Flying directly to Vancouver would have been easier. And quicker. But...not cheaper. Travel planning is like a game to me. I am a winner when I find the best...but pay the least. After considerable worry and research, I determined that the "best" and almost "cheapest" mode of transportation from Seattle to Vancouver would be the train.
The flat-rate taxi that I had booked online showed up at our hotel right on time...6:00 am...to take us to the train station in downtown Seattle. The King Street Station had undergone recent renovations and gave the illusion of stepping back in time to an earlier era of train travel. The old wooden benches in the station and lack of any type of security screening just further enforced this feeling.
We boarded the 7:40 a.m. Amtrak Cascades train and settled in for the approximately four hour trip to Vancouver. The tracks passed through numerous small towns and much of the time hugged the coastline.
At one point, we watched out the window as an eagle flew alongside the train and then swooped down and grabbed a fish.
In fact we saw many bald eagles and also golden eagles along the way.
Some folks strolling along the shore during low tide.
Compared to flying, traveling by train is a peaceful and enjoyable experience...at least if you aren't in any great hurry to get to your destination. The seats were wide and comfortable with plenty of leg room. Electrical outlets were conveniently located next to each seat and wi-fi was available throughout the train. The dimmed lights and the calming sound of the train on the tracks could have easily put me to sleep had I not been so excited.
It was possible to walk from car to car so I did a little exploring and discovered the bistro car. Having had a large breakfast at the hotel we weren't hungry, but the food looked good and was much lower priced than I would have anticipated.
As we neared Vancouver, Bob took time to fill out the customs forms that had been distributed.
Luggage was unloaded along side the train once we reached the station in Vancouver. Unfortunately...it was raining...and the luggage was not under cover. Rather than everyone getting off the train at the same time, we were dismissed one car at a time to line up and go through customs. Our car was one of the last.
Eventually we made it through the line and into the train station where we were questioned by the customs agent. Why were we here? What were our plans? Where would we stay? The questions made me just a bit nervous, but he seemed satisfied with our answers and we were allowed to walk through the door and into Canada.
There was a bit of a wait until we reached the front of the taxi line. Luckily the cab was outfitted with a credit card machine because we had no Canadian currency. Right before our trip, we had applied for a new Capital One credit card since it did not charge foreign transaction fees (normally around 3%.) It was interesting to look over the credit card statement when we returned home. By using the card, we were able to take advantage of the favorable exchange rates and saved even more money. Thank you Capital One.
Our destination was the Best Western Plus Downtown Vancouver hotel. Our room was located on the 7th floor and had a good view of the city. There was also a roof top deck with tables and an even better view.
From the rooftop we could see houseboats anchored in the river. It reminded me of Sleepless in Seattle!
After dropping off our bags in the room, we started walking up Granville Street looking for a place to eat. There was no trouble finding a place…just the hard decision of which restaurant to pick…so many choices. We settled on “Donair Dude”…sort of like a Greek version of Subway.
We chose seats at the bar in the window and enjoyed people watching as we ate. (Vancouverites are quite interesting!) We also happened to notice the clinic offering medicinal marijuana across the street. Over the next couple of days we realized that there were several of these clinics located in the area around our hotel…and they did seem to be quite busy!
Back at the hotel a brief rest was in order and then we started exploring the False Creek area around our hotel.
Later, for dinner, we discovered "poutine." We had no clue what “poutine” was…and for those of you reading who also don’t know, here is the definition I found online:
Poutine is a common Canadian dish, originating in Quebec, made with french fries, topped with a light brown gravy-like sauce and cheese curds. This fast food dish can now be found across Canada, and is also found in some places in the northern United States, where it is sometimes required to be described due to its exotic nature. It is sold in small "greasy spoon" type diners and pubs, as well as by roadside fry wagons and hockey arenas.Besides the gravy and cheese curds, the menu had different variations of poutine. I ordered mine with bacon and potato filled pierogies. Bob took the somewhat more healthy route (LOL) and ordered his with vegetables. It was fun to discover a truly Canadian type restaurant (even if it was fast food!)…and now I am a poutine lover!
It was getting dark as we walked back to the hotel and Granville Street (where our hotel was located) was beginning to take on a party atmosphere. There were also many homeless people camped out along the street...something totally foreign to us here in rural Minnesota. It was time for us small-town folks to call it a night. Our bodies had not yet accepted the fact that we changed time zones, and we were tired.
