Jan 6. Empire Builder. Montana to Minnesota.

Good morning. Woke up this morning at Whitefish, MT, with the announcement from the dining crew that breakfast is now being served at the dining car. It’s 7AM and still dark outside. But once awake, there’s no reason to go back to sleep especially when hungry. Heading to the dining car, I saw Erica, our cabin attendant, and asked to undo the bed. Another very attentive-to-your-needs cabin attendant we have on this trip. Sat down with a father-and-daughter duo coming back to Minnesota from a skiing trip in Whitefish. Had a pleasant conversation with them as well.

Went to the lounge car after breakfast and stayed there a bit. By now, we were passing the Glacier National Park, the most scenic part of this trip. And yes, it was as scenic as the Rockies on the Denver side. A very quiet trip so far, with very few people in the lounge car.

After the scenic views, I went back to the cabin for some more tidbit writings, and waited for the lunch announcement.

Lunch would be in the area of Havre, MT. This time, it would be with a lovely elderly couple, and again, Shenmay. It was short but a pleasant lunch conversation like the others. Had my dessert to go and went back to the cabin. Short nap to pass the idle time.

It was almost dark by the time we got to Wolf Point, the last stop in the Montana region. Next stop would be in Williston, ND, jumping 1hr ahead at CST. This would also be the time for dinner.

I had to try the steak again before the whole adventure ends. And as far as I can remember, this is one of those rare moments where I finished the whole steak. It was soft at medium, and marvelously delicious! Perhaps I could go back to eating more meat again 🙂 I shared the table with a family of 3, coming back to Minnesota from a vacation in San Francisco. I opted to have my dessert to go – decaf coffee and chocolate mousse.

The train arrived early at Minot, ND, allowing the passengers more time to step outside and stretch their legs. I stepped outside and took some pictures of the station.  Brrrr, it was cold.  Back at the cabin, I finished this post and prepared for bed. Tomorrow, I’ll wake up in St. Paul-Minneapolis, MN, and finish the trip in Chicago, IL in the afternoon, Empire Builder’s final destination.  Goodnight, once again.