Celebrating our wedding anniversary is always a great time to travel, so for our 33rd year together we planned a trip to Glacier National Park in Montana. The tourist season starts winding down in mid-September, so we selected the week of Labor Day, to avoid the large tourist crowds and still be able to visit all areas of the park.
It was always our dream to visit the US National Parks in our RV, but for this trip we decided to let someone else do the driving! I made our arrangements through Amtrak Vacations and it was awesome. All I had to do was make our flight reservations and decide what we would do before and after boarding the train.
We flew to Chicago, spent the night in a hotel in the theatre district, boarded Amtrak the next afternoon for the 30-hour ride to East Glacier, spent 3 nights in the Glacier Lodge, then back on the train another 30 hours, flying home from Chicago the next day; 8 days of glorious adventure!
Since it had been 4 or 5 years since we’d flown or taken such a big trip, there was quite a bit of planning. I knew we would have to provide our own transport from airport to hotel to train station, so my kids helped by teaching me about Uber. We also had to re-examine the TSA rules for our flight to be sure we were in compliance. We planned to take only carry-on luggage, so I was dismayed when I learned the hiking poles I’d purchased would not pass through security.
No worries! I decided to check one suitcase there and back, so I could take the poles (they had a sharp metal tip under the removable rubber tip for ice hiking) along with any other contraband (John’s pocket knife, and all our train snacks.) It had been so long since we’d been to Charleston’s airport, that I didn’t even know about the different parking areas. We tried to take advantage of the economy lot but it was completely full.
Checking our one piece of luggage was easy, but I learned too late that I could have avoided the line by checking our bag at the kiosk. Getting through security was stressful, with the requirements to take off shoes, put electronics in a separate bin, and have liquid toiletries in a separate bag. But we did it and successfully repacked our bags and headed to the gate. We were early enough to sit down and enjoy a light lunch, since our flight was scheduled for lunchtime.
Our flight was uneventful and we enjoyed airplane snacks, as well as the goodies we brought with us. I was nervous about arriving at O’Hare in Chicago and finding the right place to call for an Uber, but it only took asking a couple airport staff members and we were in the right spot. Another passenger helped me with the Uber app and we were on our way. What was supposed to be a 45-minute ride to the hotel turned out to be an hour and 15 minutes due to traffic and road construction.
We arrived at our hotel about 2 pm and were able to check in early, and were amazed at the view from our 19th floor window. We quickly put our luggage away and went back out on the streets to sightsee. The American Writer’s Museum was only about 1/2 a mile from the hotel and we found it easily and enjoyed the exhibits. My favorite part was a display of how important a “first line” is in a book, and several well-known writers were featured with their example of an intriguing first line.
We were surprised that temps were in the high 90s, and it was pretty hot walking on the city sidewalks. We went to the marina area, walked alongside Milleneum Park and caught a glimpse of “The Bean,” then down to the Riverwalk area on the Chicago River. I also enjoyed seeing the old company headquarters for Amoco, the former Standard Oil Building, now called Aon Center. It brought back great memories of attending meetings and training classes in that building.
We headed back to our hotel (only getting turned around a few times) and showered and rested our hot feet before our dinner reservation at the Berghoff German Restaurant. Established in 1898, the Berghoff is one of the oldest family-run businesses in the nation. The food was excellent! We were too tired to walk around the city anymore, and since our day began at 5:00 am, plus the hour time difference, we went to sleep early and had a very restful night.
On Sunday, Sept. 3, we ate an early breakfast at the hotel then headed to the Chicago River to take the Architectural Boat Tour. The 1-1/2 hour tour included a guide who shared history of the city, the river, and the buildings. It was fantastic! We were sitting in the very front of the open bow of the boat and had a great view, and an occasional breeze to cool us off. My favorite historical fact was learning that all the beaches along Lake Michigan are public; their philosophy is that no one “owns” the waterfront. It’s open to all. I’ve always felt this way about the ocean too and was glad to see a city that did not allow resorts or homeowners to block access to the lake. It was such a great tour and I’m so glad we had the time to do it.
We made it back to the hotel in plenty of time to shower and re-pack our luggage, then called for an Uber to Union Station. I had researched the roomette layout on the train and learned the Empire Builder was a little different than the sleeper cars we have previously reserved on the east coast trains. It was much smaller and there was no storage area for luggage. So I loaded up our backpacks with toiletries, medicine, snacks and a change of clothes we would need on the train, and planned to store our suitcases on the downstairs level of our car.
I was proud of myself for successfully arranging another Uber ride, and it was a quick and easy ride (even with city traffic) and we made our way to the Metropolitan Lounge, where sleeper car passengers can wait and take advantage of free drinks and snacks. We had planned to buy lunch at Union Station, since our train wasn’t departing until 3 pm, but the food in the lounge was more than enough. While in the lounge, I walked around to stretch my legs and enjoyed the views from the windows into the historic station, and out on the street. We saw a couple wedding parties getting their pictures taken outside the station.
Another perk of waiting in the lounge was having a train attendant guide us all to our boarding area. We walked through the station and down a ramp into a basement-like area where all the trains were waiting. We easily stored our two suitcases on the bottom of our car, and climbed the narrow stairs to the upper level to our room.
While in line for boarding we met a couple who were originally from Taiwan, now living in Boston. It was their first train trip and we enjoyed giving them some tips and helping them settle in their room, which was right across from ours. We were surprised to learn their last name was “Lee” too! After settling into our room, and making our dinner reservations, we headed to the Observation Car. John enjoyed a beer while we watched the scenery as we departed Chicago and headed to Milwaukee.
We were given 6 pm dinner reservations in the dining car, and enjoyed sitting with our new friends and learning about their lives. We usually get two different meals so we can share with each other. The food on the train was surprisingly very good and we shared chicken, steak, shrimp rolls, salad, chocolate mousse and cheesecake, along with a glass of Rose and Riesling.
Once back in our rooms we took turns going downstairs to use the shower. It was a very nice setup, with linens and soap provided. Our car shared one bathroom upstairs and there were two extra bathrooms downstairs near the family bedroom. Our car attendant put our beds down while we were showering, and I was so grateful she was able to find an extra pillow for me! There was lots of laughter while John tried to maneuver into the narrow top bunk. I was grateful he was a gentleman and gave me the bottom bunk. I told him his years of working on a submarine paid off, since he was used to sleeping flat on his back with very little head room above him.
John loves a beautiful sunrise, and was up early the next morning to see the sun come up from the Observation Car. We headed to the dining car at 6:30 am and enjoyed delicious scrambled eggs, french toast with sausage and bacon, juice and coffee. I enjoyed a shower after breakfast and felt very refreshed. We had a one-hour stop in Minot, North Dakota, and were able to get off the train and walk around the station area. Because it was Labor Day, the nearby stores and the library were closed. I did find a rack of books in the train station and grabbed an extra book for the trip. I had my Kindle app loaded with books so was not lacking anything to read!
When we went to the dining car for lunch, we were dismayed to see that the scenery had changed to a dense fog. We thought it was just rainy and cloudy, but our friends told us they had seen a weather alert on their phone and it was actually smoke from the Canadian fires. We started worrying our time in Glacier might also be affected by the smoke, and the resulting poor air quality. For lunch we shared a cheeseburger, large salad, and brownies. We were drowsy from lunch and went back to our room to nap, and watch the Big Sky Country view of Montana from our window. I loved seeing wild horses running, the farms and ranches.
We were given early dining car reservations for dinner since we were arriving in East Glacier at 7:45 pm. We said goodbye to our neighbors who were going on to Seattle, then on to San Francisco to visit a grandchild.
The East Glacier Amtrak station was gorgeous, and we gasped when we saw the view of the Glacier Lodge behind it. It was drizzly rain when we arrived and we were just setting out to take the short walk (209 steps, as advertised on the Lodge website) when a cute, red vehicle showed up to give us a ride right to the door. The driver was a college student from Ohio, who worked the May-September schedule every year. We met many other employees — retirees, as well as local residents, and college students from around the world — who came back every year to work. I was fascinated with the concept. They lived in dorm-like buildings and ate in the employee cafeteria. The Lodge completely closes down for the winter on September 24, and re-opens in May of the next year.
Our room was delightful and after warm showers and unpacking, we went right to bed. After the cramped roomette on the train, our spacious room and two queen beds felt wonderful. The buffet breakfast and coffee in the Lodge dining room the next day fully revived us from the long train trip. We sat on a sunny porch and it felt so good; 46 degrees that morning but warming up to 65 degrees later. No sign of the smoke from Canadian fires! We took a walk along the Lodge driveway, then sat in the lobby to charge our devices, and so I could catch up on journaling. Very little cell-service for our phones, and wi-fi was spotty, but I was able to post a pic of the beautiful lobby on Facebook and would wait until we got home to share the rest of the photos.
Our shuttle bus picked us up precisely at 12:15 pm for the ride to Two Medicine Lake for our boat tour. We were layered for possible cooler temps or rain, wore our hiking boots and brought our new hiking poles. The tour included a hike to a waterfall so we were ready! The drive to the lake was beautiful and we arrived just in time for boarding. Our guide, another college student, was knowledgeable and funny, and he was very focused on giving us safety instructions, including the proper way to use bear spray. I was a little nervous about bears, but felt comfortable sticking with our group. We docked on the other side of the lake and hiked the 2-mile round trip trail to Twin Falls. The trail was not too strenuous for a novice hiker like me, and I did fine climbing over a fallen tree, and navigating two narrow wood bridges. The falls were beautiful! While waiting for our return boat, we sat down to eat some snacks and immediately encountered some bold chipmunks trying to get our food.
When we returned to the Lodge that evening we enjoyed dinner in the dining room and there was so much food! It was my first time eating huckleberry (ice cream for me, and John had cheesecake with sauce) and we learned they grow well in the area. The Lodge sources all their vegetables from farms owned by the Hutterites, a religious group similar to Amish/Mennonites.
Our tour the next day was scheduled to depart at 7:45 am, so we were up early for coffee and breakfast. Sun Tours is owned and operated by Blackfeet Indians, and our guide, Jack Gladstone, was also a local celebrity musician. In addition to giving us history of the park, the local reservation, and the Blackfeet Indians, he wove in family stories and played his guitar and sang. We made several stops at scenic overlooks, and saw a herd of buffalo. A very nice bus tour along the “Going to the Sun” Road, as well as some small towns adjacent to the park.
Our return train on Sept 7 was 1-1/2 hours late but we were comfortable waiting in the Lodge lobby, charging our devices for the long train ride. The return trip was relaxing, the dining car meals were delicious, and we enjoyed talking to the other passengers during meals. We had no problem catching an Uber back to our hotel when we arrived in Chicago.
It was nearly dark by the time we checked in and settled in our room the evening of Sept 8, but we easily navigated the way to grab a quick meal of pad Thai. We decided to be brave and take the elevated train from our hotel to the airport, and we took the time to find the station and bought our tickets ahead of time; only $2.50 each! When we woke up we discovered our flight was 2 hours delayed, which gave us time for a leisurely breakfast before checking out and heading to the Blue Line station. The train was right on time, taking only 45 minutes even with the 18 stops to the airport, and was clean, safe and efficient.
Home, Sweet, Home about 5 pm on Sept 9, and our recliners felt so good. We were thankful that our kids took care of our dogs, the trip was delightful, and we made more great travel memories to celebrate our anniversary! God blessed us with wonderful experiences, great weather, and excellent travel!!
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The story goes something like this: A dark-haired, green-eyed beauty from a Tennessee dairy farm moves to Jacksonville, Florida and starts work at a local Krystal restaurant. An upstate-New York, city-raised sailor boy comes in for a hamburger and catches the eye of the beauty. Eloise (my Mom) giggles quietly when Bob the sailor (my Dad) keeps coming back for more … and more … of those tasty Krystal burgers.
Mom laughs at the photo of all of us kids lined up on the floor in front of her chair, while we brushed each other’s hair. It reminds her of all the crazy and fun times we had: Driving us all to school in the big blue bomb, which miraculously passed inspection each year — renting rooms to boarders — beach vacations — graduations — weddings — Tom’s plays — Kasey sneaking out the window — Chip playing his trumpet — Robin moving far away.
robinstearnslee 