03.07.07
Combat report from the western front
The westbound Empire Builder arrived in tiny Essex, Montana, at 7:30 p.m. last night ten minutes early. I got off the train with 12 more pages of Cap and Ball in the laptop, all written between Grand Forks, N.D., and Williston, Montana. Now that’s a great reason to ride a long-distance train. Need you ask what the others are?
As I expected, the Builder is still Amtrak’s flagship train. The coaches, diner, lounge car and sleepers are still in tiptop shape two years after their refurbishment and show only a few expectable scuffs of wear. My room was comfy, the bed nice and soft, and I slept like a felled oak.
My sleeper attendant, Louie, provided solicitous service, and so did the four hard-working but amiable women in the dining car — chef, steward and two waiters. (I believe the second cook was a guy.) If every Amtrak train had a service crew like this, complaints about laziness and surliness would disappear.
At dinner the first night out, the broiled catfish, rice pilaf and broccoli was excellent. Maybe not of the standards of, say, Galatoire’s in New Orleans, but tasty and hearty, like that of a small family bistro in a yupscale suburban neighborhood. The need to pamper my arteries brought a simple raisin-bran-and-cut-fruit breakfast the next day, but the burger at lunch was large, thick and juicy in traditional Amtrak style.
Dinner the second night was not so hot. I opted for the special, a beef pot pie with more thick and dry crust than potted beef. The taste was only OK. But that was my mistake. Every veteran Amtrak diner will tell you to stick with the steak, chicken and fish entrees.
One of the Empire Builder’s advertised amenities for sleeper passengers is a wine and cheese tasting every afternoon about 3 p.m., and this one, as usual, was lots of fun. There’s nothing like a little alcohol to loosen up shy tablemates, and one of the wines — a Washington State chardonnay whose name I forget, sorry — actually was excellent. The others were so-so. The cheese was all right, the kind you get in supermarkets.
The weather ran the gamut. Dawn at Grand Forks was gray and overcast, and all of North Dakota was covered with many feet of snow. But as the train wended its way west, temperatures climbed and the sun emerged. Little snow covered the High Plains of Montana, and in mid-state, at Havre, we emerged during the 20-minute service stop into 58-degree weather.
It’s now morning after a solid 8-hour crash in a nice firm bed at the storied Izaak Walton Inn, but I’ve discovered that my room has no desk. That was no problem — the game room in the basement, frequented mostly at night, has tables and chairs and will be a good place to get in a few more pages each day. But I’ll try to promote a small desk from management. (Later: The nice young lady at the front desk found a card table behind a door in the lobby and sent it up for me.)
Here’s hoping the return trip on the eastbound Builder Friday will be as pleasant and productive.
