Monday early.

The Empire Builder is a real train.   The route goes through N Dak, and Montana.  Stops at Glacier Nat Park.  We toured up to Seaside by car, hit a few wineries, checked our the Redwoods.  On trains, you can get up and walk.  You get to set down to a 4 star meal.  You see places that cars don't go, but National Geographic has published..

On the way out, a girl from NYC was traveling with her English Bulldog.  He snored.  I mean, he really snored.  About 3 in the morning, the whole car woke up, chuckled, and went back to sleep.  Second night, the cowboys on the train realized the gal from NYC was pretty.  Woke up with about 3 cowboys sleeping on the floor by her.

We apparently hit Big Foot on our way out.  Something furry got hit, went under the train and ripped out the air brake lines.  That means that you stop.  The wheels stop turning, you slide under the seat in front of you, your train gets delayed until a repair crew gets to you and fixes it.  Can't do that with a plane.

I don't ice fish.  There is no such thing as safe ice, and you can buy fish pretty reasonably. I don't really need a $12,000 fish house with a large screen TV, central heating, and plumbing, but it would be nice to have the $50,000 truck to pull it.  11,000 people ice fishing last weekend at Hole in the Day  (Brainard, MN).  One guy won a pick up.  Rest got frost bite.

That sounds like an amazing train route.  I've also heard the one across Canada is beautiful, too.  As a phobic flyer, I love the idea of train travel.  Unfortunately, my very limited vacation schedule makes going from OR to CT that way difficult!  I like that dogs are allowed (even the snoring ones!).

it's funny you mentioned the 11K people at that ice fishing competition.  I just saw that covered on the national news tonight!  I told DH that I understand the fun of trying that once except for one thing:  Why would beer be appealing when it's that cold and you're sitting on ice!  But if you were totally bundled up and the sky is blue like that, it might be fun for an hour or two!