We have traveled to Oregon by plane and many kinds of automobiles, including cruising the famed 101 in a red convertible. We’ve done it in moving trucks and campers. But I had never done it by train.

We lived in Eugene for several years when Kees got his Master’s Degree at the University of Oregon - making him a real Duck! The University’s Athletic Department’s logo is based on Disney’s duck - by special license.

This time we wanted to travel south by train. Ultimately, on this trip, we had to get to Los Angeles but didn’t want to just fly there. We wanted to visit friends en route, especially in Eugene, so we opted for the Amtrak Cascades choice. We booked tickets well in advance. The train leaves Vancouver BC at an ungodly hour (6:30 AM) so we had to stay overnight in Vancouver. We found a Best Western on Kingsway which was a 5 minute taxi ride from the train station the next morning.

The Amtrak train is not exactly the Orient Express. Pacific Station is grand and a conductor wearing a real train cap greeted us. But that’s where the luxurious feeling ended, even before we climbed onboard. It’s just a train, comparable to traveling on the Greyhound bus. Not bad but a bit dingy. If the person in front of you reclines his airplane-type seat, he lands in your lap with a mighty bang.

Crossing the US/American border was a piece of cake on the train. Immigration officers come on board and walk down the isle, seemingly barely looking at passports.

It was early so we needed coffee and breakfast. The only option was a cafeteria counter which sold cold clammy sandwiches and burritos. Not overly impressive. But it was fun to see the Washington landscape roll by. Just the Washington landscape though. As soon as we reached Portland, Oregon we had to get off the train and board a bus for the last 2 hours to Eugene. I cannot figure out the Amtrak schedule. Some trains seem to continue but usually you need to travel part of the route on a bus. Don’t ask me why.

In Eugene, we stayed right close to downtown in the gorgeous Campbell House B & B. It’s not so much a B & B as it is a small boutique hotel or city inn. The original house dates back to 1892 and is nicely redone. Lots of rooms, a large breakfast room and pretty grounds surrounding it all. Breakfast was served between 7:30 and 10:30, perfect. Lots of great choices and everything homemade. We enjoyed fresh fruit, scones, bacon and eggs and more. Our room was a bit small with spotty wifi. Being in the historic ‘Carriage House’ wasn’t terribly sound proof so we heard our neighbors coughing and talking. But at night we enjoyed sitting by the fireplace and using the great wifi of the main house.

Best of all, at Campbell House, was the staff. I have seldom met nicer, more hospitable people. The cook was amazing and all the staff was incredibly friendly and accommodating. When they found out that we run our own B & B, they even sent us a large bottle of champagne, which added a very special touch to our stay. From Campbell House you can walk all over town. Too bad the view is largely obstructed by the only high rise in Eugene.

Right next door is the magnificent Shelton McMurphey Johnson House - a beautifully restored turn of the century mansion that is well worth a visit.

Having lived in Eugene, we enjoy walking around the beautiful, green campus. Our favourite bookstore is here: Smith Family Bookstore has endless isles with floor to ceiling books, piles of books teetering everywhere. One of those iconic places where booklovers like to go. Just like Eugene’s Public Library, which is a good place a visit when you are in town. It’s a vibrant part of the community with art shows and events. Ken Kesey, author of One Flew Over the Cuckoo Nest is a celebrated local author here, commemorated by a statue next to the library.

Eugene being a university town means it has lots of great little restaurants, coffee shops, stores and entertainment. Eugene is also a great city for hiking. Spencer Butte Park, Skinner Butte Park and Mount Pisgah Arboretum are among the places that offer good hiking trails. Parks along the Willamette River offer kayaking and swimming spots.

U of O has impressive athletic facilities, in large part thanks to Nike’s Phil Knight who has donated many millions to construct state of the art football stadiums, track facilities and more. We highly recommend attending an exciting Duck game while you are here: https://goducks.com/ Autzen Stadium is a state of the art (football) stadium. We took in a Duck women’s basketball game at McArthur Court, together with 7,000 other Duck fans dressed in green and yellow.

One of our favourite places to eat in Eugene is the ever popular Oregon Electric Station. It used to be an actual electric train station. Then it became a great restaurant and now it’s (recently opened as) a Spaghetti Factory. If you can’t get in, walk down the street to the Steelhead for great pizza.

But by far the best place to be, at least for us, in Eugene, Oregon is a small Italian restaurant named Mazzi’s. We lived in Eugene as poor students in the 70’s and Mazzi’s was there then. We had no money but whenever we had something big to celebrate, we’d go to Mazzi’s. Mazzi’s is still in the very same spot. It hasn’t changed much. The decor is the same, the menu is pretty much the same even if the prices have gone up… But it is still as wonderful as ever. We usually meet a large group of old friends at Mazzi’s. Fabulous, and it is always packed which shows me that it’s not just us who love to come here.

RESOURCES:
https://www.amtrakcascades.com/