New York-LA-Seattle-NY. Two weeks. Left August 19 on the Cardinal to Chicago. Had Coach. Bid up to a roomette and got it for $250. Flex dining. On time arrival. My next leg was on the Texas Eagle/Sunset to LA. Being 51 and 421 do not connect the same day I booked a hotel. Dinner at Guardinos for deep dish pizza and breakfast at Lou Mitchells. Both regular stops when I'm in Chicago.
Boarded the Texas Eagle in a roomette headed to LA. The attendent in the diner car manned the cafe car and heated and served the flex food for sleeper pax. The cafe car was closed to Coach from 11AM to 1PM and 4 to 6PM. No sightseer car. One sleeper. If Amtrak wants to kill this train they are doing a good job. Freight delays galore putting us in San Antonio at 1:40AM with an hour to connect to the Sunset.
Woke up at sunrise now attatched to the Sunset. What a contrast! Real food and a Sightseer! At El Paso,the burrito lady did a brisk business. A godsend for Coach passengers. Freight traffic again and a more civilized arrival time 7:30AM. Metropolitan lounge between trains and we were still required to wear a mask. Breakfast at Phillipes. Always good.
Heading North on a Thruway bus to Bakersfield and a San Joaquin to Fresno. Overnight,then back on to Martinez to connect with the Coast Starlight heading to Salem,Or. Business Class. Couldn't justify an additional $475 for a roomette.
Overnight in Salem. A Knights Inn a half mile from the station and a brewpub next to the station. Nice city with a beautiful State Capitol area. On a Cascade to Seattle the next morning in a very crowded Coach and a four hour layover before boarding the Empire Builder. Enough time for a walk to Pier 62 and a great lunch at Ivars Clam Bar.
In a roomette on the Empire Builder Love watching Puget sound from my window and going through Glacier. Traditional dining is great as ever and my steak was perfectly cooked. We got into Minot 45 minutes early. Arrival in Chicago was on time. I did a bid up to a roomette for my next leg,the Lake Shore to Utica. Didn't get it. A shame they dropped the Business Class car. I lucked out having both seats. The prospect of a seatmate on an overnight trip was not something I was looking forward to.
Overnight in Utica,catching an Empire Service train the next morning in BC. Got the last seats on the right hand side affording those great views of the Hudson River. If only every LD train had BC. Nicer and roomier than Coach and way less expensive than a roomette.
Just about two weeks. Chicago is the only city I went through twice. Kind of hard to avoid on a circle trip. I've been doing these for 33 years and it never gets old. When I first began riding,I did Coach for three nights straight. All these years later,unless the cost is way too pricy like the Starlight this time around,I'll do sleepers.
Boarded the Texas Eagle in a roomette headed to LA. The attendent in the diner car manned the cafe car and heated and served the flex food for sleeper pax. The cafe car was closed to Coach from 11AM to 1PM and 4 to 6PM. No sightseer car. One sleeper. If Amtrak wants to kill this train they are doing a good job. Freight delays galore putting us in San Antonio at 1:40AM with an hour to connect to the Sunset.
Woke up at sunrise now attatched to the Sunset. What a contrast! Real food and a Sightseer! At El Paso,the burrito lady did a brisk business. A godsend for Coach passengers. Freight traffic again and a more civilized arrival time 7:30AM. Metropolitan lounge between trains and we were still required to wear a mask. Breakfast at Phillipes. Always good.
Heading North on a Thruway bus to Bakersfield and a San Joaquin to Fresno. Overnight,then back on to Martinez to connect with the Coast Starlight heading to Salem,Or. Business Class. Couldn't justify an additional $475 for a roomette.
Overnight in Salem. A Knights Inn a half mile from the station and a brewpub next to the station. Nice city with a beautiful State Capitol area. On a Cascade to Seattle the next morning in a very crowded Coach and a four hour layover before boarding the Empire Builder. Enough time for a walk to Pier 62 and a great lunch at Ivars Clam Bar.
In a roomette on the Empire Builder Love watching Puget sound from my window and going through Glacier. Traditional dining is great as ever and my steak was perfectly cooked. We got into Minot 45 minutes early. Arrival in Chicago was on time. I did a bid up to a roomette for my next leg,the Lake Shore to Utica. Didn't get it. A shame they dropped the Business Class car. I lucked out having both seats. The prospect of a seatmate on an overnight trip was not something I was looking forward to.
Overnight in Utica,catching an Empire Service train the next morning in BC. Got the last seats on the right hand side affording those great views of the Hudson River. If only every LD train had BC. Nicer and roomier than Coach and way less expensive than a roomette.
Just about two weeks. Chicago is the only city I went through twice. Kind of hard to avoid on a circle trip. I've been doing these for 33 years and it never gets old. When I first began riding,I did Coach for three nights straight. All these years later,unless the cost is way too pricy like the Starlight this time around,I'll do sleepers.
