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I just returned a few weeks ago from my long trip on the Coast Starlight, and I am now planning a trip on either the Sunset Limited/Texas Eagle or the Southwest Chief. I do not want to go to far, probably either Arizona or New Mexico. I know very little about the Southwest...I have been to Oregon, and Nevada but never Arizona etc. I am thinking of these possible destinations:
Southwest Chief: Williams--not much, not really intereasted in the Grand Canyon. Flasgstaff--seems nice. Winslow Gallup Lamy--not much here unless I took a bus to Santa Fe
Sunset Limtied/Texas Eagle:
Lordsburg-flag station-I have always wanted to go to a flag station..
Deming-flag station as well.
Another question, if I were to take the Southwest Chief to the Grand Canyon or somewhere around there...since it leaves at 6:45PM from LAUPT would they serve dinner? I would guess not...
Posts: 1082 | From: Los Angeles, CA. USA | Registered: Aug 2003
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It would help to know what you are interested in doing at your destination and how much money you want to spend. Are you walking, renting a car or using public transportation when you get there? Do you want to stay overnight?
Flagstaff is a beautiful manned station right downtown and you could spend a day there without having to pay for a motel. Rental cars can be reserved with station pickup and there are scenic things to see such as Oak Creek Canyon and Sedona that are a short drive.
Gallup is one long main street of motels and restaurants that used to be Route 66. It is surrounded by colorful red rock country.
You didn't mention Albuquerque, but you can stroll through downtown and catch the #3 home. By next fall you can use their new Railrunner Commuter Rail. Chucky could probably tell you of many things to do there.
Santa Fe is very beautiful, but also kind of pricey. I think the van ride from Lamy is about $12 each way. One of the more scenic portions of the SWC route, Apache Canyon, is just past Lamy (east).
Lordsburg and Deming are really not "stations". They are more like run down bus stops, and the towns are small enough to walk around in an hour. There really is not much to do there. They are in flat desert country without much variety.
Posts: 1572 | From: St. Paul, MN | Registered: Dec 2002
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Im actually a big fan of small towns, I would probably be traveling in a Roomette, and I doubt we would be renting a car at our destination. I looked at Albuquerque, but I was not really intereasted in it or El Paso.
When I ran a test reservation on Amtrak.com, The price of the Texas Eagle was much more then the Sunset Limited...Isnt this a bit strange?... Since they travel along the same route until a certain point.
Posts: 1082 | From: Los Angeles, CA. USA | Registered: Aug 2003
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Try La Junta. That way you get the best of the Southwest Chief Route with Apache Canyon, Glorita Pass and Raton Pass all thrown in. I stay at the Mid town Motel $38 a night with a real nice room and eat breakfast at the Copper King Restaurant.
By the way I will be making that same trip again leaving LAX on the 20th of May getting to LAJ on the 21st and leaving on Train 3 on May 22 to return home on the 23rd. http://www.trainweb.org/chris
Chris
Posts: 711 | From: Santa Ana | Registered: May 2003
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I will look into that Chris, and about the Sunset Limited/Texas Eagle...Why is the price of the Texas Eagle compared to the Sunset Limited so much more expensive for the same trip from LAX to Lordsburg, NM?
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I also find it strange concerning the price difference. Last summer I booked a sleeper using the Sunset Limited #2 and the Texas Eagle #22 to Chicago from LA.Of course that meant changing sleepers in San Antonio. If I had booked #422 the Texas Eagle straight through it would have cost $120 more. Figure the change in sleepers was worth the savings.
Don't know..booking 422 costs more than #2...same route same train. Just book the Sunset to New Mexico. I don't understand Amtraks pricing on this one.
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Well whatever you decide,mind your manners on the train and do get thrown off like one of our fellow board memebers did this past spring break :-) enjoy your trip
Posts: 6 | Registered: Feb 2005
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quote:Originally posted by Colt-45: Well whatever you decide,mind your manners on the train and do not get thrown off like one of our fellow board memebers did this past spring break :-) enjoy your trip
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The SWC offers many small town locations that can satisfy your apparent interests; and the schedule allows you great opportunities for stops of a few hours or overnight.
Winslow, AZ is a great stop with the restored La Posada hotel adjacent to the track and depot. This was the last fine hotel built by Santa Fe Railway and operated by the Fred Harvey Company. The reataurant located in the La Posada is open for all meals every day and is EXCELLENT. The hotel itself has been masterfully restored to the southwest style of the 1930's. There is a great museum located about three blocks away which is open in the afternoon and a sculpture honoring the song Standing on the Corner in Winslow Arizona is along the walk to the museum.
Also, for those who wish to see trains, lots of them, Winslow is a crew change location on the BNSF and there are approximately 100 trains a day that stop to change crews. If you wish to observe the effect of trains removing trucks from highways just visualize all of the piggybacks and containers on these trains being on adjacent I-40. Also this will give some perspective of the very active economy of our country. You may sit on the covered veranda of the La Posada and see all of this train action.
Posts: 467 | From: Prescott, AZ USA | Registered: Mar 2002
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The Grand Canyon train leaves Williams in the morning and returns in the late afternoon. When I was there last summer they were using a steam engine. Williams also has a re-creation of a gunfight in the town around 7pm, after the train returns. The flagstaff station is downtown and right on, or nearby, route 66. I sat on a bench outside of the station for about an hour while the GF shopped and watched the continuous parade of freight trains.
Posts: 18 | From: Eagan, MN | Registered: Jul 2004
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