USA by Rail – the Emerald City

LA was my bail out point. If, after five days of train travel, I arrived in California realizing that I had had enough of trains, I could end my trip there. I’d abandon the rest of my itinerary and find something to do in Southern California for two weeks until my PCT start date. 

Good news: I like train travel. No need to bail. I’m having a great time and am looking forward to the rest of my journey. I hopped on the Coast Starlight for the 34-hour route up the coast. 

The Coast Starlight

Shortly after departing LA, the train paralleled the rugged coastline, often just feet from the Pacific Ocean. Within a few hours, as the train veered slightly inland, the scenery changed to vineyards, ranches, and vegetable farms. 

The next morning I woke up to the sun rising behind a huge snow-covered mountain. I checked the map on my phone to see where we were. I was looking at Mount Shasta, a dormant volcano in northern California. At 14,180 feet, it is the second highest peak in the Cascades (behind Mount Rainier in Washington).

I particularly enjoyed the Coast Starlight because it more or less parallels the PCT. It was fun to get a different perspective, and at times, a sneak preview of my upcoming on-foot journey through California, Oregon, and Washington.

There are some big differences between the PCT and the Coast Starlight routes. In southern California, for example, the PCT climbs the Sierra Nevadas while the train hugs the coast. The PCT begins some 250 miles south of LA and extends another 250 miles north of Seattle. Even so, the train trip gave me a conceptualization of what it meant to travel from southern California to northern Washington.

Even on a train, it’s a long way. 

When I woke up to Mount Shasta, I realized that I had just missed my chance for a PCT sighting. The PCT crosses the train tracks near Mount Shasta at mile 1502.1. I wished I had woken up just a few minutes earlier. I would have loved to get a glimpse of the trail and snap a picture from my window. 

Luckily I would have another chance in Oregon. I tracked the train’s progress as we approached the second crossing at mile 1907.6, near Shelter Cove Resort in Deschutes National Forest. With a cafe, store, laundry, and showers, I expect Shelter Cove will be a great pit stop for me in a few months on the PCT.

This time I was ready. After passing the resort, I knew we’d cross the trail any second. I pressed my phone camera against the window and waited for the exact moment, my finger hovering over the shutter button. 

Then everything went dark. 

Wha? What happened?

In the pitch black, it took me a moment to realize we had entered a tunnel. 

The PCT, apparently, crosses over the train tracks. So much for a photo op! 

Seattle 

I arrived at the King Street Station around 9 pm. The station lies in the heart of Chinatown (officially named Chinatown-International District). My hostel, in the refurbished American Hotel on King St, was just two blocks away from the station. 

After a good night’s sleep, I had the morning to explore. I found myself in the large Uwajimaya Asian Market, where I picked up some groceries. I utilized the hostel kitchen to whip up some sandwiches to pack in my food bag for the next leg of travel. 

Sometimes I end up with strange concoctions when I’m traveling. Scrambled egg/Chinese barbecue pork/Korean pickled radishes sandwiches, anyone? With a side of red bean buns? 

After checking out of the hostel, I wandered up the steep hills behind Chinatown to where there is a great view of the city. I stumbled upon the Danny Woo Community Garden, a unique 100-plot garden, tended primarily by elderly low-income Asian residents of Chinatown. 

I’ve been into community gardening for a while, but I’ve never seen one quite like this. Though it’s common for gardeners to use recycled materials, this garden took it to a whole new level. Each plot is constructed almost entirely out of found junk materials. Fences were made out of old pallets, vegetable trellises made from plastic orange construction fencing, and raised beds constructed out of scrap lumber and driftwood. It had a lot of character! 

I grabbed yummy dim sum for lunch before catching my next train. Having spent a fair amount of time in Seattle previously, I’ve already seen most of the big touristy things, so I was glad I took advantage of the train station’s location and focused my short stay on Chinatown. It was fun seeing a different side of Seattle.