Our first surprise came at the Edmonds train station was when the station manager told me that our tandem box was too heavy (at around 100 lbs - hard-sided case plus tandem plus helmets, shoes, packs, tools, etc.).  Amtrak's weight limit for any single item is 50 lbs. and there was no way we were getting enough out of the case to make that weight.  There was no compromising with the station manager and the train departure was fast approaching.  My only alternative was to have Sandy take the case and contents back home, and have it sent UPS Next Day Air to the bike shop in Buffalo.  Very expensive, but at least we'll be able to continue the ride.  I spoke to Amtrak agents not once but twice, ensuring that there were no special arrangements required to take a tandem as baggage, and not once did a weight limit come up.  I'm rehearsing my phone diatribe and will make sure to share my displeasure.

Once we got on the train and situated in our compartment things felt more relaxing, especially after the small bottle of complementary Champagne that the car attendant provided.  We spent the evening relaxing, had a nice dinner in the dining car with a couple from England on their way to Washington, DC, and then went to bed.  Liam slept all the way through, and I woke up as we stopped in Spokane early Thursday morning.

Thursday, July 6th

We got up around 7:30 and made our way back to the dining car, where we ate breakfast with a couple from Bainbridge Island, WA.  After breakfast we spent some time in the observation car as we passed through Glacier National Park.  Much of the scenery was spectacular, and we passed by part of the Kalispell-to-Banff bike route that Bruce and I have done twice.  Memories of the Big Ride Across America came flooding back as we passed through Cut Bank, MT and Shelby, MT; while the Big Ride didn't go through these towns, they resemble many of the towns that we did go through on that ride.  We spent most of the day reading, relaxing, watching the scenery going by, and watching the occasional DVD.  At each stop where we were given the opportunity, we got off the train to stretch our legs and breathe some unfiltered air.  At the stop in Havre,  MT I was able to contact the bike shop in Buffalo, and they will be watching for my bike to arrive from UPS sometime tomorrow afternoon.

After another pretty good dinner in the dining car we retired to the observation car for a bit, then back to our compartment for some reading and then bed.  Like last night's crossing into the Mountain Time zone, we lose another hour tonight crossing into the Central Time zone.

Friday, July 7th

Slept quite well last night and awoke early as the sun rose and the train whistle blew as we went across many railroad crossings.  I took a quick shower in the combination toilet/shower that is part of our compartment.  That was quite the experience as the train bumped and jostled along the track, but it sure felt good to get cleaned up.  After breakfast we returned to our compartment, and I fired up the laptop and got online via cell modem as we were coming into Minneapolis/St. Paul.  The first instant message I received was from 2004 Big Rider Erin Abbey; it turned out she was in Minneapolis as well, although too far away from the Amtrak station to come visit.  I chatted with her for a bit, then stowed the laptop as we approached Winona, MN.  Between Winona and La Crosse, WI the train paralleled and mostly went alongside the Big Ride Across America route, so I again experienced many memories as I recognized quite a bit of that 30 mile stretch of the ride.  I chatted with both Erin and Edward Dake (2005 Big Rider) via instant message, and also called Bruce as the train crossed the Mississippi River into La Crosse.

The bike saga continued - I checked UPS.com via my phone to see if it had been delivered to the bike shop in Buffalo. Unfortunatly UPS had left it at their hub in Louisville, KY, and offered to deliver it on Monday free of charge.  That wasn't acceptable, and after some discussion they agreed to do a Saturday delivery at no extra charge.

After lunch came time to get our bags packed in preparation for our arrival in Chicago.  We disembarked at Chicago's Union Station, and with 3 hours until our train leaves for Buffalo, we headed out onto the city streets to find a Starbucks and a wireless hotspot, where I am now updating this site.

Well, the Lakeshore Limited (Chicago to Buffalo) train was the polar opposite to the Empire Builder.  First, we were in a sleeping car that had no working air conditioning, so warm air circulated at about 80 degrees all night.  The wait staff in the dining car were not customer service oriented in the least, and it made for a very disappointing part of the trip.

Saturday, July 8th

Liam slept fine but I got only 2 hours of very broken sleep due to the temperatures.  I complained to the conductor about both the temperature and the staff, and told him I intend to ask Amtrak for a refund for the Chicago-Buffalo leg of the trip.  We were 2 hours late getting into Buffalo, but our luggage made it there with us.  A short ride to the Nichols School, then another taxi ride to the Campus Wheelworks bike shop to put together the tandem. A quick lunch preceded the 3 mile ride back to the school, then we set up the tent and took a shower. Next came a wine and cheese reception, then dinner and conversation with a family from Sammamish, an introductory meeting with all the riders, then bed.

See below for pictures from today - hover your mouse cursor over the thumbnail for a description.