All Aboard

Leaving Victoria with our 30 day Amtrak passes, we're off to a running start. All Aboard! All Aboard for the Amtrak Experience.... (As I write this, I am wondering if it is possible to make myself write "All Aboard" without an exclamation mark.)

There's only one wee hitch to this idea of getting away. I made some non-refundable Hotwire hotel reservations for Seattle, and paid for bus tickets online, so that we can get to the train on time. Turns out there is no rush. I called about a glitch in our reservations, only to discover that all service to and from Seattle has been suspended indefinitely due to mudslides and flooding.

I asked about alternate service arrangements, which usually means you are put on a bus rather than a train. Alas, no such luck. The train leaves from Portland, and we can go down there if we want, but service from Portland could likewise be suspended. In fact, the interstate between Seattle and Portland is likewise closed, so there's not much to do other than be patient and hope that service will soon resume.

This is reminiscent of the time our train stopped in Minneapolis because it was 50 below zero and there was some fear that the rails might snap in the cold. Plus there was too much avalanche danger in Montana. So we did three days in a hotel waiting for the train, watching snowflakes the size of pie plates dropping from the sky. Actually, we had a pretty good time waiting. And those days of waiting and wondering are somehow more memorable than most of the other days that pass without any dose of the unexpected.

So this is a slight setback.... Nevertheless, the hotel and bus reservations are non-refundable, so we will leave on schedule, and perhaps, if we have to start from Portland, we'll get an unexpected visit to Powell's Books as a bonus side effect of the delay.