Shadowmeboy's Star studded Christmas Mexican Riviera review!

We start getting into Oregon City. Yes, that Oregon City. The one you were trying to get to on Oregon Trail when you died of Dysentery.

The Willamette River has a waterfall here at Oregon City. The river separates the cities of Oregon City and West Linn.

Quite a bit of water going over the falls.

There used to be operating Paper Mills on either side of the Falls. I don't think they are operating now.

99E going down to go under the railroad tracks.

99E

Old town Oregon City

Interstate 205 crossing the Willamette

Rolling through the Oregon City Amtrak Cascades station, in the background of this picture, you can see the End of the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center. The white metal is the steel structure of the "wagons", in the spring and Summer they are covered and look like a wagon train.

Crossing the Clackamas River

As we got closer to Portland, the buildings got much closer to the tracks making pictures more difficult. Plus we needed a break after all the ones we took through the Canby and Oregon City area.

The two glass towers are the Oregon Convention Center.

Crossing the Willamette River in downtown Portland. We are on the Steele bridge. The Steele bridge has rail lines on the bottom deck and car and light rail on the upper deck.

both of us were taking photos at the same time, I was zoomed in a little tighter.

Portland's Union Station tower

the front of the train entering the station

the Steele Bridge

Another one, you can actually still see the end of the train on the bridge.

Pearl District

looking towards the rear of the Coast Starlight from outside our car in Portland.

looking forward towards the Engines.

An Amtrak Cascades train arriving into Portland from Seattle.

Decked out in Seahawks colors! Unfortunately, the Seahawks lost earlier that day. They needed a win and an Atlanta loss to make the playoffs, neither of those happened. I listened to the game on the radio as we traveled through the Willamette Valley.

The Sun starting to set.

Back on Burlington Northern Santa Fe rails! My Grandma retired from BNSF back when Burlington Northern was merging with the Atchison, Tokeka, and Santa Fe Railroad. I have a soft spot for BNSF.

Mt. Hood is visible in the distance.

picking up speed, heading out of Portland.

Industrial area near the Willamette. The Columbia River is dredged to Portland, thus Ocean going ships can make it all the way to Portland and the Willamette Industrial area.

Crossing the Willamette for the final time.

Susan took this one looking away from Portland.

Susan across the hall in the other roomette.

crossing part of the Columbia River

Susan's view

approaching the main channel of the Columbia

Looking up river, Mt. Hood is the background.

looking downriver

looking upriver, the other bridge visible is Interstate 5

last shots downriver

coming off the bridge into Vancouver, WA

Vancouver, WA train station

The train station in Vancouver is literally right of the Columbia River bridge.

Soon after we left Vancouver, they called our dinner reservation time. We were eating in the Pacific Parlour Car tonight.

we started with a salad.

a view of the Parlour Car

looking the other way at the bar.

I got the roasted leg of lamb - so tender and the bone came out clean.

Susan got the Chicken Alfredo

I got Cheesecake for dessert.

Susan got a Lemon Tart.

We headed back to the room. About 30 minutes later, we were traveling through Susan's childhood hometown Winlock, WA. Home of the world's largest Egg.

After a short while we arrived at the Olympia-Lacey Station. Olympia is Washington's Capitol. I am sorry to report, when we stopped in Sacramento, California's Capitol, I was asleep, thus no picture. So Sorry.

About 30 to 45 minutes later, we pulled into Tacoma, WA.

After Tacoma its about an hour to Seattle. We finally pulled into Seattle, only 45 minutes late. We made up 15 minutes over the course of our journey.

Goodbye Coast Starlight. Its been a fun ride!

We entered King Street Station to collect our bags.

Since the renovations, King Street Station is a very beautiful station.

a new arrivals/departures board since the last time we were here.

We collected our bags and hailed an Uber.

King Street Station from 4th ave.

Centurylink Field, home of the Seattle Seahawks

It was a quick drive out near Seatac Airport to our favorite hotel, the Best Western Seattle Airport inn.

We checked in and headed to our room for the evening.

As it was New Year's Eve, we were going to watch the New Year's festivities on the TV. Well we only made it to 11:30 pm.

The next morning we awoke and had breakfast.

They always have an excellent breakfast here.

Susan's oatmeal all doctored up.

look at the fun toppings for the waffles.

Hot foods

fruit and oatmeal

Susan's eggs and doctored waffle.

After breakfast, we hailed an Uber who took us out to Grandpa's house where we picked up our car to drive home.

Leaving Renton and heading towards Issaquah

State Route 900

this part really hasn't changed since I was a kid.

We hopped on Interstate 90 heading towards Eastern Washington and Snoqualmie Pass.

We are traveling along the mountains to Sound Pacific Greenway

the snowline is creeping closer.

The Summit at Snoqualmie Pass ski resort

Just outside of Cle Elum, WA

Thorp Fruit just outside Ellensburg.

Yakima River

Interstate 82, in the distance, climbing the hill to Yakima.

We stopped for Lunch at Wendy's in Ellensburg. We met my Aunt here and collected the dog.

Theo telling us all the horrible things that happened to him at Aunt Doreen's

heading East out of Ellensburg towards Vantage.

The Columbia River at Vantage, WA