6/7/26
Pretty much just photos this time! The ride from Washington, DC to Portland took about three days, and I did it almost all in one shot (which is always fun for me!)
I didn’t get any pics between DC and Chicago—much of which was overnight anyway—but I had a several-hour layover in Chicago, so I enjoyed some relaxing views of the bean and the river, and stopped for lunch at a vegan Mexican place where I enjoyed a torta.
Then I boarded the train to Portland, which was to take almost exactly 48 hours.
Scenery was mostly beautiful sunny and cloudy wide expanses, but as we got closer to Glacier National Park in Montana, the temps dipped significantly, and we were shocked and delighted to see snow!
I had taken this westbound train twice before, once in the spring and once in late August, and by the time we reached Glacier on those trips, it was after dark! I was so tickled to see this wintry weather (from the cozy comfort of the train!) before we lost all the light.
When we woke up on the second morning, the dining car and half the passenger cars had been disconnected and sent on their way to Seattle, while we Portland-bound folk were lucky enough to retain the sightseer lounge car. We spent hours hugging the bank of the beautiful Columbia River, watching the gorge unfold lazily.
And then… we were in Portland!
After a wonderful almost eight months away, it felt good to be back. I’ll be in the NW, mostly in the Portland area, for the summer. (I’m dreaming up my next fall-winter-spring journey as we speak, getting ready to cover more new-to-me track while escaping the NW weather!)
I’ll be sharing photos of my nature sojourns in the NW over the summer. I hope you’re all enjoying the nature and weather wherever you are!
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