Day 1: En Route
During the morning your America by Rail Tour Director will greet Northwest Explorer tour members in Chicago’s Union Station. We’ll board Amtrak’s Empire Builder, a double-decker, Superliner-equipped train, in time for its mid-afternoon departure. This famous train will carry us 2300 miles across seven northern states to Seattle. Relax in your comfortable, private Roomette sleeping accommodations. Bedrooms are available at an additional cost. All full-course dining car meals are included.
After settling in, you may want to go to the glass-walled Sightseer Lounge car for spectacular viewing of the passing scenery. We’ll cross the Mississippi River around 7:00 p.m. and arrive in Minneapolis - St. Paul around 10:30 p.m.
Meal(s): L & D
Day 2: En Route
During the night you traveled through northern Minnesota and across North Dakota. Later in the morning, we cross the remote flatlands of eastern Montana. The agricultural landscape continues throughout the afternoon.
About 5:00 p.m., a dramatic panorama of Rocky Mountain peaks will begin to rise above the horizon, becoming increasingly dynamic as we approach Glacier National Park. The scenery is striking as we wind past waterfalls, river gorges and other wondrous spectacles. The glass-walled Sightseer Lounge or dining car are excellent vantage points.
Meal(s): B, L & D
Day 3: Seattle
You may want to rise early to watch the sun come up over some spectacular scenery. At approximately 7:00 a.m., the Empire Builder will enter the 7.8 mile-long Cascade Tunnel. For the next several hours, we’ll wind through the scenic Cascade Mountains. Finally, we’ll roll south through the lush Puget Sound area and ease into Seattle’s King Street station at mid-morning.
A three-hour sightseeing tour of the Seattle area will follow our arrival. The journey will include Chinatown, concrete floating bridges, Lake Washington, the arboretum, the University of Washington, and sweeping views of Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains. We also will visit the famous Seattle Space Needle, with incredible photo opportunities from the observation deck.
We’ll end our tour at the Roosevelt Hotel, our home for the night. You are free the rest of the day to explore this great Pacific Northwest metropolis. Areas of interest include the Pioneer Square Historic District, a 30-block area of restored historic buildings. You’ll find art galleries, nightclubs, restaurants and sidewalk cafes. The Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park is in Pioneer Square. The Pike Place Market features fresh produce, seafood, arts and crafts. The outstanding Seattle Art Museum is also nearby.
Meal(s): B
Day 4: Mt. Rainier, Mt. St. Helens, and Portland
Our group will depart this morning for a full day of spectacular sightseeing which will end with our late afternoon arrival in Portland. Towering 14,410 feet, Mt. Rainier is the greatest single attraction in the Pacific Northwest and is the tallest volcanic mountain in the lower 48 states. We’ll have a one-hour stopover at the Mt. Rainier Visitors Center in Paradise. Options there include nature exhibitions, audio-visual programs and awesome views from the Visitor Center’s observation deck. Lunch is available (on your own).
At mid-afternoon we’ll arrive at the Mt. St. Helens National Volcanic Monument Visitors Center. A walk-in model of the volcano illustrates its composition. Pictorial and interpretive material and film highlight other features. A 1/8 mile trail leads to a viewing point overlooking Silver Lake and, 34 miles east, Mt. St. Helens.
By late afternoon we’ll arrive in delightful Portland, America’s City of Roses. Accommodations for the next three nights will be awaiting us at the Courtyard by Marriott City Center Hotel.
Day 5: Portland
A full course breakfast is included each morning in Portland. This morning after breakfast we will strike out on an encompassing tour of Portland. The “Portland Highlights Tour” is a guided three-hour excursion exploring the best that Portland has to offer. Our resident expert will unlock some of the best kept secrets of Bridge City. On the tour you will visit some of Portland’s most scenic historic districts, including Old Town Chinatown, once the second largest Chinese-American community on the West Coast and now home to the Classical Chinese Garden; Nob Hill, one of the city’s most picturesque boutique shopping areas (sometimes called Portland’s “Rodeo Drive”) and the Pearl District, Portland’s hip new area for arts and entertainment.
At 6:00 p.m., we will depart on a two-and-a-half-hour long dinner cruise on the Columbia Gorge Sternwheeler. This cruise features a 20-mile loop of the scenic Columbia River Gorge and a delicious plated dinner.
Meal(s): B & D
Day 6: Oregon Coastline
Today will be spent traveling by motor coach along Oregon’s rugged Pacific coastline. It is one of the most beautiful, fascinating shorelines in North America. Some highlights of the day will include Haystack Rock, on the of the world’s largest monoliths, sea lion and bird rookeries on the off-shore rocks; and a small herd of deer roaming freely. We arrive at Seaside, Oregon’s largest and oldest ocean resort town. It lies at the end of the Lewis and Clark trail. Lunch is included.
Meal(s): B & L
Day 7: Parkdale to Baker City
We’ll depart this morning for Hood River where we’ll embark on a Hood River Railroad excursion.
We will take a two-hour excursion trip from Hood River to Parkdale. While still an active freight line, this rail tour offers visitors some of Oregon’s most breathtaking scenery; from the town of Hood River toward the base of Mt. Hood. Enjoy an “on-your-own” lunch in Parkdale.
We will depart from Parkdale and continue on to Baker City via motor coach. In June we’ll spend the night in Pendleton at the Hampton Inn. In August we will spend the night in Baker City at the Best Western Sunridge Inn. An included dinner stop will be made.
Meal(s): B & D
Day 8: National Oregon Trail Interpretive Center
Today, after an included Continental breakfast, we will depart for the nearby National Oregon Trail Interpretive Center. Upon arriving, visitors will enjoy a grand view that overlooks a well-preserved segment of the Oregon Trail. Its setting is the great sagebrush steppe between the Rockies and the Cascade mountains. The National Oregon Trail Interpretive Center uses exhibits and multi-media presentations as a part of the permanent exhibits to tell the story of the settlers experience and the profound effect the trail had on westward expansion.
Living history is a feature of the Center, with presenters providing factual and emotional perspectives of life in the era with historically accurate costumes and acting. Enjoy a live history show and outdoor pioneer wagon encampment.
We will continue on to Riggins, Idaho. Your home for the next two nights will be the Best Western Salmon Rapids Lodge.
Meal(s): CB
Day 9: Snake River and Hells Canyon
Today you are in for a thrilling but safe experience! We’ll embark on a six hour Wild River Tour where you will see the best of the Snake River aboard a jet boat. This tour takes you safely up stream in comfortable, roomy Bentz Jet Boats through white water rapids, the deepest part of the canyon, and on to the Dam and Visitor Center. You will make stops along the way, including Kirkwood Historical Ranch Museum, a sandy beach and the Indian Petroglyph writings. Lunch and beverages are included.
Meal(s): CB & L
Day 10: Boise/En Route
This morning after a Continental breakfast (included) we will continue on via motor coach to Boise, the capitol of Idaho. After our arrival you will enjoy a tour of the city. Highlights include the Greenbelt, the Boise River, and the Capitol Building. We then will continue on to Twin Falls, where you will enjoy an included dinner.
From here we continue on to Elko, Nevada, where we will depart for our return journey to Chicago. The famous California Zephyr is scheduled to arrive at 9:44 p.m. Enjoy the same amenities, including private room sleeping accommodations, all train meals and other amenities experienced on your westbound train.
Meal(s): CB & D
Day 11: En Route
Make sure to take advantage today of the Sightseer Lounge to see the spectacular scenery as we work our way towards Denver. We will climb through the Colorado Rockies and pass through the famous five-mile long Moffat Tunnel underneath the Continental Divide. The incredible mountain views will continue throughout the afternoon. We will pass through Denver this evening.
Meal(s): B, L & D
Day 12: En Route to Chicago
Our train will roll across the plains of Nebraska and Iowa overnight. Today we will cross Illinois and arrive at Chicago’s Union Station at 3:30 p.m. Some tour members will change to trains bound for Midwest, Eastern and Southern home cities. Others will spend the night in Chicago and fly home tomorrow.
Meal(s): B & L