Here we go with another exciting summer Fest, and trying to determine where we might have lunch & dinner together. Ignoring for now any meals aboard Amtrak, here are the lunches and dinner at stake (MMMM, STEAAAAK!):
Wednesday, 7/13
Dependent upon arrival into Seattle. If we are on time, we will want to have lunch midday, perhaps before we begin our LINK and Streetcar rides.
Dinner in Seattle will be determined. Mark is considering a few ideas in the area.
Thursday, 7/14
Lunch is aboard the Cascades train.
Dinner in Portland to be determined. Need a volunteer to coordinate this.
Friday, 7/15
Lunch in Portland will have to be quick so that we can do our transit riding in the morning, and be at Union Station well before the 2:25 PM Coast Starlight departure. We can determine this later, or play it by ear if we see something along the light rail route. One suggestion might be Pioneer Place, a downtown shopping mall with a food court on its lower level. There may be other places along the street throughout downtown. I am not familiar with the immediate area around Union Station.
Sunday, 7/17
For this full day in Los Angeles, I am still working out our itinerary for the light rail trips. Where we end up for lunch would be dependent on where we are at that time. The Expo Line schedule is still not known, but probably the best place for lunch and a break from riding would be in Santa Monica. Santa Monica Place is a huge outdoor shopping mecca that has all types of restaurants on its third floor. Another suggestion is the nearby Santa Monica Pier. Were we to be on the Gold Line around lunchtime, I am told that there is not much at either end of the line (East L.A. or APU/Citrus College) as far as places to eat.
Dinner in Los Angeles to be determined. Need a volunteer to coordinate this.
Penny and Steve have been a tremendous help in the past, so perhaps one of you could take each of the Portland & Los Angeles dinners, and/or work with Mark for Seattle.