11 pm departure and the train is on time. In Minneapolis, since we had a sleeper car, we were allowed to wait in a special waiting room complete with comfortable couches, a tv, coffee and low lights! In order to get in we had to enter a special code and didn't know how to get the code. A young boy who had been watching people go in, punching the code had memorized it 8441*. It worked and we recommended that he apply to the CIA.
Our steward, Gul, his middle name 'caretaker', greeted us with made up berths and a "goodnight." The rails gave us a rocking and rolling ride across Minnesota, and North Dakota - no sleep for wicked. But, after all, we are riding a train! (a gal in I met today at Glacier reminded me of that fact - she had ridden the same train the day before.) Early, Sunday we were ready to watch Montana's Big Sky pass by - and we did. Gul provided many trips with juices, even mimosas, and candies.
We participated in a wine tasting - mostly to eat the cheese - and that was fun and a break in the action. Every meal, again we sat with different people - all retired - all travelers, on this train to Seattle- some going on cruises, some visiting grandchildren, some going home after a funeral in Arlington Cemetery.
Montana's state flower must be the cattail. Alongside the train track across the state are ponds, mini wetlands, filled with healthy cattails.
Someone on the train called out "moose," It was the wrong side for us but we could not believe a big bull moose was in the middle of farm land - not a forest nor a willow in sight. But others also witnessed the sighting - Bob swears, 'no way.' I'm thinking a wheat farmer with a sense of humor purchased one of those big plastic moose and planted it in his field. - Are we cynical? Or right? Moose belong in Wyoming and Montana mountains.
Even though I had flown between the clouds over Montana in the past, from the train the white puffs seemed so close to the earth and bended with the horizon as far as I could see - which was forever - on this perfect day, I did not think cloud watching could be matched in the sky, but I was lucky enough to see a wondrous cloud sky looking up. The scene reminded me of Georgia O'Keeffe's Cloud painting, which we had just seen in Chicago. I understand her inspiration.
The entire train was excited to begin climbing into Glacier Park - even the train staff got excited and pointed out the views, especially the waving visitors at lodges along the way - no mooners this time.
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