Day 4; Back on the Train

We slept a long night in the "roomette."  I woke to daylight which doesn't happen very often.  But then, I rarely stay up until midnight and we had walked miles and miles the day before. 

Husband was awake and sitting.  He said he had seen Mt. Shasta.  I found my glasses and looked out the window.  Drifting by was the most amazing sight.  I subsequently spent the next several hours looking in awe.  We had been through here in the dark the first trip.   

But first we made our way down the train, back to the dining car and was served a satisfactory breakfast.  Train food is not fantastic, but it was hot and tasty.  I enjoyed it even though I had been stuffing way too much food in me for days. 

If you've never travelled on a train, let me try to explain my experience.  Beyond the clickity vibrations and shudders, there is a sway back and forth.  Each car sways independently.  Occasionally, the sway is a lot. 

  

Traveling from car to car can be a bit exciting.  At either end of the car is a door like this.  There is a handle to press.  It is in the lower right corner of this picture.  If you press the handle, the door pops open.

 

Here you are looking at the space between the two cars.  You step across and press the corresponding button on the door to the next car. 

But remember that the cars are swaying back and forth.  The first half of the floor in this compartment is swaying one direction while the half beyond is swaying the other. 

 

Reminds me of some Fun House at a County Fair.  I'm not afraid of muggers, but this got me just a bit.  The floor moving back and forth below me and all that.  

Any ways, back to what I saw outside our window.  Snow covered everything, mountains, trees, rocks, as straight and pretty as you can imagine.  There must have been no wind because the trees were heavily laden.  We sat there and watched it go by for hours, one amazing scene like a post card after the next.  Surely, there were roads, towns, people, houses, even I-5, close by, but we saw none of it.  Only a peaceful and beautiful wonderland.  I found myself wishing that we weren't heading home quite yet. 

But the next day was Sunday.  Payday at our business had been Friday, but we were off for the holidays.  My assistant had put the payroll on my desk on Wednesday, but I always check it before we hand it out.  On Sunday, I would be working, but today I drank coffee and watched out window.  We happily shared our "roomette" in silence for hours until we started coming into Eugene and familiar territory.

We left the train at around 4 p.m. on Saturday.  The air had felt dry much of our trip.  Being a native Oregonian, dry cool air feels odd.  I had applied lotion the entire trip.  Truthfully, menopause has something to do with this.  But as I stepped off the train to cool moist air with mist hitting my face, I was happy to be home and grateful for my small vacation and all the adventures and bits of luxury and adventure that it had brought with it.  Step Son was there to whisk us back to our lives.  Just remember to go back to work.