Life on the Slow Train | Excerpts from The Coast Starlight

Until January 20th, I am riding Amtrak trains all the way around the United States. This is the third leg of my trip, where I’m traveling from Los Angeles to Seattle on the Coast Starlight.

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One last look at Union Station in LA @amtrak

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A True Story

The Coast Starlight leaves LA just after 10 in the morning on Saturday. This is one of the most beautiful train rides in America and I’m looking forward to some gorgeous views of the ocean. I think many people don’t realize how large California really is. According the Congressional Research Office, the coastline is about 840 miles long. We will still be in California when the sun rises tomorrow.

The other story I heard today is mine. I thought carefully about whether to share this, but it seems unfair to spend two weeks asking others to tell me their stories and then refuse to share mine.

For 40 years, I’ve told a story about my father’s death that, as it turns out, wasn’t true and I heard the truth today.

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Mt. Scott in the distance

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We Can Do This the Easy Way…

…I don’t start the conversation over breakfast. Instead, the woman across from me notices that I’m writing with a fountain pen and says, “My husband makes fountain pens! They’re beautiful.” Her husband, Ron, explains that he doesn’t have any of the fountain pens with him, but he pulls an elegant wooden ballpoint out of his pocket for me to examine.

Ron and Pam are on their way home to McMinnville, Oregon, which is about halfway in between Salem and Portland. The pair have lived all over the world, including six years in Papua, New Guinea, but they’ve apparently found the perfect home in McMinnville.

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Great name for a town. @amtrak #amtrak

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The hydroelectric power plant #amtrak

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Portland #amtrak

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Walk in the Place Where You Are

When I finish this round-the-nation train trip, I will write a guide to taking a multi-day trip like this. One piece of advice: if you’re spending a day in a particular city, forget the taxi or the rideshare, just walk around.

The first reason is practical: you don’t get a lot of exercise when you spend a day on the train. On my best day, I did about 6,200 steps, far below my average of 11,000 or so. So, you’ll want to stretch your legs and your muscles and enjoy the fresh air, even if it’s raining.

The second reason is mental: you’re enjoying a slower, more human pace on the train. When you get back to your regular routine, you’ll be rushed and hurried and pressured. There’s no need to do that now. Relax. Walk out your hotel doors and head off in the direction of something that looks interesting.

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Welp…

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Come for the beer, stay for the stein collection

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Hi!

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Anyone for a shotgun wedding?

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