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Showing posts with label glacier national park. Show all posts
Showing posts with label glacier national park. Show all posts

6/11/18

Riding the Empire Builder Train from the Midwest to the Pacific Northwest



La Crosse Red Wing St Paul Portland and Seattle
The Empire Builder travels daily between Chicago and the Pacific Northwest along major portions of the Lewis and Clark trail with views of the Mississippi River, the North Dakota plains, the Big Sky country in Montana and Glacier National Park. Seattle is reached via Spokane; alternatively, the train follows the Columbia River Gorge toward Portland.

The National Park Service and Amtrak Trails & Rails Natural and Cultural Heritage
The Train Service runs in both directions and travel time is 45 hours at an average speed of 50 mph - 80 km/h. Inaugurated in 1929, the Empire Builder was named in honor of James J Hill and is the most popular long-distance train in the Amtrak system with 65% of operating costs covered by fare revenue. Ridership is nearly 500 thousand passengers/year.
Bike Racks are Installed Aboard the Empire Builder
Recommended Town Visits and Stopovers
La Crosse is located at the intersection of the Black, La Crosse and Mississippi rivers in Western Wisconsin in a broad plain between the river bank and the tall bluffs typical of the Driftless area. It was named from the game with sticks - lacrosse in French - played by local Native Americans. It was further settled during the middle of the 19th century with completion of the La Crosse & Milwaukee Railroad.
The River Towns of southeast Minnesota are located 60 miles from the Twin Cities. Winona is an arts and cultural center with three major galleries that hold works by Picasso, Van Gogh and Monet that depict lakes, oceans and rivers. The Garvin Heights overlook features panoramic views of the town and Mississippi River Valley. Follow the Minnesota River Valley Scenic Byway to New Ulm and experience Old World German heritage through unique architecture, restaurants and shops selling German imports, from chocolates to cuckoo clocks. A traditional Glockenspiel features figures from the town’s history.
Red Wing is in the Mississippi River Valley flanked by rolling bluffs. The town is a leading manufacturer of leather, pottery and Red Wing Shoes and is named for the Native American Chief who first met a US Army Officer in 1805. Tucked between bluffs and the river, Red Wing has many historic Victorian properties and farmhouses, including the St James hotel that dates to the 1880s. It overlooks the Mississippi River near the 1904 Amtrak Depot, home to an art gallery and a visitor center.

Minnesota means clear blue water from the Dakota language. Nearly 60 percent of the population lives in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, the center of transportation, business, industry, education, government and an internationally renowned arts community. The remainder of the Land of 10,000 Lakes consists of western prairies, forests in the southeast and mining, forestry, and recreation.








Riding the Empire Builder Travel Itinerary

Reduce Travel Times and Costs on Your American Vacation or Business Trip




Environment Friendly Destinations and Vacations
Portland is located between the Cascade Mountains and the Pacific Ocean at the northern end of the Willamette Valley and river which flows through the city and links with the Columbia River. The citizens and their local government are notable for: land-use planning, local transport, environment conscious policies, high walkability, a large number bicyclists and ten thousand acres of public parks Read More



 
Neighborhoods Planning Development Sustainability and Local Transport
Seattle’s first major industry was logging; by the late 19th century the city also became a commercial and shipbuilding center as a gateway to Alaska during the Klondike Gold Rush. In the 1940s, Boeing established Seattle as a center for aircraft manufacturing and, beginning in the 1980s, the area developed as a technology center with companies like Microsoft and Amazon.

10/06/17

Travel to Montana



western history and culture two national parks a beer trail and small towns
National Parks
 Montana is home to two national parks:


Glacier National Park crosses the Continental Divide at Logan Pass, offering breathtaking views and opportunity to see wildlife, the rugged terrain along the way and the many unspoiled lakes on a wooden boat, kayak or canoe, a guided horseback ride, or hiking some of the 700 miles of trails.




The Gateway to Yellowstone National Park in South central Montana and shared with Wyoming and Idaho, Yellowstone is the world’s first national park. Renowned for its geysers, canyons, lakes, waterfalls and wildlife, Yellowstone encompasses 2.2 million acres, of which 7 % are in Montana. Three of the parks five entrances, Cooke City, Gardiner and West Yellowstone are located in Montana and provide year-round adventure to this wonderland of nature. 
Beartooth Highway extends from the quaint mountain town of Red Lodge and winds its way over the largest true high elevation plateau in North America, all the way to the Northeast Entrance of Yellowstone, near Cooke City; a spectacular 68 mile drive to elevations over 10,000 feet through a land of glaciers, high alpine lakes, glacier-carved cirques, and fragile tundra.




Small Towns and Downtowns



Bozeman in 1864, John Bozeman led a wagon train over Bozeman Pass into the Gallatin Valley, where his friends W. J. Beall and D. E. Rouse staked out the town site for the city of Bozeman. It is considered one of the most diverse small towns in the Rocky Mountains, with a mix of ranchers, artists, professors, ski enthusiasts and entrepreneurs drawn here by Montana’s world-class outdoor recreation.







Billings was established in 1882 with the coming of the Northern Pacific Railroad. Today it is a major shipping center for cattle and other agricultural products and is Montana's largest city. Known as Montana's Trailhead, it has access to the Beartooth Mountains, the Yellowstone River and local trails.
Missoula is nestled in the heart of the northern Rockies in the western part of the state.  Home to the country's largest smokejumper base, the historic downtown features classic early-century buildings and unique galleries, shops and restaurants. All three are excellent year round bases to explore Montana.

Butte is a melting pot of ethnicities and culture that shape it to this day.  From all corners of the world, immigrants came to this tough mining town, created distinct neighborhoods, and brought with them the cultural heritage of their native countries of Ireland, Wales, China, Croatia, Italy, Serbia, Lebanon, England, Canada, and Finland. Butte’s very placement near the crest of the Continental Divide is unique.  The sheer elevation of nearly 6,000 feet makes the journey to the city a challenge.  The terrain of the city is a dichotomy between “the flats,” a stretch of even terrain that spreads south, and Uptown Butte, the face of the city that saw the majority of growth in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
Western History and Culture




Custer's Last Stand took place at the Little Big Horn in 1876 when the US 7th Cavalry Regiment led by Lt. Colonel George Armstrong Custer battled the Sioux and Cheyenne. Native American powwows such as North American Indian Days in Browning or Crow Fair in Hardin welcome visitors and give a glimpse into their traditional customs, dance and music.








Ranch Vacations the state has many unique guest ranches of different types: dude, working, or luxury resort ranches that offer a diverse array of activities from horseback riding to fly fishing, spa treatments to gourmet meals, hiking to rafting.




Rodeos are held all summer throughout Montana providing insight into past and present cowboy life. All rodeos, large or small, professional or down-home celebrations, are family friendly events.
Beer Trails
Montana's vast farmland provides ample area for wheat and hops production and is home to 53 breweries, the most per capita in the country. Experience a walking brewery tour in historic downtown Billings where six breweries and one distillery are within walking distance of each other. Or tour the Bitterroot Valley south of Missoula and try seasonal varieties. Taste samples of brews such as Mountain Man Stout, Pigs Ass Porter or Coldsmoke throughout the state at many local craft breweries, each with their own special brews and character.