My wife and I recently purchased our first home, in a new area, and as usual when moving, your commute ends up changing somewhat. Mine has gotten a little longer, but that’s not the interesting part. It has also changed mode of transportation. Previously I had been riding a Sound Transit bus down the freeway, which was a fairly enjoyable experience, as far as a commute goes, and now I’m taking the Sounder train.
I’ve long had an interest in trains, and the nearby rail station combined with the rides being covered by my work subsidized ORCA card made it a pretty attractive option. Having been riding for a while, I’ve been very pleased with the service. Traffic doesn’t affect my commute time, there’s always a seat available, there’s a restroom available on the train if needed, and the staff are quite friendly.
Not to mention the views. The route the north line takes comes out of downtown Seattle, along the piers at the waterfront, past a few parks, and follows the coastline northbound to Edmonds, Mukilteo, and Everett. Beautiful seascapes, wildlife, parks and rocky beaches on one side, and waterfront communities on the other.
On the way out of Seattle, we also pass through a BNSF rail yard, which is of itself a point of interest. One doesn’t often get the opportunity to visit a rail yard, much less daily, to see the goings on.
Here’s a small engine on a turntable!
