Trip Reports by our Clients:
AMERICAN ORIENT EXPRESS "GREAT NORTHWEST AND ROCKIES" FROM SALT LAKE CITY TO SEATTLE; AMTRAK FROM PHILADELPHIA
Ted & Sylvia: We're back almost on schedule. Trip great, track terrible, particularly on AMTRAK east of Chicago somewhere in Indiana.
We were awakened between midnight & 2 am at about 70 mph around 5 times when our Amtrak sleeper jumped up and down an extreme amount. I started looking for which side would be best to exit in case we derailed.
The American Orient Express was as advertised. Even modifications due to the Salt Lake Capitol being closed, or a landslide on the Road to The Sun resulted in changes to the bus tours that were just as interesting as the original plans. All bus drivers and/or lecturers on the side tours were excellent. The train crew was wonderful. The pianist in the club car (Victor) is a classical artist, but knew everything requested. The first evening we saw him he had a stack of music about an inch and a half thick. He didn't look at it once.
At Helena, we visited the Capital and nearby museum. Although interesting, we would have preferred some other scenic wonder.
At Jackson Hole we took the ski lift to the top and ran into a wedding party up there. Dee kept her eyes closed on the way down.
The Little America Hotel in Salt Lake City, at $200 seemed excessive until we saw the room. The buffet there for breakfast and dinner was unbelievable.
We did not get a chance to go across the street to the Grand America Hotel, but we understand that is even more spectacular. Our arrival at Salt Lake was late, about 3 am. A mini van from the hotel picked 5 of us up however, after only a 10 minute wait. The day of the welcoming dinner, we had time to get a mini bus tour to the Kennecott copper mine. Fantastic.
On the return trip we visited the Sears Tower, and took a bunch of pictures from the 103rd floor. Dee did not particularly want to look down at the view. She was not the only one.
We made a lot of friends. The folks in the next sleeper compartment were impressed with our description of the VIA trip you planned for us in 1999. I gave them your card.
Thanks again for your planning of our trip. It's a good thing you allowed for the layover time in Chicago and Seattle, and an additional day in Salt Lake.
Walt White & Dee Buehler
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