Journeying across four states with a bike, duffel bag and a penchant for unrushed exploration.
By Andy Cochrane, Adventure Sports Network
As far as I'm concerned, life is best when it's partially-planned. Enough, say, to get you to the right place at the right time, while still leaving enough blank space on the canvas that is your day. This creates room for serendipity, which in turn, breeds a good adventure.
As far as I'm concerned, life is best when it's partially-planned. Enough, say, to get you to the right place at the right time, while still leaving enough blank space on the canvas that is your day. This creates room for serendipity, which in turn, breeds a good adventure.
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I apply this paradigm to most things, including travel. Planes are practical to get somewhere far, fast. Cars are best for flexibility and convenience. Buses and public transit are economical and predictable. Sure, all of these are necessary in certain situations. But for the moments that you're not in a rush and willing to try something new, I'd suggest the train.
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| Stormy at dusk as the train approaches the Rockies. |
[post_ads]Once the crown jewel of of the nation's transportation system, the railroad was the first to connect the east and west, distant raw materials with big industrial factories, and major metro areas with food and supplies to sustain them. The rail almost immediately became a great way to see the country, an early predecessor to the booming tourism industry of today.
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| Reading while riding the Amtrak. |
Last month I had five gap days between commitments in Minneapolis to Seattle, so I decided to buy an Amtrak ticket; specifically, one on the Empire Builder. I packed a small duffel of clothes, my camera, laptop, running shoes and my bike - which costs a shockingly low fee of $25 to check - and a lot of snacks. That's it. The less I carried on, the more stops I knew I could explore along the way. I was able to work remotely along the way, but that doesn't make for a great article. Here’s what I found on my journey.
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First Stop: Minneapolis
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| A little bit of luck in the land of 10,000 lakes. |
Before hopping aboard, I spent a day biking around the city with two old childhood friends. Minneapolis is an incredibly bike friendly city, arguably one of the best in the country. We spent the day taking breaks to swim in crystal clear lakes, explore the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, eat delicious Somali food, and try our hand at fishing, before I headed to the train station around 9 p.m..
Second Stop: Minot, North Dakota
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| Small town North Dakota. |
After a solid night of sleep the train stops halfway through North Dakota in Minot, spending about an hour here to refuel and restock food. I took advantage to get some fresh air. While it's easier to walk around the train than it is an airplane or bus, I was eager to get some real exercise. I threw on my running shoes and found my way to the Minot Riverwalk, a 5-mile out-and-back pedestrian trail that runs near the train station.
Third Stop: Whitefish, Montana
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| Backpacking in Glacier. |
[post_ads]After an afternoon nap and a chance to meet new friends in the observatory car, we arrived at one of the stops I’d been looking forward to the most - Glacier National Park. I hopped off and picked up my bike, safely stashed in the baggage car, and rode to the trailhead at sunset. I spent the next two days on a short backpacking trip with my sister and a few friends - I'm lucky to have a community of "yes" people - and returned on my fourth day to continue my trip.
Fourth Stop: Wenatchee, Washington
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| View from the train as it passes through the Cascades. |
After another full day on the train we made it to the Cascades, only a handful of hours from my final destination of Seattle. I still had a day to kill, so again I exited my train car and biked 23 miles to Leavenworth, a smaller town that's dressed head-to-toe in Bavarian architecture and design - which alone is worth the visit. From there I continued on a few more miles to a trailhead in the Enchantments, a wilderness unlike any other. After a quick half-day hike I biked back to the train - downhill this time - to wait for my ride.
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Last Stop: Seattle, Washington
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| Kayaking on Lake Union, Seattle. |
The last few hours on the train are magical, descending out of the Cascades and winding along the Pacific Ocean, with wildlife abound. I spent my last afternoon of this adventure biking to Agua Verde Kayak Club on Lake Union, renting kayaks and going for a two-hour paddle, then meeting a friend at MiiR Flagship, a great local coffee shop, before I returned to the fully-planned world.
