We said goodbye to our charming but rather cold hotel at 6.50am and waddled like penguins down the icy pavements towards the station, stopping only to buy coffee and a muffin from the very fine Zeitgeist café.
Now I’m sat onboard a brand new Amtrak Superliner. Things have changed since the last time we took a train trip: the dining car has been replaced by a “bistro”, the plastic observation seats are now blue leather couches with Amtrak embroidered on them, and there’s even a business class.
We’re currently skirting Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains to my left are glinting orange in the early morning sun. Our very friendly train conductor has announced that these weather conditions aren’t typical, and warm Pacific currents normally keep Seattle and its environs quite temperate.
This was, of course, leading to an explanation of why we’re only moving at 5mph (frozen signals). The ticket inspector has already described us as “the only game in town”, with no buses running in a 50 mile radius.
So, as the snowy Washington countryside slides by on one side and chilly waters lap deserted beaches on the other, punctuality be damned! There’s only one way to travel.
New Superliner.
Swanky bistro car.
Passing over the Lake Washington Ship Canal.
The choppy waters of Puget Sound.
Brrrrrr.
