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Post 11: The End

While it seems I could write about trains all day, the reality is that I’m back to my real life which means packing up and getting ready for the summer in New England. I can’t just sit around all day long and think about trains. Writing this blog has been fun and has served as a great way to help me process and think through the trip. And it’s given me a chance to have a lot of interesting conversations and communication with people. So if you are still reading, I thank you! Here are the final questions and answers in case you find yourself curious about train travel; and at the end my favorite video and two pictures.

Q and A Part Two

What are the train stations like?

I could do a blog about train stations. Some of the city stations are beautiful. Union Stations in both DC (opening in 1908) and Chicago (opening in 1925) are beautiful and designed by Daniel Burnham. They are iconic historical fixtures in both railroading and architecture. Both have survived some hard times and undergone many renovations. Today these stations have restaurants, retail, marvelous halls and waiting areas (including the Metropolitan Lounges for sleeper passengers.)

Washington DC Union Station

In contrast the smaller stations on both the Empire Builder and Zephyr routes provide historical portrayals of rural America and a local history of railroading. Stepping into these stations is like going back in time, reminding me of being a little girl in Pulaski getting ready to board the train to Baltimore.

Glenwood Springs, Colorado station

Where did you shower?

Yes we did shower. Let me make that clear. But this required some planning. Showers were available at the Metropolitan Lounge in Chicago. These showers are surprisingly outstanding— they resemble a spa— very large walk in. But the process itself is entertaining. When you arrive you put your name on the list. They announce your name on the loudspeaker and you report for your shower. It’s like the dirty person walk of shame. Regardless, it was a shower! We also had access to a shower when we were located in the sleeper. Now these showers were tiny and it was a bit of a trick to even stand as the train was bouncing down the tracks. Nonetheless, this too was a shower. Finally, we were in hotels for three nights, providing shower access for six days. In the end we had access to a shower on 10 out of 15 travel days— not ideal perhaps, but not bad. Meanwhile there’s always soap and hot water on the train!!!

The tiny tiny shower in sleeper car!

Were you able to sleep on the train?

Sleeping in coach isn’t easy. But it’s not impossible. It’s also nothing like an airplane. First they dim the lights at 10 PM and declare quiet hours. Also they stop announcing the stations— attendants wake up people to deboard the train. The seats are really big. They recline way back and there’s no fighting with the person behind you for reclining— there’s plenty of room. Also, there is a footstool that goes out— it’s really like a big recliner— it’s actually quite comfortable. PG and I would watch a couple episodes of Northern Exposure— with our ear phones of course— just to get sleepy. I usually then tuned into my Spotify playlists or a couple of podcasts (I’m still following those crazy Murdaugh murders) that I downloaded before the trip. And I put on an eye mask to totally block out the light. I had a light blanket (thanks to Pyper and Nicholson) to cozy up with. My Turtl pillow, specially ordered for this trip, was worthless. I managed to sleep maybe three or four hours each night, and PG did a little bit better. (that’s not really that different from a lot of nights for me!!) But toward the end of the trip I was definitely dragging.

Now sleeping in the sleeper car was a totally different experience. The roomettes are tiny. But they do provide privacy— which is a nice thing after days of overstimulation in coach. Peace and quiet is a premium. And being able to stretch out is a luxury for sure. No doubt, this is the preferred way to travel. And you get to wake up to a fresh pot of coffee right outside your room!! All in all I’m really glad we did the one 24 hour segment in a sleeper. It was worth it. And PG slept well.

What did it cost?

PG and I bought Amtrak rail passes. These are $499 for ten travel segments within a 30 day timeframe. We lucked out with a winter sale for $449! A travel segment is defined as anytime you board and then deboard the train. (It’s possible to travel Chicago to California, over 2000 miles, and never get off the train— this is one segment. Or you can go Charleston to Savannah—around 100 miles—and this is one segment.) Obviously each time you transfer to a different train you begin another segment. We used eight of our ten segments and bought one segment separate so we could experience a sleeper.

The rail pass is a great value. To put it in perspective the cost to travel this itinerary in coach without the pass would have been around $900 each. (It will probably always bother me that I had two segments I did not use!) To put the cost of a sleeper in perspective, consider that that one 24 hour segment in a sleeper cost $771 (for two)! But keep in mind this figure included the rail fare, the room, and six full service meals. Still— not exactly a bargain. But it certainly was an experience.

If we had made the entire trip in a sleeper the cost would have been around $6,000 for the two of us.

Regardless of what you plan to book you will do better by booking early. Prices go up and availability go down. If prices do drop— and the cost of our sleeper actually dropped by $71– Amtrak will refund your credit card. Of course you must track this yourself—another great tip I learned from folks on the Amtrak Facebook pages.

We found that the price of hotels at our stops were reasonable, especially considering that we were traveling in the spring— between ski and summer seasons. The hotels averaged out at $150 a night.

What are the things you did that most contributed to a positive travel experience? Are there things you would do different?

There are a few things that really helped us as we traveled:

Lots of planning— We were familiar with the routes and how things worked on the train. We also knew the hotels and even restaurants along the way that we wanted to check out. This also helped us when we had to redo and reticket the entire trip in two hours.

- Packing light— It’s great to be able to jump off the train and walk to a hotel. Even lugging stuff on and off the train can be daunting. Also babysitting tons of stuff across the country would be tiring. It’s a challenge to pack light but it’s so freeing in how you can move about.

- Enjoying nights OFF the train— The train is great but if you’re exhausted how can you even enjoy the scenary? We limited train overnights to two or three at a time. This enabled us to replenish supplies, exercise, and do laundry. This also gave us the chance to enjoy some beautiful places. While the train trip itself was our main focus, the bonus is getting to experience other places. Both Montana and Colorado were amazing.

- Taking advantage of the Amtrak Metropolitan Lounges— These turned out to be lifesavers. Not only do they offer comfortable seating and convenient snacks, but you could refill your water and ice supply, and in Chicago you could shower. In addition, Amtrak customer service folks staff the lounges and in DC were hugely instrumental in assisting us to totally rebook our trip in light of the cancelled Zephyr. They also guide you out to the train platform for early boarding— very helpful in allowing PG and I to get seats together. We were able to use Amtrak Guest Rewards miles to gain access to these lounges even when we were not booked in a sleeper.

The Metropolitan Lounge in Chicago

- Spending one travel segment in a sleeper— While the cost of first class train travel is prohibitive, we were thrilled to have one 24 hour segment in a roomette. Eating in the dining car was so nice. It was a great diversion from traveling in coach.

As we sat in the observation car coming into DC at the end of the trip we discussed what we might have done differently, and literally nothing came to mind. We mentioned that we might have enjoyed another night in both Whitefish, Montana and Glenwood Springs, Colorado. But overall, we decided we had the most amazing, epic, beautiful, fantastical train trip ever— or EVAH!!! (for my MA friends and family).

BEST OF:

-Best Video: Taken out the back window of the last car on the Capital Limited. I love this video.

-Best place to Visit: Train pulling into Glenwood Springs

-Best scenery: Outside Glacier National Park

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Post 9: Yes I’m Home and Q & A Part One

Some of you have likely figured out that I’m already home. This was a fifteen day trip(not 30 day) for me— at this point the blog has lagged real time by many days. I couldn’t write fast enough.

So it’s the end of the great train adventure story. We indeed went to sleep on the Capital Limited leaving Chicago and pulled into DC right on time. PG hopped on a Northeast Regional Train for a quick two hour jaunt back to Philly. I had originally planned to go to Philly with her so I could sleep in a bed. But our on-time arrival made it possible for me to jump on the southbound Palmetto headed to Charleston, SC. With the only things between me and my bed being 525 miles of railroad track and— you guessed it— another overnight train, I climbed aboard. It was the only night I literally did not sleep at all. I was playing the entire trip through my head while listening to my 8 hour and 33 minute Spotify playlist of 129 songs about trains that I have been gathering over the past five years (and many of you have helped). The problem is, it seems that a lot of these songs are sad and kept bringing tears to my eyes. With an early arrival (5AM) coming up, I pretty much gave up on sleep and started looking forward to crashing in my very own bed. So here’s another reason why you can’t count on things to go the way you plan. Because on the day you arrive home to your very own most comfortable bed in the world—after sleeping nine nights sitting up on a train —you find the construction workers blasting your condo building apart with jack hammers and saws and regular hammers and other things that go crash clang crash bang crash throughout the day.

Home Sweet Home (Clash Clang Bang)

However, a joy to being home is having some time to think about our experiences traveling and also to read some of the comments and questions that some of you have sent. I’ve also had some interesting conversations with people. It was obvious to PG and I early on in the trip that a lot of people are curious about train travel— especially an extended trip. So before I close out this blog I wanted to respond to some of these logistical questions about train travel. Stay tuned for Q and A Part Two. (Is this blog ever going to end?)

Q and A Part One

How long did it take to plan this? How did you go about it?

It takes a lot of time to plan a trip like this. I don’t suggest anyone start with this type of extended trip. Start with a day trip and get the basics of train travel down. You want to experience how the train feels. I have been riding trains my whole life. So I knew I loved the movement of the train. It is not for everyone. But if you do like it and want to make this type of trip you really need to start the planning months in advance. The cross country trains can sell out especially at peak times. Your reservation should be in place at least a couple of months in advance.

The first place to go is the Amtrak website. The National Map gives you a great overview. I printed this out and continued to refer to it. Then I read about every train. I also watched some YouTube videos. I had a general idea that I wanted to go cross country. And I quickly learned that the California Zephyr (CZ) was considered the best sight seeing train— so I began to plan around the CZ. I selected the northern most route for return— The Empire Builder which runs close to the Canadian border. The other choice was to take the Southwest Chief back home through Arizona and Texas. I will possibly plan that route someday. For this trip we decided we wanted to see the Rockies, Sierra Nevadas, and the Pacific Northwest. I also wanted to see at least one national park and the Empire Builder runs right by Glacier.

PG’s Computer Set Up for Planning

My other planning tools were books and the train Facebook pages. Once I had decided what I basically wanted to do I joined specific groups— Friends of the California Zephyr and Friends of the Empire Builder. On these pages I was able to read about specific stops, hotels, and even restaurants— as well as all about the routes. Deciding which train to take east or west, where the most scenic parts of the route were— all of these are discussed endlessly on these pages. But the most important thing I learned on these pages was how many things can go wrong— how trains can break down, how there are so many accidents with people trying to drive across the tracks in front of a train, the number of trains that are late by hours, and even how many get cancelled (usually due to weather as ours actually did). All of this helped us to have reasonable expectations. Flexibility is key. Our entire trip got turned upside down due to the CZ being cancelled. While this certainly threw us, extensive research prepared us to map out a new route.

Planning and Guide Books

I literally practiced packing 2 mts in advance— I got it down to this!

What is it really like to be on the train for days on end?

First of all, we kept the extended time on the train to two or three nights/days at a time. This is part of being realistic. We got off at places we really wanted to visit. In our revised schedule, heading east we stopped in Whitefish, Montana because the train arrived there at a reasonable time, it was adjacent to Glacier Park, and the town and scenery looked amazing. Heading back we stopped in Glenwood Springs. These are both places we would love to visit again. Then we added an overnight— at the last minute— in Chicago. We were very tired at this point and PG was able to find us a great little hotel in walking distance to the station. Each of these stops gave us a good rest, a chance to replenish our minimal supplies, wash our clothes, take that shower, and most important— a chance to explore!

Hanging Out on the California Zephyr

Day to day life on the train was for the most part fun. These long distance trains have observation cars that are open 24 hours.

Cribbage in the Observation Car

There was the opportunity to eat in the dining car. And the coach cars are very comfortable. NOTHING like a plane. The seats are huge. You can charge your phones, computers etc. We played cribbage, had earbuds with downloaded music to enjoy, and as noted previously, watched Northern Exposure episodes. For the most part these were evening activities. During the day we were pretty riveted to the sights. We had guidebooks that I had ordered and we followed these to keep up with the passing sights. Time actually passed very fast. We took every opportunity to get off at the longer stops in order to walk around. For the most part I was able to maintain my 10,000-15,000 step goal but I had to really work at it. What I oddly did not do was read. There just wasn’t time!

Coach Seats are 23” wide with a 50” pitch—planes are typically 29” pitch

Did you eat train food day after day?

Again, a lot has to do with expectations and planning and we planned it so that we had a break from the train every two to three days. However, this still left quite a few days on the train. If you are in coach (where we were with the exception of one segment) your primary option is the cafe car. I had been on trains enough to know that the cafe car is not fine or healthy dining, yet there were some menu items that were okay including a hot dog, breakfast sandwich, yogurts, and green salad. If you are going on a trip of several hours or even a day, eating in the cafe is fine and in my opinion beats carrying food and coolers on board. But being on a train for days on end is different. Fortunately in train travel you CAN bring a cooler on board— even a large one— and we observed several families doing so. But we could not fathom doing this for two weeks. We settled on a very small (think lunchbox size) cooler bag that could hold 3-4 waters, cheese, cold cuts, and maybe some leftovers. Amtrak will give you cups of ice. Even keeping this small bag iced down was a continuing challenge (but we managed not to get food poisoning). At our stops we were able to replenish these limited supplies. Onboard you could pick up napkins, plastic ware, and basic condiments— all very helpful. In our bags we carried fruit, granola bars, pretzels, nuts, Nutella and peanut butter, and bread. Your third choice is to try to make a reservation in the dining car.

Since the dining car is reserved for sleeper car passengers there may not be space available. But on the trains we were on it seemed coach travelers were able to eat there anytime they wished. It is a fixed price and a limited menu— $20 for breakfast, $25 for lunch, and $45 for dinner. The food is cooked to order and service is really nice. Still, while in coach we made only one dinner reservation (and had some very good salmon).

A real treat and advantage to being in the sleeper cars is that your meals are all included, as well as unlimited waters and coffee. During the 24 hour period we were in a sleeper we greatly enjoyed our dining car meals. The steak was really good. And Amtrak deserts excel.

Dining Car and real dishes!

However, the best food we had were at our stops along the way. We had researched restaurants in Whitefish, Glenwood Springs, and Chicago. There were wonderful choices in all these locations and yes, we took full advantage.

Dining near Chicago Union Station

This concludes Q and A Part 1. Part 2 will close out the blog (maybe?). I keep thinking of more things to tell you!! I figure everyone wants to know all about the bathrooms!

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Post 9: Closing the Circle in Chicago

It actually was exciting getting back into Chicago. Somewhere in that morning, perhaps as we were waking up from not having slept (is that possible?) we discussed the option of staying overnight in Chicago. In truth this option had been discussed throughout the planning and for some reason I had persisted in being reluctant— I had in my mind walking around small bucolic towns and Chicago just did not quite fit. But PG seemed emphatic. And really, here we were! Why, just why, would two people coming off 48 hours in coach, choose to jump on another for 24 more? So we decided the wise move would be to spend the night in Chicago— a horizontal night— a night that included a bed. With one last goodbye to the Zephyr, we began our 1.3 mile walk to the hotel. We were happy to walk, it had been a long sit. And Chicago was bright, sunny, and beautiful. WOW! It had not been so long ago that we were here looking through those eclipse glasses and since then a whole world, or at least 6,800 miles of it, had flashed by our eyes.

It’s a special life blessing when we can rely on old friends to steer us in the right direction when arriving in a big city. In the early 80’s, back when I had really little kids and really big hair, I use to travel to Chicago quite a bit for work. Fortunately I was still in touch with my old child welfare friend Joan Langen who told us the jazz club we needed to go to and the city tour that shouldn’t be missed. So we were well prepared for our 24 hours in Chicago, (before boarding the next overnight train— back to DC)!

I loved sending my many postcards through the mail shute at the hotel— a fitting farewell for such old school greetings— as we raced off for the early seating at Andy’s Jazz Club , apparently a staple on the Chicago scene since before my birth!! It was Big Band night and I was not disappointed. The night walk was warm and gorgeous.

The next morning we headed off for the Chicago Architectural Center River Tour. It was right on Wacker Drive (best name ever for a street) and we were treated to a beautiful river cruise (the same river that is dyed green on St. Patrick’s Day) with stories of the Sears Tower, the Montgomery Ward buildings, the new riverwalk, and a range of stunning skyscrapers that are modern, old modern, post modern, new modern, and modern modern— I obviously did not properly take it all in. Suffice it to say I saw a lot of pretty buildings. I took pictures of about 657 of them.

Before we headed back to the station we hit another dive bar near the train station— appropriately named Dylan’s in honor of PG’s brother (who could not be on this journey because the 7th graders of Massachusetts must learn about equations, rational numbers, proportions, and ratios). We treated ourselves to a fine Mediterranean dinner and once again boarded a train. What a novel idea!! This was the Capital Limited, bound for Washington, DC. Another episode or two of Northern Exposure. Another overnight on the train! And another beautiful sunrise with Amtrak coffee.

Well, we’re almost there. This blog is nearing its end. But don’t despair. Earlier I mentioned there would be some more in depth description of the train experience itself. We have received a lot of questions (from our thousands of fans) that we will try to answer— you know, like—how were the bathrooms, what did you eat, where did you change clothes? If anyone has questions, please message or text us.

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Post 8: A Tale of Two Zephyrs Part Two

We loved Glenwood Springs so much we wanted to stay another day. But the train for the next day was booked so we wearily (yet happily) proceeded to the station. It’s hard to predict the ridership on a train. The Zephyr we stepped off of the day before was only half full. It was readily apparent this was going to be a different experience. The line for boarding was long and confusing. PG and I had a challenging time getting seats together but the conductor assisted us and we settled in.

One of the most fascinating aspects of this segment was still before us. The Moffatt Tunnel opened in 1928 and at that time was the longest tunnel in the Western Hemisphere and topped out at over 9,500 feet. At 6.2 miles it shortened the distance between Denver and Salt Lake City by over 170 miles. About 15 trains a day still use the tunnel. It takes about 12 minutes to get through the Moffatt as it crosses through the Continental Divide, and about the same amount of time to clear the tunnel of fumes before the next train can proceed We were told when we were approaching and the conductor asked that everyone remain in their train car to avoid any opening doors that would allow fumes into the train.

The ride on into Denver was quite enjoyable because Conductor Cody provided very informative commentary. He also spent a lot of time in the Observation Car striking up conversations and asking about how your travels were going. It was obvious he loved his job. There was also a rail club traveling and listening to them talk with one another and with Conductor Cody highlighted for me how little I know about trains. The opportunity to hear from the Conductor was definitely a highlight of the trip. Many years ago I remembered on certain routes there were volunteer docents who boarded at particularly scenic or historical spots and provided wonderful commentary along the route. Similarly, folks on social media often relate that they strike up engaging conversations (friendships?) with conductors and train personnel. With the exception of Conductor Cody on this trip we had to make do with books found on Amazon, which actually served us well to explain what we were seeing along the way.

There is always the low point of a trip— especially one this laden with expectations. So it was, that as we pulled out of Denver for yet another overnight on the train, with no further tunnels and the most majestic of the Rockies fading behind us, PG and I hit that point. This epic trip was coming to an end and we were missing that sense of anticipation that had been with us through both the planning and the experience of the trip itself. It did not help that the old man beside us was drunk and loud and playing a mandolin (badly, two chords over and over); and the young guy in front of us was drunk and demanding that the car attendant not sit anyone with him (on the sold out train) because he wanted both seats to himself. As can be expected these types of situations don’t get better on an overnight train in a full coach car careening toward Chicago with a long night ahead.

It is important to remember that train travel is a form of public transportation. Riding the rails is a trip with your fellow humans from all walks of life loaded into a big tube that shoots through the night. If you cannot see the joy, or at least some of the humor in these experiences, it is not likely the train is for you. Seriously sleep deprived with an aching back, even my patience for snoring strangers and smelly food and feet was nearing its end, and the Zephyr was losing her shine.

Or maybe it was simply time to start looking forward to something else— something like going home. Maybe, after all, it was the perfect confluence of happenings.

Video Below: Leaving Glenwood Springs and the Colorado River

Pictures Below: Leaving Glenwood Springs, a ranch, watching the scenery from the observation car and modeling my train earrings from my friend Kathy, the beautiful Rockies, the train at Galesburg, Chicago in the distance.

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Post 7: Springing into Glenwood Springs

The ride into Glenwood Springs was a joy and not just because we were enjoying a great breakfast in the dining car. Utah indeed looked like all the pictures I had ever seen of Utah. Now that sounds like a crazy sentence— but when you’ve seen pictures of something all your life but never seen it for real— it’s almost overwhelming when it looks just as you had imagined— only better. So there we are barreling toward Glenwood Springs and watching Utah roll by. As we crossed into Colorado the train ran parallel to the Colorado River.

Having fully enjoyed 24 hours of Part One Zephyr, featuring the high life of sleeper sleeping and diner car dining, we were nonetheless happy to de-board, say a fond goodbye to LaShonda and other Zephyr Part One friends, and hop off the train.

We were excited to visit Glenwood Springs, a resort town in the Rocky Mountains featuring the “world’s largest hot spring pool”. Folks, we are talking about untreated therapeutic water. After sleeping several nights sitting up (or on a 2 inch mattress), just who doesn’t dream of geothermal soaking in 125 degree healing water or strolling into vapor filled underground caverns breathing in air featuring 34 minerals and trace elements of sulfate, nitrate, zinc, and potassium?

We walked directly from the station to the Yampah Spa Vapor Caves. Quoting from the Yampah brochure:

“Enter a realm where the ancient whispers of Mother Earth cradle you in warm, mineral rich vapors . . . and invite you to surrender to the ethereal dance of steam that detoxifies your body and caresses your senses, leaving you in a state of peaceful abandonment.”

Now that I have waxed poetic about this amazing experience (and amazing it was) I will now describe this experience in its reality— that is—what it feels like to be 68, asthmatic, admittedly high anxiety, and asked to lower yourself in 125 degree water that smells like rotten eggs? No worries— there is no bad ending here— just some thoughts to ponder. If you read about 125 degree water you will see it is not recommended. But if people have been doing this for hundreds of years, what makes me special?Upon energing after the full thirty minutes looking suspiciously like a Maine lobster I can vouche that my muscle aches had fully dissipated in the face of my newly acquired third degree burns. What could top that? Only the opportunity to descend about 90 dimly lit rock stairs into a maize of vapor filled 110 degree 100 percent humidity cave like dark rooms (not “cave like” it WAS a cave) for the opportunity to breathe “forty two minerals and trace elements of sulfate, nitrate, zinc, and potassium.” Now this is the SPA life. And I will mention that PG was indeed having the time of her life while I was holding on for dear life. Fortunately for me I met a woman who was having a rather full blown panic attack and I am here to tell you there is nothing as healing as helping your fellow man. As I talked her through her panic, advising ice on her face, I suddenly began experiencing a lightness in breathing and it became obvious that the “forty two minerals and trace elements of sulfate, nitrate, zinc, and potassium” were effectively healing my asthmatic lungs. And that was good because the magnificent in every way (including its collection of dust since 1893) Hotel Colorado was next up for its “historic charm in the heart of the Rockies”.

Perhaps you have never wondered where the world’s most irresistible toy, the Teddy Bear, originated . But in case you have it’s your lucky day reading this train blog. The story goes that it was at this very hotel that maids presented Theodore Roosevelt with a small stuffed bear in an effort to cheer him up after an unsuccessful hunting trip. His daughter named it “Teddy” and thus— the Teddy Bear is born at Hotel Colorado. The hotel, modeled after an Italian Renaissance castle, became known as the Grand Dame of the Rockies and served as a restorative mountain retreat for the 19th century elite. Even on this day in 2024 we were treated to a parade of ladies from the Daughters of the American Revolution wearing garden party attire and hats fit for the Kentucky Derby. While the hotel is lovely and well maintained, it nonetheless bears that dusty, rather dark motif and creaking stairways, that I always associate with old hotels.

You might think at this point we are in line for one of those fine fancy old hotel dinners. But we had had enough of spas and milliner wear, and headed out to find the local dive bar. I would not say that Glenwood Springs features dive bars, but we were fortunate to find two, and one was all we needed. Suffice it to say the train was bereft of dive bar burgers so here at Doc Holliday’s Saloon we were in burger heaven and fully experiencing that state of peaceful abandonment promised in the brochures, which incidentally everyone we ran into seemed to be experiencing in this Colorado town, for one reason or another if you get what I mean.

It was a perfect walk back to the sparkling hotel and our evening did not feature any ghosts, but rather a peaceful glorious night of horizontal sleep. We woke up refreshed and ready to experience ZephyrPart Two.

Pictures below: Going through Utah, the Colorado River, goodbye to LaShonda and friends at the station, Yampah Vapor Cave, Hotel Colorado and the the Teddy Bears, the Glenwood Springs Hot Springs Pool, PG in downtown with wings, and the sparkling magical Hotel Colorado,

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Post 6: A Tale of Two Zephyrs Part One

Even the word Zephyr sounds beautiful, and has a poetic meaning of “gentle winds”. Boarding this train FELT poetic and momentous. We had worked hard to get here. This was also the one segment of the trip that we had booked outside of our Rail Pass and upgraded to an actual sleeper. So for 24 hours we would be living the life of luxury, in our own roomette, with meals in the dining car. I was ready to sleep laying down on the train!!

The #6 California Zephyr originates outside of San Francisco. Boarding two hours down the line at Sacramento (after that razzle dazzle to get us to the train on time) we would travel eastward for the next 24 hours through Truckee, Reno, and Salt Lake City, to our next stop in Glenwood Springs, Colorado. Shortly after getting on the train we were slowly climbing in elevation. Soon we would be riding through Truckee and the Sierra Nevadas. Truckee is a snowy, cold ski and recreational town. The Donner Pass is here and you can Google the details. Suffice it to say I would not wish to be in a wagon train stuck for the winter of 1846 at Donner Pass. At over 7,000 feet this was also the only area where I felt the impact of high elevation— slight nausea and a bit breathless. This quickly subsided as we came down out of the mountains and later had a stop at Reno.

Having access to the dining car and full meal service was a real treat after many days of picking through our bag of snacks and eating cafe food. The dining car may not meet the standards of those who reminisce about the grand ‘ole days on the train (yes, I do own some china once used on the Norfolk and Western Line) but it was top notch to me. I’ll do a separate blog later discussing in greater detail the logistics of what it’s like to live on the train for nine days. For now I’ll just say that in this 24 hour segment we had some good food.

We met some very nice people along the way, as well as many wonderful Amtrak employees. But an interesting aspect of the dining car is that Amtrak must maximize its dining capacity, and therefore enforces community dining— that is, there are no tables for one or two. You are seated with other passengers. On this segment we were “matched with” a young woman for both our lunch and dinner. She was traveling from Florida in between jobs and happened to have gone to college near where I grew up in Virginia. I say “matched with” because the dining room attendant, Drew, entertained us (past the dinner hour) with stories about his job. He said he literally did try to match people up in the seatings. In fact he said he matched a couple who returned to the train a year later to be married (while the train was in the Moffet Tunnel no less) and he served as the officiant. At breakfast we were “matched” with a retired gentleman who happened to live in the neighborhood outside American University where Allison went to school. It was interesting to share our excitement and experiences with others.

After an oversized dinner dessert we were ready for our undersized bunk beds in our even more undersized 22 square foot roomette (that is NOT a typo) with equally unimpressive two inch mattresses. Regardless, we were in HORIZONTAL heaven!! We slept beneath some battery operated Christmas lights we strung up for ambiance or just in case we lost power in a tunnel (hey, after reading about Donners Pass some lights and a plethora of snacks seemed like a minimal effort). Let me say, regardless of how it’s done, there is just nothing like sleeping (or trying to sleep) on a train. The sound of the whistle throughout the night, along with the rocking of the train, and the sense of catapulting through space is absolutely mesmerizing. For me it’s often trying to sleep, it’s just so wonderful I don’t even want to miss a minute!

The next morning we were greeted with a pot of coffee right outside our room. While we were at breakfast our wonderful car attendent LaShonda transformed our tiny beds back to seats as we enjoyed the beautiful ride into Utah.

Pictures below: At the Sacramento Station preparing to board the Zephyr, scenes from the Sierra Nevadas and Donner Pass, Dinner in the dining car with Drew, the 22 sq ft roomette at bedtime.

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Post # 5: The Race to Ride the Zephyr

We fondly watched the lights of Whitefish fade, realizing that in the next 24 hours we would have some connections that would need to go well in order to get on the California Zephyr. Remember the Zephyr? That’s the train we were supposed to board in Chicago that was cancelled. And there were still two more segments before we could board her.

The first was this overnight to Portland, Oregon. In the middle of the night this huge train would stop in Spokane and half the train would go on to Seattle, and our half would proceed to Portland. So at 3AM I was still awake to observe this splitting of the trains. Then we were on our way again, a sunrise with more beautiful views, and an on-time late morning arrival in Portland. This on time arrival allowed us some relief (first segment down) and time to walk a bit around Portland before transferring to the Coast Starlight—the train that would take us south to Davis, CA to finally board the infamous Zephyr.

Once on the Coast Starlight we prepared for another overnight by continuing our nighttime viewing of Northern Exposure. PG had downloaded three seasons and it was a great choice for our travels, giving us marvelous views of Alaska after dark! While anxious to get to Davis on time, we had about a two and a half hour cushion between our scheduled arrival and the departure of the Zephyr. Having learned at this point I can’t control the train schedules, I fell fast asleep. In fact I fell so fast asleep I did not notice that the train had stopped for over three hours somewhere in California to let a freight train by. (Not commonly known is the fact that Amtrak does not own the tracks and the freight rail system has priority.) When we awoke at 6 AM prepared to jump off the train, lo and behold we were nowhere near Davis, CA. The Zephyr was becoming more and more elusive.

I will not go into all the details, but suffice it to say, the train can make up time and there’s two ways to skin a cat or catch up with a train. With the help of Mr. Conductor we developed an alternative plan, scrapping Davis, and instead connecting with the Zephyr in Sacramento.

As we boarded the California Zephyr in beautiful Sacramento, there have never been two more relieved and excited people. Finally on the California Zephyr!

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Post #4: Whitefish Montana

Stepping off the train into the early evening in Whitefish was like a dream. Whitefish sits at the edge of Glacier National Park. I think I live in the most amazing beach town in the world. But here we walked into the most amazing ski town in the world. With a sweet little train depot just at the edge of town we had a short walk to the Pine Lodge.

The Pine Lodge is not the Ritz, nor even a three star hotel. It is sooo much more. It was rather, an oasis of hot chocolate, warm cookies, a big ole fireplace, unlimited ice water, free washers and dryers, huge breakfasts, those fancy massage showers, and, no kidding, s’mores on the deck over the lake! We passed on the kayaks but did I mention the pool table?

Downtown had a bakery, a store for provisions, a brewery, a four star Salvo store, kids selling hot dogs on the corner, and an array of good restaurants. Fortified and rested, we dined the next night at one of those fine restaurants and afterward sipped on an Albariño and enjoyed a wonderful singer as we waited for the train.

Having shared all the amenities of Whitefish, I assure you the most significant reason to be in Whitefish is for the beauty. The towering mountains touched with snow were picturesque, like truly out of a picture book. It was the perfect stop before getting back on The Empire Builder.

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Post #3: The Empire Builder

[Note: When I said WiFi and phone service was limited on the train I think I was underestimating the problem. I will make an effort to get out shorter posts more frequently.]

It was pretty exciting to walk into Chicago’s Union Station after viewing the eclipse, and race to board The Empire Builder, one of Amtrak’s flagship cross country trains, going through Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota, Montana, Idaho, Washington, and ending in Oregon. PG and I are both experienced train riders but we have primarily ridden on Northeast Corridor trains. The long distance trains are very different. We were seated together in a coach car right next to the Observation and Cafe car— a nice place to be as we wound our way for the next thirty hours through Lewis and Clark territory and across the Great Plains, making our way toward Glacier National Park for our first 24 hour respite stop. (Suffice it to say we were going to be in need of one.)

The sun rose gloriously over the plains and I had time (actually quite a bit of time) to think about Laura Ingles Wilder and consider how amazing it was that Pa was able to make his way across the terrain in a covered wagon. I myself was challenged to make it another night across the Great Plains in coach. As much as I love the train I admit I was encouraged to know that by Tuesday nightfall we would be heading into our stop at Whitefish, Montana for 24 hours of not-train food, a cushy bed, and a ground that wasn’t swaying, not to mention the beauty of mountains and snow. Well the train was a little late pulling into beautiful Whitefish, but after thirty hours, who’s counting.

[The attached photos show: sunrise over the plains, Minot ND train stop, more of the Plains, the Whitefish Railway Station]

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Total Eclipse of the Trip

There are a lot of lessons to be learned when you book a train trip that spans 12 plus days, 6000 miles, and a lifetime of dreams. There are routes, maps, and timetables to study, and then it is cobbled together with towns, sights, and special interests along the way. Back in January PG had her double screen home office displaying Amtrak maps as we began piecing together, bit by bit, the dream trip, leaving time for connections and considering the optimum direction for each train, as well as daylight hours for the most scenic sections. Why go through the Sierras in the dark? And if you do have to make a connection, it’s best to do it where you don’t mind hanging a bit, just in case you miss that connection and are stuck there for hours (days). Much of this I learned from hours of study on the Amtrak Facebook pages (sad stories of families stranded in Idaho after rock slides and other such bring my dream down a notch why don’t ya stories). So I learned early that there were going to be glitches over the course of these 6000 miles and I was poised to pivot with aplomb—extra night here, a layover there, I had backup plans for every step of the way. However, I was NOT prepared to pivot before we even began.

That’s right. There we are getting on the train in Philly, headed to DC and from there on the overnight train to Chicago, where on Monday we would board the king of all trains, the whisperer of the wind, the Amtrak flagship—the amazing California Zephyr. Hearts pounding with excitement we step on that train and as the doors close I hear my phone ringing. With a quick dismissal upon seeing an 800 number I assure PG it is just the Red Cross in pursuit of my blood.

Well with that buildup you probably guessed that my blood is not really in that much demand. Indeed that was Mrs. Amtrak calling to put a cabash on our 3000 hours of planning and 6900 miles of traveling. The California Zephyr was CANCELLED for Monday due to high winds. High winds? A train can’t go through high winds? I can ride my BIKE on the beach in high winds. I am incensed. But Mrs. Amtrak insists that safety is her concern and apparently she considers 90 MPH winds to be beyond high, and in fact she thinks they are very very high, and she does not care about our 3000 hours of planning or disappointment. We can have a refund. A REFUND? There is no amount of money that will convince us to pack up and go home. Without delving into the minutia of details for how to rearrange 6000 miles, start to finish, suffice it to say Philly Girl went to work on her computer, and with the help of multiple Amtrak agents in person and on the phone, and in person agents on the phone with other agents, we flipped our trip upside down and backwards, first on to Montana, then back to Chicago on the Zephyr at the end of our trip (hopefully the winds have died down by next week).

So right now we are in 93% eclipse Chicago on this beautiful, sunny, warm spring day after a beautiful overnight ride. Did we sleep? Sort of. More on some of the logistics later. But it sure was a beautiful ride through beautiful Harper’s Ferry, WV, Pittsburgh, Sandusky (Hello Will and Missy), and into Chicago this morning.

Chicago Union Station is amazing. Built in 1925, it covers many city blocks and features beautiful design and art. We cashed in some Guest Reward points to gain access to the Metropolitan Lounge. This is a game changer on long trips offering an array of snacks, coffee, a marvelous shower (yes a shower, did you think there would be no showers?), and best of all, a place to stash our luggage while we explored Chicago and experienced the amazing eclipse as well as an amazing lunch. If you ever take the train to Chicago know that the station is a joy and is located in a beautiful area with lots to do and see in walking distance.

We’re getting ready to board the Empire Builder headed west now. While the trip we had planned got eclipsed, we’re taking it all as a sign to make the most of whatever surprises come next.

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Big Times in Small Spaces: The Big Train Adventure

So this is it, this is the day it all begins-- the BIG train adventure. That's me getting on the Palmetto Amtrak train in the early morning in North Charleston. By the end of this adventure I will have traveled across the country on the California Zephyr, north on the Coast Starlight to Portland OR, back east on the Empire Builder, south on the Capital Limited, and right back to Charleston.

A few years ago I had a blog called "Living Large in Small Spaces". It was about my retirement and downsizing from a suburban home where a family was raised and a life was lived and moving south to a little place called Folly Beach. I guess we're still building on that concept. By that I mean we are still trying to simplify and actively seeking to divest of stuff/things and clothes that we never should have owned--while also declaring a formal divorce from Dollar Tree. With that said, I don't think you can find many smaller spaces than a coach seat on the train.

So I'm here to share this adventure with you, in case you, like me, find yourself waking up in the middle of the night longing to be on a train. And not just any train, but the big one-- The California Zephyr. The one that is crowded and never on time and transverses hundreds of miles of old track but nonetheless captures the Rockies and the Sierras like nothing else.

No, I'm not in a fancy schmancy sleeper. I'm going coach and eating Amtrak cafe car food and looking forward to sleeping sitting up for oh so many nights with oh so many strangers. But I'm on and off the train and ready for adventure.

One big surprise-- remember PG? That's Philly Girl and she's going to join me on this 13, or 15 or 16 day test of endurance and she will be helping me write this blog.

First stop, Philadelphia tonight at 9:30--if all goes well. I'll meet up with PG, we will finalize our packing (which really means deciding on the proper haul of snacks) and I'll have a big sleep in a real bed before entering herd mentality.

I'm already settling in, the rocking of the train is hypnotic, and scenes of the low country are floating by as the sun rises. In true Amtrak form, my departure time was changed to be three hours earlier than the original 9 am departure. But then the train was an hour late, making me only two hours earlier. Or something like that.

This coach seat might be small, but it's got a big window that looks out to an even bigger world. I invite you to join PG and I on the rails. Sometimes the biggest times are from the smallest spaces. And thus the great train adventure begins.