Michigan to San Diego to New Orleans and back - in coach...

[thully]

This was my second LD trip on Amtrak - my first coming back on Labor Day, when I took the Capitol Limited and Lake Shore Limited out to to the northeast (connecting via Ambus to/from Toledo). For this trip, I wanted to go somewhere warmer, and take a longer trip.

Part 1: Ann Arbor to San Diego

Leg 1: Ann Arbor to Chicago (Wolverine)

This train was pretty uneventful - just a typical Amtrak corridor train. As usual, a lot of people got on at ARB, which is the busiest Amtrak station in all of Michigan. As it was December 26th, I noticed one of the OBS wearing a Santa hat. We arrived at Chicago Union Station about 10-15 minutes late.

Leg 2: Chicago to Los Angeles (Southwest Chief)

We boarded at CHI on schedule, after I watched the Texas Eagle and California Zephyr depart. I sat in an aisle seat in the very back of the train. We went through Illinois fairly uneventfully, finally crossing the Mississippi River while I was eating dinner. I had the chicken - it was OK. While in Fort Madison, IA we saw a nice collection of Christmas lights right by the river. Over the course of dinner we passed through three states (IL, IA, and MO) - something I found somewhat amusing. Spent most of the time after dinner in the lounge, and finally went back to my seat to sleep after Kansas City, which was quite a lengthy stop.

When I woke up, we were just entering Colorado. As this was just a few days after a major snowstorm, the ground was covered with snow. It was all of 9 degrees outside - much colder than it was in Michigan, let alone what it would be in Los Angeles. I ate breakfast, and had the French toast, which I had before on the LSL and liked (in fact, I would have this for every breakfast on the trip). In Colorado, we continued to pass through snow-covered mountain towns until reaching the Raton Pass, which was quite a sight. After crossing into New Mexico, the snow mostly disappeared - to be replaced with miles of New Mexico desert (with some mountains thrown in). Around this time was lunch, where I had the burger (which was pretty good - I actually wish it were an option on the dinner menu). At lunch, I recall having a discussion with a fellow passenger who had been on trains pre-Amtrak, and had even rode the old Super Chief (which was the SWC's predecessor).

Passing through Las Vegas, NM, I couldn't help but wonder if someone heading to Las Vegas, NV has ever accidentally gotten off there (or booked a ticket there). There were some passengers headed to Las Vegas, NV on the train (they were to be bussed from Kingman, AZ), so it's not totally inconceivable. Around dinner time we arrived in Albuquerque, where we had a lengthy service stop that ended up taking longer than expected due to problems with the train's power going out. For dinner, I had the steak, it was quite tasty (given what I've tried on my trip, I think it may be my favorite of the dinner options). After Albuquerque it had become dark outside and we soon reached the Arizona border. For dinner In the lounge car I encountered a group of Australians who were on a six-week holiday that involved crossing the country and back over the course of the trip (they were headed to Las Vegas at this point in their journey). I went to sleep somewhere around Flagstaff, AZ - at which point we were an hour or so late.

When I woke up, we were in the mountainous Inland Empire area of California, which was actually one of the most interesting sights of the trip aside from the Raton Pass. I got up and had breakfast around 7 or so, and prepared to disembark at Fullerton to catch the Surfliner. However, I failed to think ahead as I was sitting in an all-LA car and my baggage was in the same car. As such, I wasn't able to get out until after they left Fullerton. Given our lateness, I thought we would narrowly miss the 9:40 Surfliner out of LAUS to SAN. However, as luck would have it, we arrived at 9:40 but the Surfliner was delayed 10 minutes by a jammed door. As such, we just made the Surfliner to SAN - and us SWC connecting passengers were very thankful for the stuck door.

Leg 3: Los Angeles to San Diego (Pacific Surfliner)

As with the Wolverine, this was a short, pretty uneventful trip. In any case, it was nice to be in warm, sunny California after being in the snow and cold weather - and the views of the ocean were great as always. In my Amtrak experience, I've always been partial to the Surfliner as far as short-distance trains go - the views are great, the trains are frequent and on-time (and the unreserved coach gives you flexibility), and the California Cars (variant of Superliner used) are nice. It also so happened that it was this route that got me hooked on trains in the first place. The only thing I wish they would add is a Sightseer Lounge (at least for select trips). I arrived in SAN a few minutes late and met up with family there…

 

[Rail Freak]

God Bless Ya!!! At my age , I have to be in a horizontal position to sleep!

RF

 

[thully]

After completing the trip into SD, I was excited to arrive - but a tad disappointed that my train journey was over (and that I'd be flying back). After some thought, I decided to do something I was considering previously but wasn't quite sure about - that being to go to New Orleans for the Sugar Bowl via train (being from Michigan/Ann Arbor, I am a bug University of Michigan fan). Going to NO gave me the opportunity to give the Sunset Limited a try (which I may not have again in the near future), not to mention the City of New Orleans on the return trip.

Part 2: San Diego to New Orleans

Leg 1: San Diego to Los Angeles (Pacific Surfliner)

This was pretty similar to the other Surfliner trip, just in the other direction. I gave the on-board Wi-Fi a try and got it to work (which I didn't on the last trip) - which was nice. I can tether my phone for internet access, but the wi-fi is more convenient and nice to have. I'd definitely like to see this on more trains in the future - LD trains would particularly benefit from it. I arrived in LA on time and ready to board the Sunset.

Leg 2: Los Angeles to New Orleans (Sunset Limited)

I think this might be the most fun of my trips - though I thought the scenery of the SWC was superior, the experience on this train was perhaps more fun. I don't know what it was fur sure, but I think it may be the people I met on the train or the staff (particularly the dining staff). After departing LA, I got to see another part of the Inland Empire - the mountains looked pretty neat (at least while it was still light out). I ate dinner as we approached Yuma, AZ, and the clock changed to Mountain Time. Sleeping this night was a bit rough, as Tucson was a bit of a noisy stop (it didn't help that people behind me were talking all night as well…)

I woke up as we came into El Paso - which is a reasonably-sized city, but gets its only Amtrak service three times per week from the Sunset Limited/Texas Eagle. This was the last stop for nearly 5 hours, during which we passed through some very barren parts of West Texas. At times we were very close to the Mexican border - so close that on two occasions my phone picked up a Mexican roaming signal (it even did so at the Del Rio Amtrak station, which I found hard to believe). The trip was somewhat monotonous until we reached San Antonio, where we stopped for nearly 3 hours. I didn't do any sightseeing there, as I didn't want to risk getting lost and missing the train. I ended up watching a movie during the SAS stop and then going to bed shortly after.

As mentioned before, what I found most interesting about this train were the people. The dining staff always seemed happy to see me, even though I was a coach passenger, and I could tell that many of them had been doing the same train for many years. Also, during breakfast on the last day, I encountered a couple who in fact came from ARB as I did and were also headed back there (going through NOL on their way). They had also rode the Southwest Chief on their way down, though not on the same day as me. I was pretty impressed, though, at the coincidence of us riding the same trains for 3000-some odd miles. There were also some train-related conversations - I recall a discussion of just when (and if) the Sunset Limited would ever start going to Orlando again. To conclude the trip, we traversed the massively long Huey P. Long Bridge, which was quite an interesting experience being that we were so high above everything.

Going into the trip, I had been worried that we would be late into NOL, thus making me scramble to make the game or even miss it. However, I decided to chance it because the trip would be worth a lot less to me if I just flew there (though it was roughly the same cost). As it turns out, we were early - meaning I checked into my hotel just in time and had time to relax before heading over to the game. The game itself was great - it did help that Michigan won, though

 

[Rail Freak]

Nice Ending! I'm glad you had such a great time!!!

RF

 

[thully]

I still have to post about my return trip home - though less exciting, there are still some interesting parts (even on the Wolverine, which I just got off 2 hours ago or so...)

 

[thully]

The trip back was perhaps the least exciting part of the journey - after all, coming home is always the toughest part about vacations. However, it was not without its interesting moments.

Part 3 - New Orleans to Ann Arbor

Leg 1: New Orleans to Chicago (City of New Orleans)

After sleeping (in a real bed!) at my hotel room in NO, I took a cab to Union Passenger Terminal to board the northbound City of New Orleans. In the waiting area, I was not surprised to see a large contingent of fellow Michigan fans returning home from the game. In total, I'd say nearly half the passengers on the train were U-M fans who went to the game (and many were likely students). This gave the CONO a distinctly different vibe from the rest of the trains on my trip, though an interesting one nevertheless. I did think it was neat to be on a train filled with people who went to the game - it almost made me feel like I was on a U-M football shuttle (I'd say this train became a de facto football shuttle)

As far as sights go, by far the most interesting was crossing Lake Pontchartrain - that bridge put even the Huey P. Long Bridge on the Sunset Limited to shame with its massive length. Seeing the lake out my window also somewhat reminded me of the great views of the Pacific Ocean I had on the Surfliner between LA and SD. Besides that, the trip was rather standard (at least as far as an Amtrak LD train is concerned). Dinner was in a diner-lounge (my first experience with the concept), and seatings were done quite differently from the other LD trains - they had 3 seating times (5, 6:30, and 7:45) and there were no reservations for coach (it was first-come, first-serve). They had many of the same menu items as the other trains, so I ordered the steak. It was decent, but perhaps not as good as the weak from the full diner. Of note - most everyone eating dinner (including those I was rated with) attended the Sugar Bowl game. After hanging out in the Lounge a while, I went to bed shortly after departing Memphis.

I woke up in the morning at some point near Champaign, IL, after which I went down to get breakfast. I noticed they had an "express menu", which was different and smaller than the usual menu. I ordered the French toast - which I had eaten at every other breakfast on the trip. I was looking forward to trying the pancakes on the CONO, but they weren't available on this express menu. Shortly after breakfast we pulled into Chicago Union Station, where I awaited the Wolverine to return home.

Leg 2: Chicago to Ann Arbor (Wolverine)

Like the Wolverine at the beginning of my trip, this is basically just your standard Midwest corridor train. However, unlike the trip down, there were some things that happened on the Wolverine that were worth noting. After a few of the typical pull-over-for-a-freight-train stops early on (I *hate* those), we finally were on our way into Michigan. As we got further into Michigan I noticed snow on the ground, something I hadn't seen since Colorado on the trip down.

At Battle Creek we made a stop that seemed to last forever. At first I thought it was just your typical equipment issue or freight train coming through, but as it turns out there was a passenger incident. From what I heard, someone tried to steal money from another passenger, and the other passenger hit them with a cane! The police got involved, and at least one of them was removed from the train. Finally, we started moving again - at which point we were running an hour late. Ultimately, I arrived into ARB around 7pm.

 

[thully]

Conclusion

In conclusion, this was a great trip. I particularly liked the dining experience on the SL and the scenery in CO/NM on the Southwest Chief, but it was all enjoyable. A few notable things I'd like to highlight from my experience are:

The Good

1. The Sightseer Lounge

I have to say - after being on several LD trains now, I've really come to know and love the Sightseer Lounge. I first discovered it on the Capitol Limited back on Labor Day weekend, and enjoyed seeing the WV/MD scenery in the morning there. It's also a great place to just sit and listen to music/use the laptop, which I did for much of my time on the train. I'd say I likely spent at least a third (if not more) of my time on the LD trains in the Lounge. It also helps that the cafe is downstairs, where you can buy food and drinks (including alcoholic drinks ) Now that I've realized that the Viewliner trains don't have a sightseer lounge, I may end up taking the CL instead of the LSL when I go on an eastern trip, even if I'm going to BOS/NYP - I'd take a Regional/Acela up from WAS. The fact that I'd be taking the Ambus from ARB to TOL makes the decision even easier - if I were on the LSL, I'd be stuck waiting in TOL for 4 hrs in the middle of the night (they have a single bus for CL and LSL connecting passengers).

(Granted, I may have to give the Cardinal a try - I've heard it has great scenery, though it does lack a SSL. I'd have to budget more time for that, though, as I'd have to backtrack to CHI.)

2. The Dining Experience

Another thing I have to say that I love about the LD trains is the dining experience. As I was traveling alone, I was always seated with other passengers. During many of these meals, I struck up some interesting conversations. I found lots of people who prefer doing the train to flying - even on long trips such as CHI-LAX. There were some who simply would not fly, and others who just loved the experience. Personally, I'd place myself in the latter category - I will fly (in fact, I still enjoy it a bit aside from the TSA hassle and having to arrive at the airport 90 minutes before the plane takes off), but if I have time and feel like taking the journey I'll do it by train. I also came across some people with interesting stories - including one who had been on pre-Amtrak passenger trains, and others with Michigan connections. The food was also good (way better than airline food - that's for certain).

3. The Scenery

One of the best parts of the trip was the scenery (and the Sightseer Lounge was a great place to enjoy it all). The SWC had some great scenery going through CO/NM. Even the flat areas of the desert were interesting to see, particularly around ABQ (It honestly reminded me of watching Breaking Bad, given that they film in and are set in ABQ). The two long bridges near New Orleans were quite neat (it was weird being so high up). Of course, the best of all was the Pacific Surfliner's ocean view - one of the reasons I still think that may be a candidate for the best non-LD train on the Amtrak system (though granted, I haven't experienced many others)

The Less Good

* Sleeping in Coach

While certainly tolerable, sleeping in coach wasn't my favorite part of the trip. I had looked at getting a roomette for at least part of the trip, but the prices were higher-bucket when I purchased (which is doubly expensive traveling alone), and I wanted to see how coach went. I did try to come prepared - I had tried to sleep in coach on my CL trip back in Labor Day (my LSL trip was in a roomette), but didn't have a sleeping mask or earplugs (luckily, they had both pillows and blankets onboard). I will say that the earplugs and mask did successfully help block out the noise/light, though there was still some instances where noise woke me up (one notable one was in Tucson on the Sunset Limited). Also, I will say it was sometimes tough to get comfortable laying down in the seat - there is definitely something to be said for a flat bed. After I woke up, I did feel reasonably well during the day (I've felt more tired after sleeping poorly on a flat bed), though sleeping itself wasn't the most comfortable thing in the world.

I did try to get an on-board sleeper upgrade on the Sunset Limited (it would have been a good deal for me as I paid high-bucket fare for the ticket thanks to booking last minute), though I was unsuccessful at doing so (I checked after LA and in Tucson after being woke up). I did notice that amtrak.com showed an available roomette for basically the entire trip, which seemed odd (maybe they keep a spare?) However, my seatmate did disappear for nearly the entire trip, so I did have two coach seats to myself (which helped). In the future, I'll try to watch for low-bucket roomettes (though part of my challenge is I want to travel when I have time off - which is often over peak periods).It would be nice if they had a section berth option for single travelers - I've heard VIA does this (and I may try this if I ever do the Canadian).

The Weird

1. The theft incident on the Wolverine (read above) - I still can't believe how odd the whole story was. I didn't hear everything that transpired (I wasn't paying tons of attention and figured it was just your typical freight/equipment delay), but what I did hear sounded plain weird.

2. The person next to me on the SL disappearing for the whole trip. I still don't get where they went - I didn't see them encamped in the SSL (as I had thought they were doing initially), and I didn't see them anywhere in our coach. I did see them at the very end of the trip, though. They couldn't have upgraded to a sleeper, as I asked before they left their seat. I can't help but wonder where they spent the trip...

 

[Everydaymatters]

Thanks for the terrific trip report. While most on this forum are always in the sleepers, I have traveled many miles in coach. It is uncomfortable, but I think everyone should experience it a couple of times. :wacko:

 

[caravanman]

Hi,

Thanks for an interesting report. Like you, my first experience of Amtrak was on a Surfliner, from Anaheim to Lax.

I would be interested to know if you had a seating companion all through the trip, or did you get two seats to yourself? (Maybe the person who vanished on the Sunset was lurking downstairs in the cafe... I have slept there myself, in extremis!)

Ed.

 

[Shanghai]

Very nice reports, thanks. I have traveled in coach on the Cardinal

from New York to Indianapolis when all the sleeper accommodations

where sold out. Not too bad but I prefer the sleeper. On one trip,

the Great Dome car was on our consist along with two AU friends.

 

[ColdRain&Snow]

thully -- Thanks for your interesting trip report, and I am glad you had a good adventure overall. Perhaps I am largely in the minority, but I really do enjoy the route of the Sunset Limited. It is a truly historical line that dates back to 1894, and I like to imagine its storied past as the train cuts across the Wild West. Eva Hoffman wrote a wonderful two volume guidebook about its route, going into great detail about the past and present history of this venerable train.

I'm heading out on the eastbound Sunset Limited tomorrow and will hope that I luck out with a good OBS team as you did. Do you happen to recall what track at LAUPT your #2 departed from?

 

[thully]

I think it may have been track 10, but I could be mistaken...

 

[ColdRain&Snow]

I think it may have been track 10, but I could be mistaken...

Thanks and no worries. With all the train activity going on at LAUPT, I like to grab a coffee and wait for my train up on the platform. #2 ended up reversing into Track 11 while I waited at Track 10, but I was able to just barely get around the lead unit using the northern crossover.