Is the Sightseer Lounge on the California Zephyr and the Empire Builder open all night?
Posted by PaulB (Member # 4258) on :
Yes, but the snack bar is only open from 6AM-11PM.
If you are traveling west on the Empire Builder, it is best to stay in your seat/room the second night. The Sightseer lounge continues on the Portland section. If you stay in the lounge overnight you may find yourself going to Portland!
Posted by irish1 (Member # 222) on :
the car is always open. but the snack bar itself is not. depending on the mood of the attendant i think they close around 10or11 because they usually are back in there by 6 am. they generally announce it when hes about to close.
Posted by TwinStarRocket (Member # 2142) on :
You are allowed to sleep in the lounge at night, but not when the snack bar is open. Usually you get woke up by the attendant when he/she opens up at 6-6:30.
Sometimes there are some interesting night owls, and sometimes just interesting cases. It can be cold if the air is cranked up. Some sleep on the 3-seat sections and some on the floor. Blankets and pillows help. The stars are nice, thunderstorms rule!
Posted by notelvis (Member # 3071) on :
Back in the 1970's when Amtrak ran a train called 'The Floridian' and operated a wonderous dome car in it's consist, I spent the night in the dome from Chicago to Louisville. Try as I might to stay awake, I finally dozed off about 4:00am.
Sometime shortly after that I woke up and was startled to find myself face to face with a red traffic light as the train trundled down the street in Bedford, IN on the old Monon Railroad.