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Transiting North America by Rail: Part 1-prelude

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High Speed Acela Locomotives at Boston;'s South Station
Acela Trains awaiting boarding in Boston's South Station

"How about Amtrak?" suggested Mrs. Cowboy. 

 We did it twice before. Once a few years ago as far as Minneapolis, where daughter #2 (D#2 )was obtaining her MURP (Masters in Urban and Regional Planning) from the U of Minnesota and once, over 30 years ago, to Florida. That was our honeymoon trip and was such a disaster that we vowed never ever again to allow Amtrak to transport us a single inch.

By the time D#2 was graduated from St Laurence University  (Suma Cum Laude, no less - have to inject some parental pride), did stints in Kenya, the Student Conservation Association and  Americorps, was officially a graduated U of M Golden Gopher, and managed to touch President Obama's butt twice, the memory of the initial Railroad disaster had faded enough for us to chance it once again.

We heard rumors that Amtrak had improved, The Minneapolis trip turned out to be pleasant and interesting.   The coach car didn't catch fire and didn't get stuck overnight  in west nowhere after the crew had abandoned the train.  None of these happened on the Minneapolis trip. The rumors were confirmed. Amtrak had improved..
D#2, in the meantime, began her planning career with and in Washington State, where she has been a champion of bicycling and working to keep Washington state's water pristine. It was time for a parental visit.

We carefully studied all transportation alternatives: air land and sea were all considered. 

A sea route would have taken a couple of weeks, but given us the opportunity to observe operations at the Panama Canal.  Cost on a freighter is about $100-$150 per day for as many days as it takes. Schedules are a bit loose: one cannot rely on arriving on schedule.

Greyhound Bus at $123 per ticket is the least expensive, takes 3 1/2 days and entails 7 transfers. But hey! free on board W-iFi.. Airfare from Boston is approximately $140 per ticket for a 4 to 5 hour flight, but there is no time to explore Chicago or see Glacier National Park and the Rockies.  Amtrak rail tickets are about $200 each for a coach seat.  A compartment in a sleeper car (a "roomette") adds another $800. Like Greyhound, the trip takes 3 1/2 days. We chose Amtrak, of course, since it was the least practical and most expensive trans-continental alternative.  Since one can catch the train at the Intermodal station in Pittsfield MA, a mere 20 miles from our Berkshire home, we decided to board the train at Boston's South Station.

Thus the excursion commences.  Transiting the continent, The Berkshires to Seattle. via Boston.
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