Finally October 16 arrived and I drove north on I-29 as far as Fargo, North Dakota. One of the challenges I faced was finding convenient long term parking for my car. I bought the tickets from, but the information turned out to be a little misleading. Ultimately, the best solution turned out to be the parking garage across the alley behind the Hotel Fort Garry . Parking the car after dinner, it was only a short walk with the backpacks to the train station.
Backpacks appear to be the luggage of choice for regulars on the train.
The rail trip to Churchill, while long, was an interesting part of the overall experience. There were few enough passengers leaving Winnipeg that the conductor came through the car and turned pairs of seats such that they faced each other, essentially giving a micro-suite of sorts. The first night I basically slouched in my seat and slept as best I could, which was not too well. Morning finally arrived, and with it a good basic breakfast in the dining car. Like many small midwestern towns of its size, the business district was near the rail station and the town had a well-ordered, clean look.