Page 215 - WINE DINE AND TRAVEL EATING IBERIA

stations along the way, money had been spent on coursed through northern California and southern
modernizing the facilities and linking stops to local Oregon. This is the area where in February 2019,
transit. the Coast Starlight with 183 passengers was stuck
Long out of California, the second day started for 37 hours by deep snow and fallen trees on the
in the forest and progressed to the plains along the tracks.
Willamette River, and then into Portland, Ore., for a That wouldn't happen to us, although the
major stop. Just out of town was the bridge over the prospect of being marooned had a certain sense of
mighty Columbia River and finally, the state of appeal and adventure -- as long as the food and
Washington. In the distance this day, we could see drink held out.
snow-capped Mount St. Helens, Mount Hood and After a few days in sunny Seattle, we made
Mount Rainier, our way back to Seattle's King Street Station for the
Day two ended with dinner along the lovely two-day Coast Starlight trip back to California,
Puget Sound, and finally came the approach to Seat- leaving at 9 a.m. But this time, the journey would be
tle. On time, no less, for an arrival at 7:55 p.m. more challenging with a big surprise thrown in.
Earlier, starting in Portland, we were given Starting off, we knew the drill and quickly
some local flavor by two National Park Service found our sleeper car and compartment.
rangers positioned in the observation car as part of Then, the shock came, barely 20 minutes into
a Trails & Rails program for passengers. They were the trip, as the conductor presented himself and
fonts of local history, as well as of geology. surveyed our tickets to San Luis Obispo, Calif. We
They pointed out huge piles of volcanic ash left had planned to break up our trip there before head-
along the track, a reminder of the destructive Mount ing home to San Diego.
Saint Helens eruption in 1980. As we stopped in “You're going to Oakland," said the conduc-
Centralia, Wash., the story was told of the city's tor.
founder, a man named George Washington who was
"No, we're getting off in San Luis Obispo," I
the son of a former slave and became a leading said, checking our tickets.
African-American pioneer in the Pacific Northwest.
"This train is being diverted," he said. "There's
And surprising to some was the amount of oceango-
bridge work. You'll be put on a bus at Oakland for
ing shipping seen along the Columbia outside the
windows, more than 60 miles inland. San Luis Obispo." (A four-or-so hour bus ride)
Everyone asks, "How do you spend your This demanded quick thinking on my part.
time?" And the answer was by talking to new friends "How about we cancel the stop at San Luis
and devouring books that had been on the shelf at Obispo and continue south to Los Angeles on this
home too long. Cell service was sporadic as the train train and connect to San Diego," I asked. That would

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