Jim shot this photo of the Cascade Mountains in Washington State as he continued to ride the rails en route to Canada

On Day 7, the view from the train changed as we climbed into the magnificent Cascade Mountains.

Churning rapids and rocky streams ran alongside the tracks, surrounded by massive pine trees and peaks capped with snow. We eventually entered the Cascade Tunnel at Stevens Pass, a 7.8-mile stretch of darkness that holds the record as the longest train tunnel in the United States. Emerging from the pass, we were only a few hours away from our arrival in Seattle.

Looking back on the trip from Chicago, the ride was definitely a challenge for sleeping, but the scenery made it worthwhile. My window offered a constant shift in landscape, moving from the Chicago skyline across the vast Great Plains, through the high peaks of the Cascades, and finally down to the Pacific Coast.

We arrived in Seattle at 10:30 in the morning. The weather was cool and overcast, but it felt great to step off the train and breathe the fresh air. We took a taxi to our hotel near SeaTac International Airport. We are planning to head out for dinner later this evening to meet local friends.

Early tomorrow, we will catch the Amtrak Cascades train to Vancouver. We will spend two days there before finally boarding our cruise to Alaska. This trip has been truly unbelievable.


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