Chicago to Fargo via the #27 Empire, 13 hours, 8 minutes
My alarm is set for 7am but I wake naturally at 6:30. I have one last box to check before leaving Chicago at 3:05pm and that is to have a ride in a Slate truck. Slate is a brand-new car company; so new that they don’t have any trucks yet. Production will start soon, with delivery beginning at the end of 2027. They do have several prototypes that are very close to what the production models will be, and I have a 9:15am appointment to ride in one. I take my luggage down to the kitchen and pack my Amtrak Cooler with lettuce from the refrigerator and gel packs from the freezer. This should keep everything fresh until I arrive in Edmonds in two days.
I enjoy a nice breakfast of caramel apple, grilled cheese sandwiches and apple pie… OK, not really, but different two-bite combinations of apple, buttered toast, dates and cheese really do have those distinct flavor profiles. It’s still early and I don’t need to check out until 11am, so I take my luggage back to my bunk bed and walk to the subway station. In twenty minutes I’m standing in front of the Slate shop, waiting for the doors to open along with four other men. The doors open and I get my first chance to see and touch a Slate truck. I’m impressed! It is bigger than I expect, considering that it is considerably smaller than a Ford Maverick truck. My opportunity arrives and I’m on the road, enjoying the Slate’s legroom, headroom, quietness and acceleration. I would buy one in a heartbeat if I needed it, but my old BMW I3 and half ownership of an even older F150 truck are getting the job done.
I take the subway back to the hostel, retrieve my luggage, and head to Union Station. The train is on time, but nearly full. I have a seat-mate. Sleeping in the Sightseer car is not an option because I’m getting off in Fargo at 4:13am. My seat-mate gets off at 11:13pm in St Paul and I am able to cobble a couple hours sleep before arriving in Fargo at 4:13am. It’s an interesting time to arrive in town. If I go to a hotel I’ll get kicked out six hours later. I decided before leaving Seattle to turn this bug into a feature. I’ll sleep in the train station until 7am, explore Fargo and Moorhead MN, then hit a sports bar in the evening until the train station opens at midnight. I’ll then get three hours sleep before catching the Empire Builder for the final leg. Sleeping accommodations in Fargo/Moorhead will be compliments of Amtrak! I set up my portable chair, wrap myself in a blanket and put on a sleeping mask. In no time, I’m dreaming up a storm. The train station closes at 7:30am. I am now homeless (unhoused?) and it’s 37 degrees outside. It’s cold enough to make Frances McDormand upchuck in the snow.
The Jasper Hotel is a very nice hotel in downtown Fargo. I have an enjoyable breakfast in their restaurant, pretending to be an overnight guest. My Seattle coffee group is together now, so I text with them while drinking my latte all alone. After dropping my luggage off at a location found on my Bounce app, I cross the Red River by foot into Moorhead.
To Be Continued
Fargo to Edmonds via the #27 Empire, 32 hours 32 minutes
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