The Spirit of Washington

The Wilburton Trestle in Bellevue is the longest wooden trestle in the Northwest. Constructed in 1891, it is 975 feet long and 102 feet high.

Columbia Winery is Washington State's first premium winery, established in 1962 by ten friends, seven of whom were University of Washington professors. The Columbia vineyards are on the same latitude as the premium wine areas of France, although the winery's aim is to produce distinctive wines, not copies. Columbia Winery uses only European vinifera style grapes grown in Eastern Washington and has been leading the industry with vineyard designated Cabernets, Merlots, and the new varietals Syrah and Cabernet Franc. The winery occupies a beautiful Victorian building which features a tasting room, gift shop and a banquet room for meetings and seminars. Personally, I'm not a wine conissuer, but I recommend their summer concert series. Big name acts are usually scheduled to be catered on the lawn. It rained at the last concert I attended, but that didn't dampen the fun. Not a single umbrella blocked my view, how's that for a polite crowd!

Toll Free: 1-800-876-RAIL
or Phone: (425) 227-RAIL
625 South 4th Street,
Renton, WA 98055

Black Ridge, a coal-mining town, was settled by Erasmus Smithers in 1856, but became the incorporated city of Renton in 1901. An area that once held settlements of Duwamish Indians dating back to 1790, is now home to the Spirit of Washington. Also locally known as "the dinner train", the Spirit of Washington serves lunch as well. Call to verify times and schedules. The track travelled by the Spirit of Washington belongs to the Burlington Northern-Santa Fe Railroad and is used for freight service six days a week. Here's a summary of your trip from Renton to Woodinville:

Boeing, largest airplane manufacturer in the world, is near the start of your journey. The Renton Plant is home to the 737s (best selling commercial airplane in history) and 757s.

Connected to Puget Sound by the Ship Canal and the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks at Ballard, fresh water Lake Washington is 3 miles wide and 27 miles long and covers roughly 22,138 acres. The lake is also 26 feet higher than Puget Sound. Mercer Island is the only island in Lake Washington. It has 13 miles of shoreline.