I have to say that something is very strange in the Pacific Northwest. At first, we were just glad to get off the train: even when you travel in luxury, it’s a long way from coast to coast!

Compared to some of the towns that we rolled through, Renton’s a veritable paradise – as if the hard times that have gripped the rest of our nation never found the place. Sidewalks are free of litter; children are scrubbed pink and well-dressed; people are polite and storefronts are freshly painted.

Th...