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It had been shut down since 2020, the pandemic delayed this process too, but that’s behind us now. Join us for a tour of the Pacific Northwest’s best natural wonders.
The Pacific Northwest boasts some of the most beautiful roads in the United States and Canada: railways crisscrossed by natural wonders, picturesque towns and natural spaces that coexist with the continent’s big cities. After two years of closed borders, it’s the perfect time to explore them again after so long away from their charms, and there are few better ways to do it than by train.
Amtrak Cascades
Amtrak returns to service after a two-year hiatus. With one of its most beautiful routes: the Amtrak Cascades route, which runs from Oregon to Vancouver and passes some of the most beautiful natural formations in the Pacific Northwest along the way.
The spring of 2020 was the turning point for this route to be stopped, the borders between Canada and the United States were closed due to the pandemic and gave this beautiful train a rest, until this year. On 26 September this beautiful route was relaunched.
Its history
Its first runs were its classic daily round trips between Seattle and Vancouver, stopping in Edmonds, Everett, Stanwood, Mount Vernon and Bellingham, all in the state of Washington. This is not the usual route, it is modified as the original route goes from Eugene (Oregon) to Vancouver.
It is 300 kilometres of beautiful scenery accompanying passengers to make this journey an unforgettable and extraordinary experience. The train travels along the Pacific Ocean coastline, with views of the fantastic Cascade Mountains and the snow-capped peaks of the Olympic Mountains, making this one of the most beautiful routes in the United States and Canada.
The section of the journey through Oregon crosses the Columbia River Gorge and Mount Hood, two utterly beautiful works of nature. Amtrak’s idea is to gradually add separate round trips between Eugene and Portland.
The journey
Once you’ve arrived in Vancouver, you’ll never run out of things to do, as there are plenty of activities on offer, such as hiking the trails in Pacific Spirit Regional Park, surrounded by beautiful beech forests, or taking a cable car ride up Grouse Mountain. Not to mention if you’re travelling during whale watching season, you’ll arrive in time to pass through British Columbia if you travel before the end of October.
Like Amtrak’s other services, the Cascade train will offer passengers amenities such as free Wi-Fi, spacious seating and generous luggage allowance. They will also have the dining car at their disposal, offering dishes such as a vegan blue corn tamale, macaroni and cheese, an Angus cheeseburger and chicken tacos, as well as beverages including sparkling wine and cider. Amtrak says the current menu includes produce grown and processed in the Pacific Northwest.
Requirements
Although Americans can return to Canada, there are still several requirements for travel.
- All passengers must use the ArriveCAN application to provide proof of vaccination prior to travel.
- Non-Canadian citizens must be fully vaccinated and carry the vaccination record they uploaded to the app.
- All travelers are required to wear a face mask on Canadian trains and inside Canadian train stations.
Now that the weather has cooled, we can’t think of a more comfortable and appealing way to explore the vastness of the North American landscape than by train. And if you’re concerned about the environmental aspect of your journey, remember that the train is now considered one of the most environmentally friendly modes of transport. So you can enjoy the wonders of nature knowing you’re protecting them along the way.
