As we planned our Summer of 2001 vacation we decided to go local and then pondered the myriad of options.   Since we had been on the original Orient Express for our honeymoon, we decided to taste the home grown version.   After pouring through the many trip options, we settled on a venue that rolled us through the Northwest countryside and National Parks of America.   As I had visited Glacier Park on a car camping trip with George and George a few years ago, I was eager to return to the majesty of that beautiful and inspiring park along with showing Betsey the sights.

The trip started in Seattle.   We flew up on a glorious late May morning, found lunch at a hole-in-the-wall Fish 'n Chips joint that had popped into my mind from the recesses of past visits, and toured the Emerald City.   It was a great start.   Then reality set in.   The train is wonderful throw back to the Golden Age of rail travel, unfortunately the service needs a long way to go to catch up.   I will let you loose in the National Parks we visited, because that is where the real delight of this adventure occurred.