"Be happy, you are in Oregon!"
Nothing compares to the Pacific Northwest. The atmosphere, coast, scenery and nature is indescribable. Oh, also, the people are unbelievably kind. Having the opportunity to live near the Pacific Northwest and visit frequently is something I will cherish forever.
One of the main reasons I decided to take time for myself to travel was gaining independence. Going on a solo, spontaneous adventure to Oregon was exactly what I needed.
Itinerary
Friday, October 4th.
I left for Portland at 9:30pm; only an hour after scheduled. While waiting at the San Jose Diridon Station, I had an hour long conversation with the woman sitting next to me. We talked about my travels, her travels to Greece, and everything in between. Thankfully she helped me with finding our train and assigned cart.
Saturday, October 5th.
I woke up around 4:00am on Saturday for two reasons. First of all, my seat was near the exit and people were constantly stomping up and down the stairs. I am a very light sleeper, so I barely slept. Second, I love sunrises. I made sure to watch the sunrise every morning of my trip. Out of all of the sunrises I have watched, this sunrise was my absolute favorite. Pink flooded the sky around Mount Shasta. I cannot express enough how beautiful this was; the scenery was so lovely. Right place, right time.
On the Amtrak train there are several carts that serve different purposes. Sleeper cart, dining cart, observation cart, coach class cart, business class cart, and more. I spent the majority of my time in the observation cart and coach. The observation cart is my favorite, and the dining cart, of course. Seats are positioned towards the window, with the soul purpose of watching the scenery. Tables are placed near the windows, which allows you to eat with a view. Everywhere the train went, there was a view. Whether we drove through mountains, lakes, colorful trees, or hills; there was always something to enjoy.
I spent the whole day in the observation cart, except for breakfast and lunch. You may be wondering how good can train food even be? I am picky, and was slightly worried about this. But let me tell you; for train food, they had a wide variety of options for each meal. For breakfast, I had pancakes and bacon, with a glass of orange juice. I sat with an older woman and younger couple. We had the best conversations about thrifting, repurposing clothes, our travels, and my future plans. They were encouraging and supportive about everything I mentioned.
Between breakfast and lunch, I switched spots within the observation cart several times. Every time I moved, I met a new person and heard new stories. I met an older gentleman while taking pictures of the mountains on my camera. He asked if I knew what I was capturing, but I told him no. I am not very familiar with Oregon's geography. We discussed his trips to Oregon and he informed me about Oregon's mountains and lakes. I learned more than I ever thought possible.
I decided to switch seats and sat next to another girl who was reading by herself. She introduced herself and we talked for hours. Both of us are in the midst of taking time for ourselves and travel. She was headed to Seattle, while I was headed to Portland.
2:00pm came around and it was time for my lunch reservation. I was seated with two boys a few years older than me, and we had some interesting conversations. They live in Los Angeles and work for an aerospace company. Pretty crazy. Both of them were on their way to Chicago for a week getaway. I warned them about how boring the Midwest will be to ride through. Wish them the best. For lunch I had a burger and kettle chips, because there were no fries. Lunch was tasty, and the kitchen staff was kind.
I arrived in Portland at 4:00pm. As I took my final steps off of the train and stepped into Portland, excitement rushed through my body. I love new cities; full of new people and new starts.
This trip was my first solo adventure. Instead of being nervous about exploring a new place alone, I was excited.
I only had an hour in Portland before my bus left for Seaside, so I decided to take a ride on the Oregon Tram over the city. The view was beautiful. All of the buildings looked small from above. Clouds covered the sky so I was unable to see Mount Saint Helens, which was unfortunate.
Sunday, October 6th.
Pink and purple filled the sky this beautiful Sunday morning. I woke up at the crack of dawn and walked to Seaside Beach. My hotel was only a short walk away. I love the ocean, especially in the morning. It was chilly. Chilly enough to make my Polaroid film turn green. As I walked up and down the beach, I was able to see different types of sea creatures that washed up to shore. The tides were low and slow. Some men were fishing pretty far out because of the low tide.
As I was leaving, an Oregon local saw my photography camera and asked about it. He's a photographer, too. I showed him my Canon and my Polaroid 600 camera. Everyone tends to love my film camera.
I was on a tight schedule this morning. The bus from Seaside to Portland has strange, inconvenient times. Due to the bus schedule not matching my schedule, I was unable to visit Cannon Beach and Haystack Rock. I only had an hour before the bus left, so I had to eat pretty quickly at the café. Per usual, I ordered French toast. On my way out of the café, the waitress wished me luck on my travels. Oregon locals are the sweetest.
I had to hitch-hike to the bus stop from my hotel. Seaside's taxi service had an hour wait, so I would have missed my bus to Portland and train back to San Jose. Fortunately an older man was able to give me a ride for free.
At the bus stop, I met another older gentleman. He said it was strange to him to see two-lane roads. He grew up in New Jersey and traveled to New York for work, making it impossible for him to see calm drivers and roads with two lanes. I explained to him about living in the Midwest and growing up with gravel roads and two-lane roads. He was a very nice guy and I wish him the best.
Seaside to Portland's drive was beautiful during the day. Leaves were changing colors, and it reminded me of autumn in the Midwest. My favorite part of the bus ride was the glimpse of Mount Saint Helens. I only saw these mountains once on the trip; but the short amount of time I did see them, was gratifying.
For the rest of my time in Portland, I walked around downtown. There was a marathon going on where I was walking. My favorite part was spending time at Portland's Saturday Market. Live music was playing, the weather was beautiful, and everyone was kind. I tried a homemade pretzel from one of many food stands; it was delicious. I love pretzels.
As my time in Portland was coming to a close, I headed back to Union Station. I nearly missed my train because I somehow thought there were two trains. Not one of my proudest moments. Anyways, I did not miss my train and it all worked out!
The woman seated next to me on the train was nice, and fun to talk to! She was on a spontaneous trip across the United States and headed back to California, as well. We learned a lot about each other. Hearing people's stories was my favorite part of this trip, without a doubt. I find it fascinating.
I spent a few more hours in the observation cart to watch the sunset. Everything happens for a reason, and I believe I was meant to meet this couple. They were an older couple. One of the nicest couples I have ever met. As I was taking pictures, the husband asked about my camera. I told him about it and asked about his. I assumed he was a photographer. The wife pulls out her IPhone and said "this is our camera!" She forced her husband to switch seats so she could sit closer to me. I did not mind. We talked for hours about my gap year, my future plans, and their travels. She showed me pictures of mountains and waterfalls in Canada, and Crater Lake. I loved every minute I spent talking to them.
As the sun set and the sky got darker, they went back to their room. Right before she left she said to me, "from this very point on, I wish you the best of luck. You will figure it out. Go back to school once you know what you want to do. You are a smart, beautiful, radiant young girl and will figure it out." It has been a month, and I still think about this conversation everyday. Word for word. Those couple of sentences have impacted my life.
Monday, October 7th.
Today is the day my spontaneous adventure to Oregon came to an end. As sad as I was, I was ready to sleep in my own, cozy bed. I started the morning by watching the sunrise in the observation cart. Huge sunrise/sunset girl. Orange, red, and yellow filled the sky over Sacramento. It was lovely.
San Jose's stop was scheduled for 9:55am and arrived on time. I spent the majority of my morning in the observation cart, eating breakfast from the dining cart, and talking to the lady seated next to me. This part of the train ride was not very scenic, but that is okay. I had plenty of scenery in Northern California and Oregon.
9:55am came around and it was my time to get off. I said my goodbyes and arrived in San Jose. What an amazing, life-changing weekend.
Overall, this weekend in Oregon was more than what I could have asked for. I was nervous about this trip in the beginning, but I am thankful I went. Not only because of the beauty, but I learned more than I thought possible. Every conversation I had has changed my life in different ways. Positive ways. Navigating around Oregon and learning the geography first-hand was an adventure, as well.
When they say, "every year you should visit somewhere you have never been to," trust them. I try to visit somewhere new every month, because of the experience and memories that follow.
If you are interested in riding the Amtrak, here is the link:
There are always deals going on, and ticket are reasonably priced. You get what you pay for. My trip to Oregon was roughly $130 roundtrip; cheaper than a plane ticket. To save money, bring your own snacks and drinks to avoid buying overpriced items from the café! Meals from the dining cart are tasty, especially for being prepared/cooked on a train. I 100% recommend riding with Amtrak!
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