Amtrak Family Adventure

One of the perks of living in Montana is that one doesn’t have to depend on public transportation…that is, until you want an adventure that is only provided by public transportation. Last spring I was trying to think of a family vacation that would be affordable and fun for the entire family. We thought about driving to the desert but that’s a two-day car ride one way. Thus, we came up with the idea of taking the Amtrak train out to the west coast.

I’ve always had romantic visions of the sleeper and dining cars of train travel—gazing out the large panoramic windows while enjoying a gourmet meal with linen table clothes and a glass of wine; retiring to a private sleeper cabin to be rocked asleep; and finally waking at my destination, fully refreshed and ready to tackle a day of sightseeing, museums and trendy restaurants.

Amtrak Family Adventure on Montana food, travel & culture blog

Photography by Kyra Ames

In my quest to fulfill this nostalgic experience, I had to overcome some logistics and plan a trip that not only I would enjoy, but one that my husband and our two young kids would as well. Our kids are five and eight, so a city destination of quiet museums and fancy restaurants would have to wait. Amtrak travels along the Montana Hi-Line, departing from 12 small towns—including Malta, Havre, East Glacier and Whitefish—with destinations of Seattle, WA; Portland, OR; Vancouver B.C. and many stops down through California. After perusing the Amtrak route map, we decided the closest departure ‘city’ was Havre, a 4½-hour drive from Livingston…we knew it would be worth it though. Our plan was to take the train to Portland and rent a car to get to our final destination, the Oregon Coast.

Amtrak Family Adventure on Montana food, travel & culture blog

Was it worth it? You BET! The train was an overnighter, so we reserved the Family Sleeper cabin, large enough for five people. We boarded it in Havre at 5:00 pm and arrived at the beautiful Portland Union Station the next day at 11:00 am. Upon boarding, we were greeted by super friendly porters and staff. Each train car has an attendant similar to a hotel concierge. They helped us get our luggage settled and made our dinner reservation for the dining car. While at dinner, they transformed our cabin from a comfortable sitting area to inviting, turned-down beds with clean linens. The shared bathrooms are just like an airplane bathroom and were down the hall from our cabin. To my surprise, there was even a small shower with clean towels. In the mornings, there is fresh coffee and juice to be enjoyed in your cabin upon waking.

Amtrak Family Adventure on Montana food, travel & culture blog

We had some time to relax before our dinner reservation, so we were eager to check out the domed viewing car. There is a café/lounge car where you can purchase beer, wine and spirits to take to the dome car, your cabin or seat. However, when we were packing for the trip, we didn’t know what to expect. I didn’t want to be unprepared, so I threw in a nice bottle of wine, a few Maker’s Mark minis, some snacks for the kids and my plastic picnic wine glasses. The beauty of train travel is that you can pretty much pack the kitchen sink if you want. There are no liquid limitations, baggage searches or lengthy security lines. So, we poured ourselves a fine whiskey and found our way up to the domed viewing car. There, we were greeted with gorgeous panoramic views of the rolling plains of the Montana Hi-Line. The kids enjoyed the freedom to walk around or stand at the window to watch the scenery pass by.

Amtrak Family Adventure on Montana food, travel & culture blog

From the domed car, we went to the dining car for dinner. To my delight, we were seated at a table with linen tablecloths and napkins. The menu didn’t disappoint either. With an array of items including grilled flat-iron steak with a three peppercorn sauce, a seared salmon filet with chile-lime butter sauce or a grilled Angus hamburger, we were all able to find a flavorful and enjoyable meal, complete with wine, beer or juice. We were even surprised when they asked what we’d like for dessert—Häagen-dazs ice cream, tiramisu or cheesecake. When passengers ride in a sleeper cabin, all their meals are included in the ticket price (excluding alcohol and gratuity), making it even more valuable and well worth the experience.

After our sunset meal over the golden Montana plains, our kids wanted to return to our sleeper car to jungle gym on the bunk beds until falling fast asleep to the swaying and rocking of the Empire Builder Train..…who could blame them?

Amtrak Family Adventure on Montana food, travel & culture blog

We arrived at Union Station, right downtown near the trendy Pearl District and Chinatown, at 11:00 am. We had rented a car through Amtrak’s booking site and the rental company was a quick walk, or taxi ride, away. And that’s it—we were on our way to the coast! Sure, we could’ve flown and been there in one day, but this is an experience our family will never forget.

9 Comments

  • shalonhastings@hotmail.com' Shalon Hastings says:

    Awesome photos Kyra! I am so booking a trip after seeing the photos and reading your great description of the trip. Thanks for the links, too!

  • henry@hhh3.net' Henry H. Harrison (older one) `` says:

    My son sent the link on the Amtrak trip. It was wonderful and fed a desire I have long had..
    I’d like to take the grandsons some time.
    I have friend up in the Blackfoot who has done this trip with his grandchildren going to Seattle several times.
    Many thanks,.

    Henry

    • Kyra Ames says:

      Hi Henry, I’m glad you enjoyed the article. We’d like to take the Amtrak again in a few years, when the kids are a little older; it’ll be a completely different experience, and one they’ll definitely remember. You and your son could take your grandson together, a three generational trip might be a wonderful time to bond. Take care, Kyra

  • keithpekkala@msn.com' Keith Pekkala says:

    Kyra,

    Great article and pics! IPhone or Nikon?

    Keith & Anna

    • Kyra Ames says:

      Hi Keith, great to hear from you, I’m glad you liked the article! I used both, my Nikon and iPhone 5s (I really need to upgrade my phone), it was about 50/50. The first, large image of the Dome Car was with my iPhone and a lot of the interior car images were as well…it really is a wonderful camera under low light and in small spaces. I then did some post processing with Snapseed ‘HDR Scape’ filter. Hope to see you and Anna soon!!

  • Kyra,

    Your article brought back fun memories.

    When I was a little girl in Glendive, in the early 1960s we rode the Santa Claus train every year. They took us on a very short ride, with Santa on board to distribute paper bags of

    My sister and I used to ride the train in the late 60’s from Missoula to Billings and back each summer to stay with our grandparents who retired from the ranch to a house in town. We loved being able to wander the cars and go up into the Vista domes. In those days it was safe to turn two adolescents loose to travel that way. We felt so grown up.

    That train went through Butte and along the rock face above the highway, which I recall as the most exciting part of the trip. Funny, you’d think I’d remember going over the divide more, but I draw a blank there.

    Glad you and your kids experienced the train together.

    • Lynn Donaldson Vermillion says:

      Hi Cathy. Lynn here. LOVE hearing your train stories. I myself took a series of trains from Malta to Detroit when I was four. I have so many vivid memories of the dome car, the porters, the Chicago Depot. My sister-in-law enjoyed Kyra’s story so much she booked a trip for her husband and their two little girls for Thanksgiving!

      I always look up at the train tracks by the rocks on Homestake Pass and think, “WOW! That must have been some ride!”

      Thanks so much for sharing your great memories with us!

      Best,

      Lynn

  • Kyra Ames says:

    Hi Cathy,
    Thank you so much for sharing your memories. My husband and I often discuss how unfortunate it is that there is no passenger train through Billings, Livingston, Bozeman, Helena and Missoula. What I wouldn’t give to put my kids on a train to visit their grandparents in Helena, when they’re of age…it sounds like such a wonderful way to grow up in Montana. After hearing so many people share their stories of traveling the train when they were young, I am so happy that we made that extra push to create a similar experience for our family.
    Take care,
    Kyra

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