This part of our trip found us waking up near Glacier National Park, Montana. We went through the Flathead Tunnel, which is the second longest train tunnel in the lower 48 at 7 miles. We saw beautiful clouds skirting the tops of peaks in Glacier National Park before we moved on the flat Big Sky country of eastern Montana.

I should have posted this earlier, but it is a map that shows Amtrak trains and when they are in daylight and when it is nighttime. It’s a good visual of when you can see things, although being up at night and seeing the lights outside is nice as well. Daylight is red, night time is blue.

This is just before dark as we headed north from the Columbia River to Pasco, Washington and then onto Spokane, Washington. The Empire Builder has two parts to the train, one that leaves in Seattle and has the dining car and the other part of the train that leaves from Portland and has the lounge car. They then connect in the early morning hours in Spokane so that when passengers wake up there is a complete train.

Leaving the Flathead Tunnel.

The view from the back of the train while inside the tunnel. Yes, that is the light at the end of the tunnel. This was an amazing few minutes of travel, looking through the window as we went. 7 miles of a receding dot of light before emerging.

The fog on the trees in the morning as we approach Whitefish, Montana.

Whitefish! Beautiful town that I remember from visiting family in the area when I was a kid.

The dining car menu.

Yes, they have showers in the bathrooms on sleeper cars. The water was warm, the space was limited, but it works! Until the next post . . . !