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Four days, four nights, most of it on Amtrak guest rewards. Our two zone award started at the Easternmost point, Toledo and ended in Los Angeles via the Lake Shore Limited, Empire Builder and The Coast Starlight. We started in Buffalo on May 8th shortly after Midnight and rode coach until our AGR kicked in. First thing we did at 6AM was go for breakfast and sleep for three and a half hours. Being the considerate sport that I am, I slept on the top bunk and my lady friend had the lower. There is so much more room on s Viewliner roomette than a Superliner. First,there's a window and you can actually sit up on the top bunk. On the Superliner upper bunk, if nature calls in the middle of the night, as it always does, it's quite an adventure to get to the rest room.
Arriving in Chicago on a beautiful Spring day,we sat outside by the Chicago River and enjoyed the morning,anticipating the next leg of our trip, Train 27, the Portland bound Empire Builder. A bottle of champagne was our welcome aboard,and after that we dug into our own box of wine with cheese and crackers for a very pleasant afternoon. The sunset was nice for our crossing the Mississippi at LaCrosse and we welcomed the stop at St Paul for some leg stretching. The next morning we were two hours down, as expected because of the flooding in North Dakota. At times,I wondered how the train was going to make it through the high water,which was everywhere. The train maybe was going five miles an hour through most of the state, and it was raining,yet again. Things improved in the afternoon with the wine tasting,and i won a bottle of wine correctly identifying the four states Amtrak doesn't serve:Alaska, Hawaii, South Dakota and Wyoming.
The sun began shining in Havre and we were offered incredible views of Glacier National Park,as we made up an hour of time and rode through the park right before sunset. After a stretching stop in Whitefish, we retired for the night and woke up to a beautiful sunrise as we followed the Columbia River to Portland. Sleeping car passengers were offered a cold breakfast,since the diner went on #7 to Seattle,but it was a very pleasant ride. We actually got into Portland ten minutes early,having made up time the night before and with the padding at Spokane.
A nice walk in downtown Portland awaiting the Southbound Coast Starlight. #11 was right on time,and we had lunch and went right to wine tasting in that wonderful Parlor Car. They don't charge for that anymore and it was overflowed with all the sleeper passengers. Bedtime after Klamath Falls and an early arrival into Sacramento. Freight traffic was very light,so we really made up time overnight. After 90 minutes in Sacramento,we worked our way Southbound with interesting commentary by our conductor.
Early or on time into San Luis Obispo on a beautiful day,and then we were informed that a Surfliner broke down and we had to pick up their passengers, attach the train to our consist at Surf and then stop at all the Surfliner stops the Starlight doesn't make. I always maintain more train time is not a bad thing,so I welcomed the additional stops. Wine tasting that afternoon was lightly attended, so our Parlor car attendant,Debbie made sure we got plenty of wine. The wine tasting continued into our dinner reservation at 6Pm in the parlor car. I think we spent every waking moment in that car. It truly is one of the great things about Amtrak,and I sure hope it continues. We arrived in LA only an hour and a half late, took the flyaway shuttle to LAX, got our hotel room for the night,and then rented a car for a week for a nice trip to Las Vegas,Hoover dam,Flagstaff,Palm Springs and San Diego. We stayed a few days in Oceanside and took the Coaster into San Diego. What a deal $2.75 one way for Seniors! We took Amtrak back only to get those triple points which were still in effect. We flew back to Buffalo on May 19th, took a cab back to the Depew station where our car was and drove home.
I've been taking Amtrak cross country trips since 1990 almost every year and it's always a new exciting adventure everytime I ride. That anticipation will always be there. I sure hope Amtrak will always be there,as well.
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You got a lot of travel and fun packed into this trip! I think you may have had the same conductor we did between Sacramento and San Luis Obispo. He had a running commentary going on the sights along the way.
One of his jokes was, after cautioning about drinking on the train was "Remember, Bud doesn't make you any wiser!".
Frank in sunny and warm SBA
Posts: 2160 | From: Santa Barbara, CA, USA | Registered: Oct 2003
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Sounds like a wonderful trip. And delighted you won the wine tasting competition!!!
What is parking like at the Depew Station--no problem leaving your car, I take it? Is there a limit to how long? Is there a charge?
Posts: 2642 | From: upstate New York | Registered: Mar 2004
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Sojourner, we left our car for two weeks at the Depew station. It's well lit and there is no charge.We flew back to Buffalo. If we had more time I would have taken the Southwest Chief or Zephyr. Everytime I go out on a train and back on a plane,it makes me appreciate Amtrak more and more. The first leg of our flight from LA to Chicago was filled and for four hours you feel like you are in a sardine can. I would rather endure a coast to coast trip in coach on Amtrak over a direct flight any day!
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Enjoyed your report. The PPC sounds like it was a highlight of the trip. Makes you wonder why that is not expanded to other trains.
If it makes sense of the Starlight, why not for first class passengers on other scenic LD trains. Might as well put those CCC cars to good use. While I'd like to have the big windows, it would still be worth it for all the other amenities the PPC offers.
Posts: 2397 | From: Camden, SC | Registered: Mar 2006
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