" which is the window on the door on the last car on the train. On the Empire Builder, this is the Portland sleeper.
When you travel in a sleeper, all of your meals are included in the ticket price. The food is scrumptious and the portions very generous!
Breakfast
Veggie omelette with cheese. It is served with a choice of potatoes or grits, bacon or sausage, and biscuit or croissant. They even have Tabasco! Yum!
A little Bailey's with my coffee. After all, this IS a vacation! If you are in a sleeper, you can bring along your own adult beverage, however can not consume it in public areas, only in your own roomette/bedroom.
observation car. Shoes must be worn when you are moving about the train, but we usually opt for more comfy slippers.
A perfect train book!
Rail fan window. Somewhere in Montana.
Hallway of the sleeper car.
Somewhere in Montana.
decked out roomette
The girls taking some portraits in the roomette.
lunch was delicious!
Check out the salad with tons of feta! So good!
And dessert!
She approves!
The tables are covered in paper during breakfast and lunch (tablecloths at dinner) so a great place to be artsy or write how many pi digits you have memorized.
Looking into my roomette.
Hubby's roomette. They didn't decorate theirs.
Love the huge windows in the roomette!
Always nice to have a power strip! There is only one outlet in the roomette, so these come in quite handy! This one has four USB ports also.
Hallway in the sleeper near the roomettes. You can see the water bottles on the top right. Water, juice, and coffee is available here.
Candy smokes for the smoke stops!
They are CANDY sticks!
It was our seventeenth anniversary. Nothing could be finer, than to celebrate it in the diner! The steak is amazing, and PERFECTLY prepared.
The salmon is equally delicious!
Yummy pasta for my daughter.
I always bring something to read, but it's impossible to get engrossed in a book when there are such astounding views out the window.
Sunset as we near the Rockies.
Getting ready for bed! The beds are roomy and comfortable. If the door is shut, it's fairly quiet, although I leave mine open and just pull the curtain. I love falling asleep with the rocking and swaying of the train.
Coffee is available in the sleeping car from 6am-11 am. There is NOTHING like waking up on a train in your roomette to THAT smell!
Nice shower! Full size, clean, and plenty of HOT water! Towels are provided for sleeping car passengers, but one must bring your own personal toiletries.
The train splits in the night in Spokane, the Portland section keeps the observation car, and the Seattle section gets the diner so sleeping car passengers are served a cold breakfast which is filling and yummy!
Taken from the front of the observation car over the top of the locomotive.
Along the Columbia Gorgeous!
Portland
Beautiful Portland Union Station
I have also made a video/photo compilation of this journey. Just click the link below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fd0UuYGqufg
