Greetings and welcome to the Great Amtrak Road Trip...
I'm a graphics designer and international speaker, who just happens to be an avid train fan. This blog chronicles my adventure from Newton, Kansas… west to California, and then back to Wichita. I had a lot of fun, and Mother Nature threw a couple of fastballs at us. However, as you will see, Amtrak stepped up to plate and hit a home run.
In a nutshell, this is how the trip is “supposed” to go
First Leg: 30h 50m
I try to do a big trip once a year. This year we will be leaving from Newton, Kansas, and head out to Los Angeles on the Southwest Chief, where we'll spend the night.
Second Leg: 34h 30m
The next day we'll leave the Los Angeles Union Station, and head for Seattle on the Coast Starlight, where we'll spend the night.
Third Leg: 45h 10m
The next day we'll leave Seattle and head for Chicago on the Empire Builder, and spend the night.
Fourth Leg: 12h 10m
The final leg of the trip takes me back home to Newton, Kansas, on the Southwest Chief
During the trip, I'll be downloading a post with photos at each of the stops, and encourage your response...
Take care and look for the posts.
Sincerely,
Andy Anderson
Amtrak Road Trip
Leg One: Newton, Kansas to Los Angeles, California
Up at 1:00AM… it’s a quick shower, and finish packing up my computer and camera equipment. Then a kiss goodbye for my wife Bonnie, and the 30-minute drive though the empty Wichita streets to the Newton station.
I attempted to stop at the McDonald’s 24-hour drive through; however, there were so many cars in line that I decided to skip it. What I want to know is why all these people are stopping at McDonald’s at 2:00 in the morning? Creepy…
I arrive at the Newton Amtrak station at 2:35AM, exactly one hour before the train arrives. Amtrak wants you at the station 1-hour early because of the random nature of arrival times. I’ve seen the train come into Newton 45-minutes early, and then I’ve seen it hit the station over 2-hours late. Whatever the case, I wind up sitting in the station with about 2-dozen other travelers; waiting patiently for the arrival of Amtrak train #3, the Southwest Chief. No one is talking much… they’re either attempting to catch a few extra winks, or they’re trying their best to wake up.
This morning, I’m the only one traveling in first class. Since the Newton station is small, and the train is rather long, they usually make two stops to board passengers: one for first class, and one for coach. This morning; however, they only make one stop, and I have to walk down the train to get to the sleeper cars. That means following the tracks across the street, past the lowered gate guards, and board my sleeper behind the closed liquor store on the other side of the street (Newton, Kansas is a small station). I really don’t mind the walk; however, the temperature is below freezing, and I’m not wearing my coat.
This morning everyone appears half asleep… must be all that Saturday night partying… even the conductor yawns as he checks my ticket and directs me down the train to the sleeper cars… I hope the engineer is not that sleepy.
Traveling first class is not all that bad. In terms of size, the rooms are not like a hotel room; however, they do have a couch, reclining seat, full bathroom with shower, and all your meals are included.
Each of the first-class cars has an attendant, and while I’m walking past the coach cars, Alex (my car attendant) calls out my name (hey, I’m the only Newton passenger boarding in first), and helps me with my luggage.
All the bedrooms are located on the upper floor of the sleeper cars. We navigate the narrow stairway to the second floor, and move quietly by the other bedrooms, which are currently occupied by happy, sleeping passengers. There are only 5 bedrooms per car and they’re numbered A-E. On this leg of the trip I’m booked in bedroom D (my personal favorite).
Andy’s Advice: In this traveler’s opinion, when booking your room, always go for D or E… avoid A and B (C is iffy). Why? Bedrooms A and B are next to the connection between the cars, so when someone moves to another car, you can hear the swish of the pneumatic doors opening and closing. Okay, compared to the normal train noise, it’s not that bad; however, in the middle of the night, it can occasionally wake you up. In addition, bedroom A is a bit smaller… it has to do with making the turn at the end of the hallway easier for passenger to get to the next car.
Some traveler’s don’t like room E because it’s right next to the stairs and the snack/coffee area. They claim that it can get noisy because people hang around the area and talk into the wee hours of the night. In my own experience, I’ve never had a problem with Room E; however, for whatever reason, my favorite room is D… then E.
Alex has my room ready… it’s toasty warm against the cold Kansas morning (18 degrees), the bed is already made up, and there are a couple of bottles of water on the collapsible table.
The attendants in the first-class cars can make or break a trip. They usually get up early, make the coffee, and put out snacks. During the day, they keep the coffee fresh, and make sure there’s plenty of water and snacks available. In addition, they put your bed up in the morning (usually while you’re at breakfast), and they put it down in the evening. Although the journey is just beginning, I think that Alex is going to make this an enjoyable trip.
I’m not sleepy, so I set up my computer and start work on one of my ever-present projects. I brought my GPS along and I set it up in the window. Currently, we’re traveling though the cold Kansas pre-dawn at a 70MPH. We’ve made one stop in Hutchinson, to pick up a few passengers (we were stopped for 1 minute and 40 seconds), so including the stop, we’re averaging 63MPH. That’s the cool thing about a GPS; they give you more information than you want to know.
It’s interesting traveling at night; you can look out your window and see absolutely nothing. The window looks like a piece of shiny black slate. Then you pass through a small town… all of a sudden half-lit buildings and streetlights appear out of the darkness, quickly streak by… and then it’s back into the black. Did you really just pass through a small town, or did the black window merely reflect the thoughts of your mind?
These small Kansas towns are like an oasis of light in a sea of nothingness. The only sounds are the clack, clack, clack of the wheels against the cold steel rails, and the mournful sound of the whistle, reaching out into the night… asking: Is anyone out there… Is anyone out there?
Train travel is fun because there’s a sense of detachment… you’re on your own. You can push your problems, and the problems of the world, to the side and, for a little while, relax. No airports, no flight problems… just sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride. Why else would you travel by train? If you want to get there quickly, then an airplane is what you need. If you want to truly enjoy the journey and decompress; then try the train.
Breakfast on the Southwest Chef
This mornings breakfast was a 3-egg omelet with cheddar cheese and sausage patties, hot tea, and some orange juice. My wonderful dining guest, Carol, amply supplied the conversation. She’s a 60+ retired tax auditor that lives in Ohio. Four months of the year she goes to California and helps them at tax time. She always takes the train to and from California, and we talked about how things have changed in train travel over the years. Actually, with train travel picking up in the United States, things are getting better. The sleeping cars are in much better shape (maintenance wise), and breakfast was actually quite enjoyable. You can also see a change in the employee’s attitudes. They are more positive about their jobs, and that translates into happy employees and happy passengers.
After breakfast, I return to my room, do more work on my current projects and update this travelogue. I always seem to get more done when I’m traveling on the train. Maybe it’s the isolation; maybe it’s the swaying of the train as it moves on it’s iron tracks… heck, maybe it’s the train whistle; all I know is that when I ride the rails, I seem to get a lot of stuff accomplished. While I’m plugging away at my computer, Julie, the assistant dinning-room manager comes by to take reservations for lunch. Lunch and dinner onboard all Amtrak trains is by reservation only. They come through the first-class cars first, and then fill in the gaps with the coach passengers. The good news is no one is ever left out. If you want to eat, they’ll find you a spot. I pick a 1:00PM time, and get back to work.
We're currently stopped in Raton, NM. Raton is a very small station and, as a matter of fact, the ticket office is only staffed in the summer months. Although we seem to be in the middle of nowhere, I’m able to pick up a free WIFI connection on my computer. Since we only have a few minutes at the station, I’m going to see if I can download this first part of the travelogue.
The download is successful, and just at the last bits, bytes, and nibbles go flying across the Internet, I hear the train whistle… five seconds later, we’re saying goodbye to Raton, NM.
Lunch on the Southwest Chef
I managed to get some work done by staying in my room, and drinking a lot of Alex’s, excellent coffee (he really does make a great cup o’ joe). However, since I don’t want to go all jittery, I decide to switch to tea.
Andy’s Advice: There are certain things that I like to bring on a trip… things that are not provided in the first-class car. For example, I like to drink hot tea. Alex has coffee and juice but no tea. I could go down to the snack bar and buy some, but I’m too cheap… besides I drink a LOT of tea. So I bring my own tea. To make the hot water, I bring along a small water-heating coil (pick one up at Walmart). Then I grab a coffee cup from the common area, fill it with water and heat it up in my room. Think about some of the little things that you like to have and, instead of paying for them, bring them with you. Besides, the snack bar can be expensive, and it’s not open 24 hours a day.
Anyway, I got some work finished (kudos to me), and found the time to take a stroll around the train. I shot some photos, and even managed to sneak in a 30-minute nap.
Andy’s Advice: Get up every once and awhile a take a stroll. It keeps the old blood flowing, and who knows what you might see, and what kind of trouble you can get into.
Lunch was excellent, on my server’s recommendation, I had the daily lunch special: A chili and pork dish over rice… very spicy. For dessert I took the plunge, and had some of the best cheesecake I’ve tasted in a long while…
Lunch was made more enjoyable by a couple from Wisconsin on their way to New Mexico… he was an astronomer and she was a biologist working at an institute, looking for cures to cancer. He was going to New Mexico to see about a job at one of the observatories in the southwest… interesting. Since we all enjoyed long-distance train travel, we had a lot to talk about. And we all agreed that things on the iron highway were improving.
Some of those improvements might have to do with the new Amtrak-Friendly administration… as a matter of fact; the Vice President’s nickname is, Amtrak Joe.
Back to the trip… we keep slowing down because of the New Mexico commuter trains. Apparently, today is the last day the public can ride them for free, so they’re really clogging up the system. Case in point, we’re supposed to be in Albuquerque at 3:55PM, and it’s currently 4:18PM. Based on my GPS, we’re still a good half hour out… That’s put’s us about an hour behind schedule. For me that’s no big deal, and it’s possible that the engineer could make up the time tonight. We’re not scheduled to hit Los Angeles until 8:15 tomorrow morning. And if we’re an hour late… who cares. Albuquerque is a look around site… the train is refueled, and everyone gets to disembark and a look around a bit. Typically, we’re stopped for about a half hour.
Andy’s Advice: If delays frustrate you, then don’t take the train. Or, at least don’t take the train that I’m traveling on… PLEASE!
I’ve seen Web sites where people are purely livid, claiming that they will NEVER take a trip on Amtrak again. Why, you might ask? Well, their seventy-hour train trip from Chicago to Los Angeles Union Station (LAUS) was delayed. It finally pulled into LAUS an hour and a half late. A measly hour and a half out of a seventy-hour trip… And that’s something to get angry about???
I leave lunch, and my dinning partners, and mosey back to my room. It’s time to get back to some writing. While I’m working, one of the diner car attendants stops by, and I make a reservation for dinner at 6:00PM.
Andy’s Advice: If you’re like me, and you really don’t like eating meals when the diner car is packed, ask the attendant for a better time. Not only will you get a better experience; in addition, it helps them to even out the crowds.
Andy’s Advice: Just a tip on tipping (no pun intended). You should tip your server the same amount you would tip if you paid for the meal. The prices for your food are listed in the menu. Add it up, and tip fifteen percent or more. When I begin a train trip I bring enough singles with me to cover daily tips.
If you're in a sleeper you should tip the attendant (assuming they actually did a good job). A rule-of-thumb is five dollars a day. So if you're on the Texas Eagle going from Chicago to Los Angeles (seventy hours), the tip should be fifteen or twenty bucks. However, I was on one particular train, where I didn't see the attendant for almost the entire trip. The coffee was stale, and juices, snacks and ice were non-existent. I had to go into the other sleeper car to get anything. I talked to the other sleeper attendant, and she told me that our car attendant was being laid off, and this was his last trip. Okay, I'm sympathetic with anyone who is losing his or her job; however, if you're in the service industry, you give service... PERIOD. No service; no tip.
Dinner on the Southwest Chef
Dinner was another excellent meal. I had the flatiron steak with garlic mash, and a bit of chocolate ice cream to round it off. As I’ve previously mentioned, the service and the quality of food has greatly improved… just over the last year or two. I’ve never traveled this time of the year with Amtrak, so I don’t know the reason; however, the first-class section of the dinning car was practically empty, as a matter of fact, I almost had the whole place to myself. I make a mental note that a 6:00PM seating is a good thing.
Andy’s Advice: If you have ever traveled in a sleeper, you probably already know this, but meals are free for sleeper car passengers (you still have to pay for booze). My flatiron steak, beverage, and dessert would have probably cost something like twenty-five bucks w/tip… that adds up.
I sat with an older woman (67) who taught American Indian children on a reservation outside of Gallup NM. We got into Gallup at 8:11PM, about an hour late. When she got off the train, it was snowing quite a bit, and since she had to drive home through sparse areas of unpaved roads, she decided to spend the night at the local Super 8 hotel, and take the drive up in the daylight.
When she exited the train, it was snowing so hard that she disappeared into the snow after only twenty feet… I think her decision to spend the night was the right one.
After dinner, I returned to my room, and did more work; however, being up since 1:00AM took its toll on me and I decided to hit the sack around 9:00PM. Some people have trouble sleeping on a train… I do not. The motion of the car as it sways back and forth, and the mournful whistle cutting through the black night, knock me out better than any sleeping pill ever could.
I awoke at 4:00AM refreshed, and ready for another day. We’re supposed to be pulling into LAUS at 8:15; however, my GPS shows us still about an hour behind schedule. Breakfast is a shortened affair this morning. It takes the diner crew about two hours to put things back into shape for the turnaround trip back to Chicago, so breakfast will only be from 5:00 to 6:00AM. Not very many people are up right now, so I’m not sure how many people will be showing up… I plan to get there a few minutes early to, hopefully, beat the crowds… if there are any crowds to beat.
Breakfast on the Southwest Chef
This morning, they have a limited breakfast menu, so I got scrambled eggs with sausage, and a croissant. Very few people were up for breakfast… I sat with two older ladies who were on their way home in LA from visiting in the mid-west (Ohio). We talked for a while about nothing in particular, and then I headed back to my room. The GPS says that we’re traveling about 40MPH, and as I write this journal, I’m looking at a spectacular sunrise over the mountains. It’s time to do some packing, before we hit LAUS. I’ll be spending today at a Marriott that’s close by, and then departing on the Coast Starlight in the morning for Seattle.
We arrived into Los Angeles at 8:45AM, about 30 minutes late… not too shabby.
I decant myself from the train and take a taxi to the Marriott hotel. I’m a Marriott fan, and this particular one is less than two miles from LAUS. My check-in time is 3:00PM, and although it’s only about 9:15 in the morning, they let me check in almost 6 hours early. That’s why I like Marriott properties.
At the Los Angeles Downtown Marriott
The Marriott is hosting a modeling thing (Barbizon Modeling Agency)), so the place is full of young people, all hoping to be the next supermodel. Accompanying them are the ever-present Stage Moms, all determined that it will THEIR daughter that gets the prize. I smile at youthful ambitions, and head to my room.
Here’s a good one for you, someone keeps pulling the fire alarm (3 times)… kids will be kids.
Had a nice lunch at the hotel, and then went back to my room and worked (between the fire alarms), went to bed and got up about 3:30AM (can’t seem to get into the current time zone).
Los Angeles Union Station has a special lounge for Coast Starlight first-class passengers. They have some snacks to nosh on while waiting to board, and about twenty minutes before the train departs, the conductor comes down and we get to board early. I’ve never been to the lounge before, so that should be fun.
At Los Angeles Union Station (LAUS)
I checkout of my room at the Marriot, thank the staff for an excellent stay, and then pop in a cab for the two-mile ride to LAUS. Arrival time: 8:40AM. It’s a beautiful day, and I toyed with the idea of hoofing it; however, my idea to get in a bit of early-morning exercise is dampened by the thought of wheeling all my luggage for two-miles… I’m a wimp.
As I enter this monument to art deco, I hear an announcement over the terrible speaker system: It’s inviting all Coast Starlight first-class passengers to the Traxx Lounge. I miss the lounge completely and instead wait outside the Traxx restaurant, until I realize that it’s closed. A bit more exploration, leads me to the correct place. The Traxx Lounge is located near the main entrance of LAUS, and just off to the right.
As I approach the lounge, I notice the many of the sleeper-car passengers have already begun to arrive. The lady checking our tickets is not in the best of moods. I’m a firm believer that everyone will have down days; however, when you’re in the service industry, you need to suck it up and smile.
I will admit that I find Los Angeles a bit of a cold city. Everyone seems more interested in himself or herself than making any meaningful conversation with strangers. As I pass some of the attendants in Union Station, he looks at me, and I can almost hear him thinking: I dare you to make me smile. Of course, I’m from the Mid-West, and people sometimes seem a bit friendlier. The good news is that all the staff members on the Southwest Chef were wonderful and friendly, and I don’t expect the crew of the Coast Starlight to be any different.
The lounge (called the Traxx Bar), offers free coffee, tea, and juices, along with assorted pastries. The coffee is very welcome, since the morning temperature is in the lower fifties, and they have all the doors open. It really doesn’t bother me (being from Wichita); however, all the warm-state people, are huddled up and wearing coats with hoods. Currently, I’m sitting with my hands wrapped around a warm cup of coffee, and just doing some people watching.
In about twenty minutes the conductor is supposed arrive and begin the boarding process. The first-class passengers board about a half hour before they load up the coach cars. From what I understand, the car attendants will come around with a small bottle of champagne, and will take your reservation for lunch (we’ll see).
First class passengers get the option of dining in the Pacific Parlour Car, or in the normal dining car. The Parlour Car is a feature that’s only available on the Coast Starlight. It’s a lounge and dining car on the second floor, and a movie theater on the first floor (primarily for the kids). I don’t plan on watching a movie on the train; however, I will frequent the lounge area. They have hot bites and snacks, with coffee, tea, juices; even an espresso bar… be still my beating heart.
The nice thing about the Traxx Bar, is that it’s apportioned with comfy chairs and tables, where I can work, or just watch the world pass. Another good thing; there seems to be plenty of sockets for plugging in electrical stuff… like my computer.
As I look around, I’m glad that I arrived early. The lounge is filling up and all the seating areas are now filled… it’s standing room only in the Traxx Bar. Yet, the Coast Starlight normally carries three first-class cars… each car has 5 bedrooms, 14 smaller sleeper bedrooms, one family bedroom, and one handicap bedroom, or the possibility of 45 people per car. That’s assuming that all the bedrooms were full to capacity. Three sleepers, equals a maximum possibility for 135 first-class passengers.
As I look around the lounge (it’s rather small), there are about 35 to 40 people. So, either everyone hasn’t shown up yet, or (like the Southwest Chief), we won’t be totally full. Another consideration is that some of the first-class passengers will be added to the train at other stops. We’ll see what happens.
Onboard the Coast Starlight
Our conductor arrived as advertised. She’s a very friendly person, and spends the time to talk to all the passengers. Once she’s checked our tickets, we left the Traxx Bar and board the Coast Starlight. My car attendant (Robin) helps me to get settled, and then offers me a choice of champagne or apple cider… I opt for the champagne. HEY, I know it’s early… but I’m on vacation.
The Coast Starlight glides out of the station at 10:15AM… Spot on time. I’m already impressed.
I put up my stuff and head for the Pacific Parlour Car. Although they don’t officially open until 30 minutes after leaving the station, I found the attendant (Alan) friendly, and had everything ready. I sit down with a glass of tea, and relax as a smog-shrouded Los Angeles slowly fades into the distance. As we purposefully move northward, the skies turn an azure blue. That sky is such a hard blue; I believe you could strike a match off it.
Slowly the tall city buildings give way to a land populated by small communities and lots and lots of open farmland.
It’s about ninety minutes into the trip, and the lounge car only has about 8 other first-class passengers. I’m assuming that the train is not packed. As a matter of fact, in my sleeper car two of the five bedrooms are empty. As far as I’m concerned, an almost empty Parlour Car is not really a bad thing because it gives me the opportunity to spread out my computer and camera stuff, and work here, instead of my room.
In the second hour of the trip, the landscape opens up, and off to the West the ocean makes its first appearance. The Coast Starlight follows the coastline, seemingly inches from the breakwater. Today the ocean is fairly calm, and the sun, a fiery orange globe, reflects off the blue/green of the ocean, making it sparkle like a million diamonds. Even though we’re enclosed in the metallic bubble of the Parlour Car, you can almost hear the gulls plying the beaches, feel the breeze off the ocean, and taste the salt in the air.
I’ve got a 1:00PM lunch reservation, and it’s in the Pacific Parlour Car (as opposed to the dinning car). This should be interesting.
Lunch on the Coast Starlight
At 1:00PM sharp, Alan calls my name over the loudspeaker, and informs me it’s time for lunch (they do that for all the Parlour Car guests). I have a small salad and bowtie pasta, that’s quite tasty. For dessert, I choose a chocolate pecan tart that was excellent. As I mentioned earlier, the meals onboard Amtrak are getting better and better, and that’s a good thing.
Since there’s a lot of available room, I wind up staying in the Parlour Car until 5:30PM. They’re fitted with 120v outlets, so I just brought my computer, plugged it in, and Bob’s Your Uncle.
The wine tasting was at 3:45PM. It cost five bucks for first-class passengers and ten bucks for coach passengers (if there is any room left). We wound up with ten people (five from first, and 3 from coach). Alan shooed away a couple of kids who were playing computer games. He explained that they couldn’t be in the Parlour Car for the wine tasting; however, they could come back in about a half hour.
The tasting itself included two local whites and two reds, along with some cheese and crackers. Alan knew his wines, and explained each one as we did our tasting. I’m not much of a wine expert; however, I know what I like, and all 4 wines were good… although I preferred the whites. After the tasting, Alan offered all the wines we had tasted for sale. I didn’t plan to drink any great quantities of wine on the trip, and I didn’t fancy lugging it around for a couple of day, I declined.
Dinner on the Coast Starlight, and Back to Work
I did dinner in the Parlour Car, with only three other people. It was a lasagna with a bolognaise sauce, a side salad (Italian dressing), and some chocolate ice cream to finish it off. Without being a food critic, the meal was great, and the company wonderful. In truth, I almost never do dessert… except when I’m on the train. Don’t know why, maybe because it’s free.
I can’t believe it, but I’ve managed to spend the whole day in the Pacific Parlour Car. I’ve worked on my computer, in between conversations with other first-class passengers.
Andy’s Advice: I’m amazed at the difference between air and train travel. I’ve logged several million miles in the air, and I can remember going from coast-to-coast (five hours), and never once speaking to the person sitting next to me. Yet, on the train (when I’m out of my bedroom), you can’t go ten minutes without finding someone willing to strike up a conversation.
Well, it’s a bit after 7:00PM, and I’m back in my sleeper (finally), looking out into the gathering darkness. As the sun settles in for the night, the landscape begins to change from vibrant greens and browns, to mellow shades of gold. The vegetation-covered hills, softened by eons of wind and rain, slowly turn into black silhouettes against the deepening sky. Darker and darker… the sky turns deep blue, then purple, finally black as velvet. The night is clear, and the stars shine out like living diamonds.
Oblivious to the night, our haven on wheels races swiftly through the dark.
Suddenly, oases’ of light begin to appear in the landscape, as homes and farms attempt to push back the darkness; but to no avail, for the night will win this battle… it always does. The fiery sun has set, and night reigns supreme once more.
On and on the Coast Starlight races through the night, with only the mournful wail of her horn announcing to any who will listen that we are here, and we are not afraid of the night.
The rest of the evening I spend on my computer working on my current projects. Later, after Robin makes up my bed, I settle in and read a few chapters of the old classic 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, by Jules Verne… I love the classics.
As the train gently sways back and forth, I drift off to blissful sleep.
Day 2 on the Coast Starlight
I wake up at 4:00AM fully refreshed. Some people have trouble sleeping on the train… I go out like a rock. As usual, I appear to be the only one up and about at this early hour; however, there’s a big pot of coffee, freshly brewed, just waiting for me. I’m not sure when Robin actually sleeps, but she sure seems to be busy day and night. I pour off a steaming cup and head back to my room to work.
Outside my window, it’s so dark the glass appears to be painted black. The ghostly glow of the train reflects off the landscape, and seems to reveal that there is snow on the ground… we must be up in the mountains. The GPS says we’re traveling at a whopping 22MPH, and that we’re following Interstate 5. It also says that we’re passing Castle Crag State Park. I admit ignorance as to exactly where that is; however, they do get a lot of snow.
Andy’s Advice: A GPS (to me) is a great thing to have. It’s gives you current information on speed and distance, and it will tell you exactly where you are. If you bring along a trip map (on paper), you can use this information to help record your journey. In addition, many GPS units will actually map out your entire trip.
In addition, if you don’t own a GPS, but you have an iPhone (3G or higher), you can download an app (some are free), that will use the GPS capability of the iPhone, and do it all for you.
No more sticking your head out of your bedroom, and asking the attendant: Are We There Yet?
Breakfast on the Coast Starlight: Day 2
Breakfast is usually served up at 6:30AM, and since I’ve been up since 4:00, I am soooo ready. Unfortunately, for some reason, the dining car won’t open up until 7:00AM… BUMMER. Even with the delay, I’m still one of a few eating breakfast that early in the morning. I get the cheese omelet with a side of sausage. That’s the same breakfast I had on the Southwest Chief, but I wanted to see how two different chefs handled the same meal. Both were excellent; however, if this was the Iron Chef competition, I would have to give a slight edge to the Coastal Starlight chef… his eggs were cooked softer, and the hash browns were just the right touch of crispness. So much for the Amtrak Chef’s Smackdown.
We’re currently running through the mountains of Oregon, and just made a stop in Chemult, Oregon. Now, there’s a tiny spot on the map. The Amtrak station was a small building, about the size of my sleeper… I kid you not. They had a small white vehicle called the Amtrak Transfer Van, which I assume took you to civilization.
Miles and miles pass beneath our wheels and the only things to be seen are trees, brush, snow, and an occasional deer. These are really wide-open beautiful spaces.
Around 10:30AM my GPS tells me we’re passing by Odell Lake, its calm waters reflect the surrounding pine trees like a mirror. I just caught a shot of a rainbow over the lake. I only had about 10 seconds to take the shot… one in a thousand… one in a thousand.
A Bump in the Road
While on the way to Seattle, Alan, our lounge car attendant gets the news that a mudslide has covered the tracks into Seattle, and that we will terminate the trip in Portland… I hate it when that happens. We’re supposed to get off the train, and then board a transfer vehicle (basically an Amtrak Greyhound bus). We disembark in the Portland station, they put the first-class passengers on a special bus, and we head up to Seattle. Unfortunately, the State Police closed Interstate 5 literally minutes before we could get through, so we wind up driving all the way back to Portland. The whole ride takes about three hours; however, Amtrak has thought of everything. They have boxes of Subway sandwiches, and bottled drinks on the bus. We are disappointed that we can’t get to Seattle; however, train travel is one grand adventure, and this is just a part of it.
Check this out… Amtrak put us up for the night at the Crowne Plaza (very nice hotel), fed us dinner, and gave us money (20 bucks) for breakfast. Since I’m a Priority member with the Crowne Plaza, I upgrade my (free) room to the lounge floor.
Now, you tell me any airline that would do the same thing. What they would say is: Act of God, and send you on your merry way. This cost Amtrak a lot of money, but they did the right thing.
Anyway, it’s Thursday morning, and because of the delay of my Seattle to Chicago trip, I won’t get back on the train until Friday at 4:45PM. I just got back from breakfast, and I’m waiting to see what will happen. If the roads open up, Amtrak will probably bus us up to Seattle. If the roads are still closed, Amtrak said that they would keep us here. One way or the other, I have to get to Seattle by 4:45PM on Friday. Even if the roads are still closed, I could always take a shuttle flight from the Portland airport to Seattle Seatac… about 150 bucks. Rather than do something as drastic as that, I’m just going to wait and see what Amtrak does. Based on what they’re already done, I’m putting my faith in them.
Amtrak to the Rescue
Okay, let’s go over the new deal and, as far as I’m concerned, Amtrak came up to the plate and hit a homerun. Here’s the history, Amtrak was trying to get me to Seattle to pick up the Empire Builder to Chicago. I get a call from Amtrak and the Friday train is cancelled… again. That makes the second time. Now, I’m forced with staying another day, and hope the train doesn’t get cancelled on Saturday… Sunday… Monday… you get the idea.
So, I give the Amtrak number a call, and ask what they can do. Instead of giving me the “Act of Nature” speech, they give me a great option. I can go back on the Coast Starlight (love that train), stop in Sacramento (instead of Los Angeles), and pick up the California Zephyr to Newton. Normally, that would cost an extra 700 bucks; however, they gave it to me without additional cost.
Thank you Amtrak.
Anyway, I’m at the Portland station, in the first-class lounge, waiting to board the Coast Starlight. This is the same train that I took from Los Angeles. As a matter of fact, I even got my old bedroom back.
The New Plan
The Empire Builder is out… instead it’s down to Sacramento on the Coastal Starlight, then across the country for 51 hours on the California Zephyr. Then pick up the car, and drive back to home sweet home.
All Aboard the Coastal Starlight… Again
Well here I am, doing the return trip from Portland down to Sacramento. We board about 30-minutes before departing and Robin (my car attendant), and Alan (the Parlour Car attendant) were happily surprised to see me (I hope). We departed Portland about 5 minutes behind schedule; however since I have a 4-hour layover in Sacramento, I’m not all that concerned. The nice thing about my connection onto the California Zephyr is that I won’t have to spend the night in a hotel. It’s off the Coast Starlight, a couple of hours in Sacramento, and then all aboard for Chicago.
Alan is one of the best Amtrak attendants I’ve been around. He sticks to the rules of Amtrak and train travel, but he’s witty and fun. As a matter of fact, we had one passenger on board (both going north, and back south), that really liked to hit the bottle, and Alan matter-of-factly just told him he was cut off. Then he called the lounge car attendant and told him that he was cut off… Way To Go Alan.
Anyway, there were several people that were with me on the northern trip up to Seattle (of course, we never made it), and they were on the southern return trip as well. We spend most of the first day in the Parlour Car, talking, joking, and just relaxing, as our train, quickly moved us though the early evening. I wish every Amtrak route had a first class Parlour Car, but alas only the Coast Starlight has one of these babies.
Alan served just the 4 of us dinner in the dining car (scallops or baby-back ribs), and it was excellent. As a matter of fact, I had some of both. Then we sat around and talked until 11:00PM. Since I exit the Coast Starlight at 6:30AM, I said my good-byes to everyone, and headed for my cabin. Although I’ve never had an unpleasant trip with Amtrak, I believe that this two-way trip on the Coast Starlight has been one of the most enjoyable. If you’re every on this train and you see Alan, or Robin, tell them I said hello.
As usual, I get up around 4:00AM, and sit down to catch up on my travel journal. As I’m writing this, Robin comes by my bedroom, and tells me that we’ll be in Sacramento at about 6:10AM… 20-minutes early. Way to go, Amtrak. That leaves me about 20 minutes to pack up my room, so I’ll say good-bye. If Sacramento has a wireless connection, I’ll throw this out on the blog.
Leg 3 – Sacramento to Chicago
At the Sacramento Station
It’s almost 7:00AM, and the California Zephyr doesn’t leave until 10:54. If you take into account that they’ll probably board first-class passengers about a half hour early, that gives me about a three-and-a-half-hour wait. The Sacramento Amtrak station is nice, but there’s not much going on. There’s no lounge for the first-class passengers, and the bench seating is rather uncomfortable. Not great; however, the station is old, and has a lot of history.
In addition, the station does not have a restaurant; just vending machines, and I really don’t fancy eating a sandwich out of some machine. The security guard tells me that there’s a place to eat right across the street, but I’m going to wait until it gets light outside before checking it out. If they have a sit-down breakfast, I could probably kill an hour over there… sounds like a plan.
It’s interesting how this trip has evolved. Even with all the delays, and scheduling changes, by the time I reach Newton, I will be back on my original schedule. Life is funny that way. You think everything is falling apart, and your best-laid plans are in tatters. However, if you relax, and let the universe sort it out, things usually work out for the best. I don’t mean to be too Zen here, but maybe the California Zephyr is the train I was supposed to be on, and not the Empire Builder. Scary thought, isn’t it?
Andy’s Advice: The Sacramento station has free wireless, but it’s not working correctly… what the heck happened to the Zen thing? Anyway in talking to a few people, I get the feeling that the wireless is down more than it’s up.
Traveling America’s Backyard
Traveling with Amtrak is a wonderful experience, and I would recommend it to anyone who believes that the journey is the reward. Airlines have their purpose, and I fly them all the time… too much, if you ask me. But trains are a wonderful way to travel.
We’ve become of society of speed, where sometimes it doesn’t even matter if we want get there fast or slow, we choose the fast way anyway. A road trip on Amtrak harkens back to a simpler time in our society, when people talked to each other… when you could spend an hour or more with a perfect stranger, and actually enjoy the conversational experience. When I get on an airplane, people mostly shut down. They put their headsets on, and dare you to speak to them. You spend the journey 8 miles above this wonderful planet, looking at the tops of clouds, and wait for the end of the flight. While I do a lot of flying, it’s not my favorite mode of transportation. On the train, you can meet new and interesting people, and actually speak to them. There are times (like this one for me), when you’re almost sad that the journey is coming to an end.
I challenge you to try it out for yourself. If you’ve got a few days open on your busy schedule… check the Amtrak site, and pick a train route that will take you somewhere… anywhere, and just damn go for it. You might finally understand the expression: The Journey is the Reward.
Breakfast – Sacramento
Well, still can’t get the wireless to work, so I walk across the street to a little bistro kind of place, and have a couple of eggs, sausage and tea. After breakfast, I spend the rest of the time, reading, and taking some photos of the Sacramento station.
The train is supposed to be here on time at 10:54AM, so that leaves me less than an hour to wait. I forgot that Sacramento is not the originating city for the California Zephyr, so when it arrives, we’ll all jump on, and it will take off again. Typically, a stop like this only takes a few minutes. As a matter of fact, the train will probably leave the station, before I get to my room. Then it’s a little over two fun-filled days to Chicago.
On Board the California Zephyr
The train arrived at the station 15 minutes early… good sign. Pete, our car attendant checks me in at the door and directs me to my room. He gives the speech about the room and it’s features, and then offers me some bottled water, juice or ice. I decline all three, and he says that someone from the diner will be around to take reservations for lunch. I thank him, shake hands, and he moves to the next bedroom and I hear him giving the same speech. I begin to unpack, as we slide out of the station. Although the Zephyr was 15 minutes early, there were a lot of people boarding, and we depart Sacramento about 10:55AM.
While I’m writing, we pull into Roseville, at 11:19AM… 1 minute ahead of schedule. The Zephyr adds a few more people to its growing list, and heads back out. It’s a beautiful day to be traveling; there’s not a cloud in that hard blue sky. Since California is a warm-weather State, they have more than their share of homeless people. As we travel eastward, the sides of the track are dotted with makeshift tents, constructed out of blue and green tarps. Old lawn chairs, rusted barbeque grills, and soiled clothes draped across ropes complete this homey picture.
Lunch on the California Zephyr
Lunch was an interesting affair; they didn’t have reserved seating, so it was a free for all… I made the mistake of going right away. If I had waited about an hour, I would probably have missed all the crowds. This train is pretty full, so I’m timing my meals to occur at periods when fewer people are in the diner. I’m not against people; however, when every table is packed, and you have about 50 conversations all competing with each other, plus the attendants trying to serve the meals… well, you get the picture. I miss the quiet comfort of the Cost Starlight. Actually, I’m very glad that I have a bedroom that I can retreat to, when things get hectic.
We’re currently crossing Nevada, not too far from something my GPS says is Carson Sink. On the digital map, it looks like it might be a lake formed by the sinking of the ground… Hummm, don’t want to get too close to that.
We left Reno about an hour ago and, while there, the DEA took three people off the train. Why, we don’t know; however, I’ve been told that drug curriers sometimes use the train to move their wares. HEY… It could have been the bust of the century… or not.
We’re currently passing Humbolt Lake… another sinkhole? Actually, the ground all around the train is flat, and looks like dried salt. Well, if you don’t hear from me, or the train, maybe we got sucked down a sinkhole. I hate it when that happens.
Well, the diner car attendant just came by and I made a late 7:15PM reservation. Let’s see how many people show up, shall we.
Dinner on the California Zephyr
Dinner was less crowded than lunch. It would seem that most people prefer to eat before 7:15PM. I make a mental note to reserve the same time for dinner tomorrow. I sat with another writer who was moving to New York. Like me, he enjoys taking the train, and feels that he’s more productive while on Amtrak. I had a pork dish with mash potatoes, which wasn’t bad, and finished it off with some vanilla ice cream. I then said good-bye to my dinning/writer companion, and head back to my room. I wanted to relax for one night, so I watch Firefox with Clint Eastwood (on my computer), and then hit the hay. As we move through the night from Nevada into Utah, I go to sleep with the gentle rocking of train. We’re currently an hour ahead of schedule.
Breakfast on the California Zephyr
We pass through our first time zone in the middle of the night and gain 1 hour. It’s about 4:30AM when I rise. Coffee is waiting for me, and I pour off a steaming cup. Breakfast begins at 6:30AM, and I plan to get there before the throngs… we’ll see.
Breakfast was a cheese omelet with sausage… the same thing I had on the Coast Starlight, and the Southwest Chief. I still have to say that the chef on the Coastal Starlight wins out… just slightly, but he wins.
As to the schedule, we hit Provo, Utah on time, so during the night, we lost the hour we had gained yesterday. I do recall that we pulled into Salt Lake City, about an hour ahead of time (3:00AM), but we spent at least an hour at the station. Whatever the case, we’re more or less back on schedule.
As we travel through Utah, we pass some awesome sites… We become enclosed in canyons of red and orange rock, so close that you could reach out and touch their colored walls. Overhead I spot a bald eagle, sitting on the wind; however, by the time I grab my camera, he’s long gone. I spy several hawks… some in the air, some at rest in the inaccessible rocks. I snap a few photos, and hope they come out.
Eventually, we hit Grand Junction, Colorado. As we speed forward, the Colorado River begins to follow us. The river, although flowing in the opposite direction (west), will follow us all the way into Denver. It’s not the huge river it will become as we go west, and her slowly flowing waters contain large chunks of ice. I spot two hunters (weapons at the ready). They’re sitting in a boat waiting to bring down some ducks. I hope they don’t mistake this train for a mallard.
As we approach Glenwood Springs, the train yard is full of coal cars, waiting to move east or west with their cargos of fuel. It seems that they stretch on for miles. This is the last time before we reach Denver that passengers will be able to get off the train for some fresh air or to smoke (about 5 hours).
Lunch on the California Zephyr
Lunch is a first come, first serve basis. I learned my lesson from yesterday, and waited for about an hour. When I got to the diner car, there was plenty of room. I had the Angus burger… if you like burgers, this one is great, and I shared conversation with someone going to Chicago. It seems that we both grew up in Chicago, and we both went to Bogan High School. I graduated about 3 years before him; however, it was close enough that we had a great time talking about old memories and old haunts (I won’t bore you with the details). Then it’s a short walk back to my room.
Well, it’s a bit after 5:00PM, we just left Winter Park, and picked up a bunch of skiers, headed back into Denver. In fifteen minutes, we’re supposed to enter the Moffat tunnel. It’s the longest tunnel on this run (six-and-a-half miles), and it takes about twelve to fourteen minutes to go though. Once we enter the tunnel, you must stay in the car that you are in. The reason is that when you open the pneumatic double doors to go into another car, you let in the outside air, and since we’re in a tunnel, it will be full of diesel fumes and coal dust. No moving between cars… or no soup for you.
Dinner on the California Zephyr
I spent the afternoon locked in my room, working on writing projects, and I managed to squeeze off a few good photos. Dinner came just before we got to the Denver station. I ate with my friend from Chicago (flatiron steak), and then grabbed my camera and headed into the station. I snapped some photos of the building’s historic interior, and then got a couple of cool shots of the moon and an old water tower. Then I went back to my room, wrote some in this journal, and went to bed, sometime about 11:00PM.
Breakfast on the California Zephyr
Got up about 5:00AM, and found myself back in the Central Time Zone. We just pulled out of the Omaha station, headed for Iowa. Yesterday, I had breakfast right at 6:30AM and there were no crowds… I seems everyone likes to sleep in late. I plan to do the same thing today. We have more people on board; however, they are mostly in the coach cars. So, let’s go check out breakfast, shall we?
I ate breakfast with Mike (the dude from Chicago), and we watched the sunrise over Iowa while eating a cheese omelet with sausage (I got stuck on that particular menu item). After breakfast, I head back to my room for some work on the old computer. We make a quick stop at Creston, Iowa (our first Iowa stop), to drop off one passenger, and pick up about ten. The weather outside is clear and, from the looks of it, very cold.
This is my last day on the California Zephyr, and it’s almost the end of the trip. We get into Chicago about 4:00PM, and then I’ll leave tomorrow about 2:00PM for the short hop back to Newton. Assuming that my car will start (finger’s crossed) I should be home about 4:30AM on Tuesday morning.
We’re about to stop at Ottumwa, Iowa… for you TV geeks out there, this is the fictional home of Radar from the long-running M*A*S*H* television series. It’s also a fresh-air stop; however, unless I see something worth photographing, I think I will just stay on board. The day started with blue skies and cold… it’s been replaced by cloudy skies, and still cold. However, inside our protective bubble, everything is warm and cozy. It really is nice to be able to work on my computer, and look out at the passing world. No one bothers me… except Pete, our car attendant. He stops by occasionally, and if my door is open, he’ll ask if I need anything. A perfect little world for a perfect little geek, like me.
Lunch on the California Zephyr
Finished lunch (angus burger), and I’m back in my room. I’ll do a bit more work, and then start packing. We’ll arrive on time (3:50PM) into Chicago. I’ll probably get a taxi, and head over to the Marriott. Then I’ll come back to the station tomorrow for the trip home to Wichita.
Chicago
The rest of the trip is a bit anti-climatic. My car attendant notified me about a half hour before arriving, and I finished packing. We arrived into Chicago about five minutes early, and I taxied over to the Marriott. I was tired, so I managed to download all of my blog stuff, and then I went to bed early.
The Southwest Chef
I take a late checkout at the hotel, and since I’m an elite member with Marriott, they give me until 1:30PM. Around two, I checkout, and grab a taxi for Chicago Union Station. Previous to this I had check with, Julie, that’s Amtrak’s automated service, and found out that the Chef was on time. Since she leaves at 3:15PM, this gives me plenty of time.
I hit the station, and go to the first-class lounge (more on the Chicago lounge in my next train blog). We board and head out. I’m not spending much time on the Southwest Chef, because my Newton, Kansas stop is only about twelve hours away. At about 6:00PM I manage a nice dinner (flatiron steak), and for the first time on the entire trip, I’m eating alone. Since I’m decanting the train at 3:15AM, I go back to my room, to finish up a few things. I didn’t really unpack much; however, I did work on my computer, while I watched the Illinois countryside glide past my window. Around 9:00PM I take a quick shower, and then call it a night.
My car attendant (I believe his name was James), wakes me up about a half hour before we hit the station. That must be one of the hard parts about being a first-class car attendant: You have to be up to wake up the passengers for all those middle-of-the-night stops. If you see an attendant catching a few ZZZ’s in the middle of the day, remember, they’ve probably been up while you were fast asleep.
I exit the train, on a cold Kansas morning (about twelve degrees f.). My car almost doesn’t start, however, just when I think I’m going to need a jump, she turns over, and I head back to my home…
We weathered a few delays, and even mudslides in Portland; however, the trip was excellent, and one for the record books.
Keep the faith, and keep traveling
Andy Anderson
