I’ve viewed the Columbia River Gorge from a car, a boat, a bicycle and, just this past week, from a train. Many times I’ve seen the train racing along the northern shore of the river while looking over the Gorge from one of its scenic overlooks. On occasion, a client will ask me where it goes.

Having done research, I discovered that the train is Amtrak’s Empire Builder to Chicago. I was a bit perplexed at the time since I remembered the Empire Builder going from Seattle to Chicago. It turns out that this duplicitous train serves Chicago from both cities. Only an hour apart the trains leave both Portland and Seattle, heading for Chicago. It sounds like a complicated math problem already, but I’ll save you the trouble and share that they arrive in Chicago at precisely the same time. Their secret is a meet point in the town of Spokane, Washington where they conjoin before heading off to Chicago, that city being none the wiser of their west coast exploits.

My interest in taking this train began with the realization that, given the two routes, you can make a triangle trip going from Portland to Spokane, Spokane to Seattle, and Seattle to Portland. The only problem is that both trains arrive in Spokane sometime between midnight and 2am. That is also when the train arrives from Chicago and splits for its journey to Portland or Seattle. I wanted to spend a least a day in Spokane, but that made getting a hotel room in Spokane a bit awkward with an unusual check in and check out time in the middle of the night.

I had shelved the plan until this summer when I wondered whether I could use the train to get me out to the Gorge, where I could go for a bike ride and then return home the next day. Two things complicated this. One is that you have to take apart and box your bike on the Empire Builder train. That meant figuring out what to do with the box at my layover stop and bringing extra tools for bike disassembly. The second complication is that the daily train from Portland leaves about 5pm, getting to the town of White Salmon about 7pm. Since the return train heads back once a day at 8am, I would have to spend a minimum of two nights in order to get in a bike ride of any substance.

I decided to make it easier and planned the trip to While Salmon without a bike. I booked a room at the Inn of the White Salmon, and when I called to confirm, they told me that they could come get me from the train station which was wonderful news since White Salmon is perched 1000 vertical feet above the town of Bingen, WA where the train station for White Salmon is actually located.

As promised, a shuttle was sent upon my arrival, and I was whisked to the inn at the top of the cliff overlooking the Columbia River, the town of Hood River, and Mt. Hood in the distance. I’ve always been a fan of Hood River, an outstanding recreational center boasting itself as “the wind surfing capital of the world”. To be sure, the recreational opportunities are abundant. Hiking, mountain biking, water sports, and skiing just 45 minutes away. All of this activity has drawn visitors from all over the world, and the little town of Hood River can be a little overwhelming, especially on weekends.

That is why it was such a treat to find the little village of White Salmon just across the river. Like Hood River, there is only one main street, which of course, has a brewery. Walking through the town, however, I was surprised to discover a couple coffee shops and grocery stores selling home made quality foods, even an upscale restaurant. Despite being the little sister in the shadow of Hood River, White Salmon, is a peaceful relaxing destination with all the amenities of the other.

When planning my trip, I found that there is weekday bus service to Hood River and back, so I was able to catch a bus across to explore Hood River. The cost is $1 each way, which is the same as the bridge toll, so doing this without a car caused me no inconvenience whatsoever. I was only in Hood River a couple of hours before I began to miss the quiet charm of While Salmon, so I caught the bus home early and took a nap before heading out for another walk. This time I discovered a dedicated mountain bike park that had been created by locals. The sign warned for hikers to yield the way to bikers, but on a weekday afternoon, I had the trail to myself.

I headed back to the Inn and purchased a glass of wine. There was a nice outdoor patio surrounded by a garden that I was able to enjoy when the hum of the air conditioning units wasn’t intruding. An hour later, I headed out to try the upscale Henni’s Kitchen, which had an outstanding menu and delicious food to match.

The evening was completed with reading from one of the comfortable chairs in the reading nook of my room, while watching the sun set upon Mount Hood. In the morning, I was driven to a coffee shop across from the train station where I could relax while looking out the window at the tracks. Once I saw the train, it only took a moment to cross the street and board for the the trip home.

The view from the observation car was just as stunning on the return trip as the train wove along the shore of the Columbia flanked with giant cliffs shooting up from the opposite shore while silver shoots of water dropped from delicate streams that abruptly ended at the cliffs’ edge.

I looked up to see the scenic overlook and imagined people watching me from there and wondering where I’d been. The train pulled into Portland’s union station, and I hopped off, having enjoyed a new perspective of the Gorge for the grand total of a $32 train trip.