I so enjoyed Ms. Weaver's article about train travel. It reminded me of a journey I went on as a child with my parents and siblings. My mother and father had this romantic notion that traveling from our home in Michigan to visit family in Los Angeles via the train would be a fantastic experience for all of us. They couldn't have been more wrong. The conditions described in this article reflect the same ones we encountered nearly fifty years ago. When we reached our final destination in Los Angeles, my brother, then a toddler, vomited on the tracks. It was a fitting end to the trip. It's unfortunate that our government has not invested more in the train system. I'm convinced more people would opt for this method of travel if it came even close to what is provided in other countries.
5
In the midst of a climate crisis, how can there be a headline about "no reason to ride a train"?
1
Look into the Zephyr to CA.
And the security is far better than you think, there are undercover train detectives ("dicks", old phrase) on most long distance trains--and they will not hesitate to kick off an unruly passenger even in the middle of nowhere and middle of night.
Generally train stops at major hwy crossing and offender is met by law enforcement.
Seen this innumerable times.
Give yourself a break and sleep on lower bunk, in most Western trains the view is better too.
And yes the online website and phone is horribly painful even for experienced passenger such as myself.
3
Unfortunately, Western Kansas looks entirely like Eastern Colorado, as I discovered driving.
Still flat, etc.
Perhaps train is different.
I did enjoy the concept of leaving KS for CO but reality not inspiring!
If the landscape gets boring, then you read ... or talk to someone ... or nap ... or I met a lady who was tatting lace ... better than driving.
3
I LOVE Amtrak.
And I would be into going East to West except I REFUSE to go through Chicago.
Southern route be good.
Right, there is no compelling reason to cross the US on train or to do the same, if possible, from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego. The only reason is sight-seeing, peace, and plenty of time to yourself and yours. The article says nothing about smoking lounges, that no incorrigible smoker would travel without.
1
My most lasting memory is of the full moon over the Arizona dessert. Absolutely beautiful! I also loved seeing the wonderful train stations, particularly Kansas City - who knew?
My dining companions were gracious, friendly and interesting, and the food was much better than anything I’ve ever had on an airplane.
I loved every minute of those trips.
7
Perhaps the Times can tell us why overnite travel by train is so expensive in the U.S.? How many government boondoggles are involved, beginning with the purchase of the railcars and through to the pay of those who provide the service, including any featherbedding (not a pun you are likely to find on amtrak)? Give us some comparisons to other countries, for example everything is brand new in
China--they must have really expensive service, right?
2
I just rode the Sunset Limited from Houston to Alpine, TX, to go to Big Bend National Park, for the 2nd time. It's an overnight trip.
Why so expensive?
Well, as someone else pointed out, the price is per sleeper, so one price for, say, my husband and me, pus meals included, sleeping accommodations included.
Also, it seems to me there just aren't that many passengers on each train. Id guess, on our trip, maybe 40 or 50? It's hard to tell, all spread throughout the cars and getting on and off, but not so many. It's a nice little secret subculture.
2
An inveterate traveller, I jumped right into this piece. I admit I bailed out after 4 paragraphs.
Let's just say that air travel is for oceans, war zones, and those who do not have the time to travel by any other means.
For the virtues and pleasures of train travel, a reader might consider Theroux (who also is no stranger to snark). A less literary source (but one that still sings the praises), The Man in Seat 61:
https://www.seat61.com
is filled with details, photos and accounts of travel in countries on every continent, including North America. The trouble with that site: once you dive in, someone else will have to pull you out.
2
How to take a boring trip and turn it into something magical with great writing. I always want to write about the trips I take and never do. This tells me to do it, although of course my essay won't be nearly as good as this one. It's not about the things you do. It's about the observations you make along the way.
I'm going to write an account of being stuck on a European River Cruise the week of the Billy Bush video and the reactions of my fellow primarily American passengers. It was a precursor to what we know now. Trump can do anything and his cult followers will excuse it. At least the food and scenery was good and we didn't have to climb onto a toilet to access our sleeping accommodations.
4
Only by taking the Coast Starlight from SF to Portland did I truly appreciate the brilliance of Agatha Christie's "Murder on the Orient Express." Chilling, yes, but what an astonishing opportunity for one inclined towards homicide. All those people, alone together in the dark, being jostled like cracked eggs in a crate for hours and hours, nothing outside but darkness...
2
This article is confusing. I loved some of the descriptive language, especially of the landscape. And her experiments with the hanging bed were funny. The article brought back lovely memories of my own train travels over the years, both in the US and Europe. But the snarky/quippy tone distracted from what would have otherwise been such a pleasurable read. I kept feeling like the author was desperate to convince me of how cool she is. Too cool for a train ride ... and yet she did it anyway... and managed to maintain her cool throughout. I get it. Such a shame.
9
And if you read her profile of Maya Rudolph, you will notice it starts in a similar way, with a strange segment on God.
2
USA is fourth largest country in the world by land mass after Russia, Canada, and China.
1
Some good elements in this article, but I was quite put off by the condescension shot through it by the author. Between the description of the sleeping accommodations, the Amtrak employees, and her fellow passengers, I detected more than a whiff of snobbery - not snark.
But I suppose if you have lived your life in the Ivy League tower, then amidst Brooklyn hipsters, all the while interviewing celebrities, you'd have no idea why people might trade first class air for the space and time to relax, view, and contemplate.
11
It's not the destination, it's the journey.
5
Having recently survived a roomette trip with my brother from DC to Cincinnati, I couldn't have enjoyed this article more! Everything you described, we experienced. Thanks, Caity, for a hilariously written article!
2
Never gone across in Amtrak, but there's no better way to head north from my town. I-95 has become a Kafkaesque nightmare. Even if the train is delayed I'm better off then in gridlock and I do not need to worry about where I'll park my car at my destination. I even go to art exhibitions in DC on a day trip that way, now.
That we endure Interstate highways at all only shows of how much in denial Americans are about our devolution into a decayed, once-mighty nation, one pothole and snarling face at a time.
7
I took the Amtrak Zephyr from SF to Chicago two years ago. The dining cars are where you will be forced to meet people. You may not agree with other peoples politics and maybe that's OK. Maybe these trains are what we need to bring people together again. Great experience!
8
I loved this. I want to do the same trip!
The sentence about seeing things big, open,wide, seeing the sky and the horizon as they really are ,is beautiful . We have our eyes focused on tiny screens ....
I'm rather saddened at the whining of some people here about ...well, about all kind of nit-picking things. They come over as kill-joys.
I think the writer enjoyed every minute of her trip , as did I !
3
Traveled to and from Syracuse NY to SF many times on Amtrak. As far as I am concerned train travel is the only civilized way to travel. The pace almost human scale, The Amtrak employees seem to like their jobs and do not resent the passengers for being there or asking questions. the people watching and interacting is great. I have met students heading home, rappers, neurosurgeons, retired folks, and many others. And, when you reach your destination you are rested and in a good mood! The writer of this article sounds like a New Yorker (right out of the '70s - arrogant and condescending of anything on either side of the Hudson river). I thought New Yorkers were evolved from that attitude. BTw born and raised in the City.
6
Have taken the train across country several times, and loved every trip. A couple of comments: to my knowledge, the trains east of Chicago don't have the two-story Superliner cars because of the lower height of the tunnels the trains have to pass through in the eastern part of the US.
Also, to just take the cost of a sleeper room at face value, it seems a lot, but remember, that includes the travel, a hotel room for three nights, and probably eight meals or so. It doesn't seem quite so outrageous in that light.
It's true the trains are not as "nice" as they used to be, especially compared to other countries, but with Congress constantly trying to kill Amtrak entirely, the service struggles along on basic life support. I'm happy that we have it at all.
Also, people who travel by train are not concerned with "getting there" as quickly as possible and are usually more up for an adventure. Every visit to the diner car or observation car brings the opportunity to meet new, and almost always friendly, fellow travelers.
Our country is beautiful and interesting. I remember one trip when fireflies were in season, and as I lay in the bed looking out the window I saw thousands upon thousands of flickering lights passing by. Woke a couple of times in the night and they were still flashing by. Magical.
5
Yes definitely be on Superliners upstairs and the lower bunk so can see out window.
I love meeting people at meals, and with roomette, meals free.
Airplanes are horrendous.
3
Several times I have traveled between NYC & Chicago in a roomette on the Lake Shore Limited, and I found it to be the most relaxing way to travel to Chicago.
When my kids were 7 & 10, I booked a family bedroom on the Empire Builder from Milwaukee to Seattle, with picture windows on both sides of the train. Two and a half glorious days of seeing the vast expanse of the northern prairie, sunsets from the observation car, the majesty of the Rocky Mountains, passing through unique places like Glacier National Park, and crossing off Idaho from the list of states I had never been in. It was a trip we'll never forget.
8
Wow that was GREAT for your kids too!
3
I've taken the train frequently between Chicago and DC and love it. In the summer, the views from the observation car of the mountains in Pennsylvania and Maryland are just gorgeous.
When I was young, coach was just fine. Now, I splurge for a sleeper. I enjoy the pace, the combination of friendliness and solitude. I look forward to seeing the Rockies via train some day.
6
I have done it 8 times, and drove it 3 times going to do one more RT drive. LOve the train.
3
I've crossed the country by train a few times now, not out of fear of flying but because I wanted the isolation - I would say the description here is fairly accurate but I also agree that the tone is rather snarky - The quirky pleasures of slow travel far outweigh the challenges of a tiny room
16
I wish the article had been less snarky and focused more on the factual details of a long distance Amtrak trip.
I used to ride the Silver Meteor/Silver Star from New York to Florida to visit my mother. The trip one way was just under 24 hours and the train stopped in her city - far better than flying and driving for hours and this was before 9/11, before flying became a true hassle.
I've traveled coast to coast and taken other long distance trips on Amtrak. I prefer riding the train to flying but it does require time and patience. And a sleeping car. The writer was lucky she only experienced a one hour delay.
18
This reads like a personal blog.
This is my second-ever comment on NYT website as a long-time reader / subscriber.
Where have the editors gone? From graphic oversights (see the two recent features on the psychic industry using doctored images of Tarot cards sans proper attribution or context) to this sloppy and pedantic word salad, I'm concerned...
8
We recently did a train trip on ViaRail, the Canadian national railway. We did all business class fares from Montreal to Quebec City, from QC to Ottawa, then Ottawa to Toronto. It's a lot of time on the train, but it was comfortable and all trains were on time.
Steve
www.travelingprofessor.com
4
My husband and I are definitely going: DC to Santa Fe, here we come.
3
So. Much. Corn.
3
This is an ok article, but I have yet to see one that does travelling by Amtrak justice. During three round trips between Chicago and California, I have yet to meet a weirdo, the food is actually quite good, the scenery is better than described, and this relaxing way to travel is the best.
16
I agree! One of my best trips ever was Orlando to Savannah on a stormy night. The dining car was glowing with lamps, the wine good, meal was shockingly delicious, and conversation with table mates exhilarating. I felt anything could happen! Can’t wait to do it again.
7
What an awkward read this was. The writers style felt stilted and choppy. I’ve taken this trip, but I felt no connection to what she was writing or talking about about. Missed opportunity.
15
Reading this article, I couldn't escape the sneaking suspicion that the author thinks less of people on her train, of people who live in the lands she saw, of her readers, or basically everyone else. It was this bit that did it for me:
"Kansas shares a border with Colorado. I never could have imagined that I would one day say this, and I know many people will be disconcerted by the statement. They will wonder if, this whole time, they have been reading an avant-garde work of science fiction, or perhaps a Mad Lib."
Amazingly, the author continues on this tangent for five additional sentences, producing what she might imagine passes as humor but is actually mindless scorn. Does the geographical intelligence of the people of Kansas and Colorado require proof? I'm confident that they are aware of their states' boundaries. What about the knowledge of other Americans, the type who may have spent some time in their lives looking at a map of their country? Kansas borders Colorado, New York borders New Jersey, Georgia borders Florida, and Idaho borders Montana. What's the point? Did the author really travel across the entire country merely to hang up her personality like a particularly heavy overcoat?
24
"es the geographical intelligence of the people of Kansas and Colorado require proof?"
See, now I read it as the author gently mocking the geographical (mis)knowledge of coastal folks who live a looooong way from Kansas or Colorado :)
2
It is a little disappointing to cross from KS to CO and see it look the same!
And I knew where I was, driving!
But yes, snarky.
1
So many wonderful sights crossing America by train! For sheer, jaw-dropping beauty, few things can compare with views from the Amtrak Empire Builder heading west along the Columbia Valley at sunrise toward Portland.
9
Only in nyt can you have a piece so ostensibly surprised by and focused on the sights of rural Illinois.
4
Kaity, I roared reading this, thank you.
4
Good Morning: The Coast Starlight has such roomy seats that if you stand six feet, six inches tall, you will have more leg room than you need. And the food is overwhelmingly superior to anything regular people will find on domestic flights. Finally, you're training through the United States of America. Travel does not get better than that.
16
A brilliant piece of writing. It makes you appreciate great journalism
3
"There is No Reason to Cross the U.S. by Train" except for one very large one: the Climate Crisis. If you take the train, you cut your emissions by half of the same trip by plane.
Can we please improve our train system? Make it faster, more efficient, more economical and cover more stops? Then maybe more people will travel by train instead of plane. I know I would.
13
There are some beautiful sights to be seen. BUT Amtrak trains are dirty, the seats and sleeping accommodations worn and grubby. And getting worse by the year, the food ... ugh. And the danger of derailment and other problems causing delay is very high.
I’d love to travel by train. But there’s no alternative to Amtrak.
At 74 I’m not up to driving long distances either.
But I have my memories.
3
I did an around-the-country Amtrak trip in the summer of 1998: Washington,DC-Chicago-Seattle-Vancouver-Los Angeles-San Antonio-DC. Newly widowed, I traveled for 28 days solo and slept overnight on the train 7 of those nights. It was a wonderful trip - the Amtrak staff, my little sleeper room with the pull-down sink, the conversations in the dining car, and (seemingly) non-stop wine tastings in the viewing car. Standing on the platform at Glacier National Park in the middle of the night and smelling the pine trees. The view of the ocean in California. Thanks for rekindling a great memory.
24
Thank you for sharing this lovely mental image of your travels. I hope it was a healing experience for you.
3
I flew down to New Orleans last April to visit relatives and took the City of New Orleans back to Chicago. On the flight down, in my window seat, I watched the history of where the Mississippi had been hundreds, and thousands, and hundreds of thousands of years ago - laid out in the rippling land, the oxbows and meanders.
On the train back, the gradual replacement of swamps with farms, then more farms, then farms forever. I slept through the last 400 miles.
Next trip I'll take on Amtrak will have mountains. I've seen flat.
8
Hi! a really cool trip with mountains is Colfax CA to Reno NV, or v.v. it is gorgeous and like $25 each way. You see and go through the snow sheds and past Donner Lake and Lake Tahoe.
Be on Zephyr so if coming out from East go up rather than down or secure a roomette and go all the way to San Francisco I think.
Train from Chicago usually late but train up usually on time because it starts down there.
Just like 2.5 h but fantastic!
2
This piece brings back memories of a trip in 1982 aboard the westbound Sunset Limited.
As the author did, I saw many backyards. We had a 6 hour unscheduled stop where I got to wander around Sanderson, TX. And I met some interesting folks. One was an elderly man with a gravelly baritone from Biloxi. He was sprightly, loved train travel, and was full of stories.
Leonard and I continued to run into each other at meals. He told me his nephew Walter had invited him out to L.A. Another meal, more conversation. We talked how exotic the Western landscape looked to Gulf Coast natives. He talked about his own travels, and how his nephew had many interesting stories. "On the train, too?" I asked. No, the nephew had recently retired from a grueling job with a broadcaster.
More miles, that Sanderson stop, and again we meet in the dining car. I was on my way to job interview in Tuscon and he gave me some tips. We brought up families and I asked what his last name was. "Cronkite." Suddenly I made sense of why the deep voice and bushy eyebrows seemed so familiar: his “recently retired nephew” was Walter Cronkite.
My stop came up. We said goodbye. Ask any train regular and you’ll get a story like this; as for those who shun trains, I spent most of my interview time at that plant explaining why on Earth I took a train instead of flying. No job offer came. But I did have the pleasure of meeting a new friend four times my age, and that is what I value and remember most.
15
I crossed to LA on the train - and did it in the week before Christmas - where you get to see Christmas lights in all sorts of places. My trip went through New Orleans - and you really get a sense of how big Texas is on a train - but I can remember dark in west Texas and seeing a burst of color in the darkness and the time it took to pass it by - is a still a good memory.
Alas though, since I walk with canes - Amtrak is so not disability friendly and I won't be taking the train much any more. The long stretch west trains had disability rooms, but that meant you were isolated from most people - and people is one of the reasons to travel on a train.
7
Generally the Western trains are better but the hikes within train can be difficult.
Also it seems like disabled accommodations are either downstairs from the dining room and/or end of train, one floor below dining room.
1
As a claustrophobe, I cannot fly. Thus, I am limited to buses and trains. (I do not drive, either.) In 1987, I took a cross-country trip from NYC to LA on Amtrak. Even had I not been a claustrophobe, I would have appreciated that trip in a way that I have appreciated few of the travels in my life. It was comfortable (and, at the time, quite cheap). And it was great to meet so many people. (Among those on my train were actress Barbara Hale, and the former train travel writer for the NYT.) Most importantly, though, was what I got to see of our amazing country as the train wound in and out of hills, fields, towns, cities, etc. Even the "boring" cornfields of Iowa and Nebraska took on a serene and majestic quality that a then 29-year-old truly "got." Going through the Rockies was a special treat, as was coming out on the other side and skirting Joshua Tree National Park. I have taken a number of trains since then, and all have been wonderful. I cannot recommend enough that everyone do this at some point. It really is an eye-opening - and a spirit-soother.
15
Croased the country by Amtrak three and a half times - once in the coach car (sitting is a seat) the whole way. Love it..Very cheap, if you can deal with coach. ONce you go for a bed, very expensive, but still a LOT of fun. Don't do the on-line trip planner, just call the amtrak number and bypass the automated voice and talk to a representative - done in five minutes, no matter how complex your route is. I especially love going through New Mexico, with the park ranger guide narrating the views. LOVE Amtrak. So much better than flying.
19
Since my wife and me both had early Irish immigrants who worked as engineers on U.S. railroads, we thought it would be nostalgic and talked about taking an Amtrak trip from New York to California, then on to the Pacific Northwest before flying home. Then we tried to navigate as the author states, "Amtrak's impossible-to-use trip planner." End of story!
3
It is a possible trip, a great one, but enlist a travel agent who does trains and/or bypass the horrible trip planner and "Julie" the auto-voice. I get insane listening to her.
3
My parents and I took the train from Chicago to San Francisco when I was thirteen. We went to see my sister's new baby - that baby will be turning fifty this May. What we had't expected was the sense of community on a train, where we became close with people ranging from hippies to retirees. We shared a sense of awe and wonder as the breathtaking scenery passed by our Vista Dome car, and we shared our table with them at mealtimes. I've been to nearly all 50 states (still have to see N Dakota), so that Colorado shares a border with Kansas is no surprise to me. That comment reminds me so much of the New Yorker cartoon about a New Yorker's view of the world. Colorado shares part of its northern border with Nebraska, and at its closest, Texas is only 35 miles away. What's probably more surprising to people who've never been there is that eastern Colorado is flat - The Rockies don't begin until you pass Denver. And to those who claim the world is flat, try making that claim from the top of Mount Evans as you look back at the Great Plains to the east. There's no denying the. romance of a cross-county train trip, but in my busy life, I never seemed to have the time. I hope that someday my wife and I will be two of those retirees that take the train.
8
In an era when Boeing jets are falling from the sky there is every reason to take a train across the U.S..
20
Except for the filth. Even in the lounges. Definitely on the trains. Very depressing!
1
Yeah, they don't like to clean the bathrooms
Caity, please write a book. I could read you for hours, maybe on a train that is rolling along the Colorado tablelands. Oh, that ear of corn was spectacular!
8
Ditto! Your writing style is infinitely readable!!
1
The current budget by 45 is set to eliminate vital funding for Amtrak long distance maintenance and track work. Those in rural America would be the hardest hit, again eliminating stations in places that are vitally connected to the rest of the country by an Amtrak hub. It's nuts that we don't see this as a national resource. I'm happy to contribute whatever small amount of my taxes that is needed to continue national rail service. Call your folks in Congress and the Senate today to voice your support for Amtrak.
33
Of course there is a reason to cross the US by train, and this article proves it :) I've been taking Amtrak cross-country for 25 years and absolutely love it. You meet the most interesting people, the pace is slow (ok, sometimes really slow lol) and relaxing, and you get a real sense of the size, variety, wonder, and beauty of America. Go trains!!
29
And you don't have to deal with all the nonsense in the airports
13
And that right there is priceless :)
3
At this point, if I see something was written by Caity Weaver I have the same response as when I see David Sedaris' name; like: "Ooh! I'm definitely reading this. I don't care what it's about. Mozzarella sticks? I'm sure it's a riot!"
I remember a while back being horrified hearing that higher-ups at the Times were trying to find a way to write material in more of a Daily Show direction, thinking "That's not what we want! I need Haberman." But I think with Weaver they've found a great way to introduce "non-required reading" that is highly intelligent and a delight to read. No matter how long her pieces are I'm always sad when they come to an end!
10
I’m not the only one with coffee yawms
Here watching from the second level lounge
As scrubbled, broken country greys with dawn
Revealing cragged arroyos white and brown.
There’s one of us for each five seats, at most,
Arranged in sparse-spread clumps. They’re selling hard
The dining car, announcements coming close,
While passengers imbibe west Texas’ scars.
Who rides this train? Bald men, this laptop kid
There mixing beats, a leather woman—why?
This ride lasts days; it costs the same to fly,
Without a hot spot here, you’re off the grid.
Outside, dead grass and yucca heads roll by;
I guess they like the view as much as I.
4
This is magic, thank you for sharing a poetic companion to an enjoyable article.
Apparently you need to learn some geography and plant biology and get off your phone and pay attention.
1
I've driven from New York to Utah twice now. I can tell you from experience: I'll happily take the train if I ever have to do it again. Aside from "train culture" and the "exploring America" vibe, Amtrak has the distinct advantages of overnight travel along with relatively cheap shipping rates.
If you want to box up your life and move it several thousand miles across the country, Amtrak can be surprisingly economical provided you don't have a car you need to bring with you. That's not something you can say about air travel. You're not putting a pallet of boxes on a Boeing 757.
In fact, you can ship on Amtrak without even being a passenger. I've used this service before when clearing out family storage units. It's not door to door delivery but I certainly can't complain. The station is incredibly convenient although Amtrak trains only run through my city at night.
I would probably only take Amtrak one-way. However, my father-in-law has made the trip twice now. He'll admit train fatigue after the return journey. I keep telling him to take a plane back but he won't. Something in his career as an engineer discouraged him from using air travel. I'm not really sure what exactly. He won't say.
Personally, I'd like to take an Amtrak vacation sometime. However, I have the slow boat to China or Australia on my bucket list first. You can hitch a ride overseas on freight shipping vessels for practically nothing.You just need a lot of spare time. But hey, the journey is half the fun.
14
I shipped stuff out of house cross-country too! Twice in fact, from DC area to CA.
It is inexpensive and reliable and this last time they forgot to charge me for storage at station in CA!
First time 1990 $7/box up to fifty pounds--in 2017 not much more.
1
There is no better way to travel than by train.
I've done it across Canada and I look forward to doing it in the US. What could be better?
18
Canadian trains beat US trains by a wide margin!
4
Before my senior year of high school, I drove from Southern California to Idaho with my friend to help her move into her dorm. She drove me the train station. I took the Amtrak from Idaho to Portland, OR where my aunt lived. I spent a few days with my aunt and the she put me on the train from Portland, OR back to Los Angeles. The train ride was about 2 days. My aunt loaded me up with mini-bagels and other snacks. I met a graduate student who reviewed an essay I was writing. He gave me his copy of Stunk and White, The Elements of Style and told me to read it over and over. Then he bought me a hamburger at the café. That Amtrak train ride was the first solo trip I made. I hope Amtrak will be around when I retire, so I can take a cross-country trip.
26
Caity - A thoroughly enjoyable read - I love your writing style, humor, and gentle sarcasm. I have always wanted to travel cross country on a train and after reading your article I am even more determined to make it happen!
8
About 3 years go I spied a NYT mention of a LA photo exhibit of WWII internment camps. I combined that with a visit to my Denver med school niece. I flew to LA, rented a car, saw the exhibit, drove to San Diego, trained to Denver via Oakland with my final leg to DC via plane. Planning a train trip is different than a plane trip.
Logistically, while the airlines are set up to transfer you (and your luggage) at hubs, Amtrak is a bit more cumbersome. I didn't understand Amtrak's "segments" thing. Their website will do all the planning for you until you realize that you may be taking a bus between cities. Yuk! Its best to make your own segments and transfer plans so that you can get an "all train" (vs. train-bus-train) experience.
I loved my northerly trip up the CA coast. It seemed you were no more than a hundred yards from the Pacific. The view was incredible. I recommend immediately camping in the observation car to get a good seat. Traveling with two people makes that easy: one camps while the other finds a seat in the other car.
And the food and staff in the dining car is quite good, not like the DC-NY train run of yester year with cold coffee, stale sandwiches and bad staff attitudes. I especially liked the dining car's festival seating: everyone shares a table. Your dining companions change but the conversation openers remain the same: where are you going, where have you been. The conversations just flow. I'd say more, but for the 1500 character limit.
9
Thanks for sharing so much with us. Wish I could learn more about your experiences. Nice and thanks again.
3