Gobble Gobble

So here is my Thanksgiving post, embarassingly late since we're eight days from Christmas, but nevertheless, here it is. I must have had a very uncharacteristic moment of adventurism, since I thought it would be a great idea to take Bean to Eugene on the train - on my own. While standing in King Street station with a suitcase, backpack, purse, carseat, coat and 19 month old, I can assure you that I second-guessed myself. Fortunately, my husband was with me, and because the train orginated in Seattle, we had plenty of time to load everything on and get settled before departure. In reality, it actually was a great idea to take the train. We decided to travel only as far as Portland and then have my sister meet us and drive the rest of the way (it takes three and a half hours to take Amtrak from Portland to Eugene, but only one and a half hours in the car).

The train was great! We had a picture perfect day and the scenery was gorgeous. We fastened Bean's carseat to the train seat and she rode happily almost the entire way, looking out the big windows and taking in the lakes, rivers and sunshine. When she wanted a stroll, we took a trip through the train, exploring other carriages, visiting the dining car and (in true Bean fashion) talking to other passengers. Restrooms were well-equipped with diaper changing stations, the train was clean and comfortable, and attendants were very accommodating. No traffic jams, no bottlenecks, no meltdowns in the car because we can't "get down". It was fabulous! And all for less than 40 bucks. You can hardly get down there in the car these days for that price.

Anyway, Bean enjoyed her turkey and mashed potatoes, yams and pumpkin pie - unpureed this year. We had a great week with the family, and Bean loved being the center of the universe for seven straight days (which did, however, require an adjustment period when we got back to Washington). We drove back to Washington in the car and just as we were entering the congestion in Olympia, I found myself longing for Amtrak...