The Amazing Birthday Trip.

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Both are great guys, even if they are Yankees!

Thanks to Mr. and Mrs. Z for helping a youngster with his dream! I'm certain he'll pass on the kindness!

Nice way to travel and nice folks to travel with Tyler!

Keep 'em coming and Highball all the way?!
 
DAY FOUR



7 AUG 2015



We went to the station very early so I went across the street to the Mexican market again and got breakfast. We boarded the Coast Starlight at around 10:20, and I saw 3 Private Varnishes, the Silver Solarium, the Silver Lariat, and some other one I didn’t see the name of.

The thing that really caught my eye: The Pacific Parlor Car. That was the first place I went after I put my stuff in my room. It was amazing! A 1950’s Budd Hi-Level car that was built for the El Capitan service on Santa Fe’s trains. Amazing! They asked us for lunch reservations, and of course I opted to eat in the PPC.

I sat in the car with Mr. Z and watched the ocean come by, as we were called for lunch. It was an amazing lunch with the Pacific Ocean zooming by. I had a salad with chicken on it. The food was very good and the atmosphere of the PPC and the Pacific ocean and talking to Mr. Z made it so much better than a dining car experience.

Around 3 PM I went downstairs in the car to watch a movie. The movie of the day was Paddington. Paddington is a very outstanding and funny comedy about a talking bear that comes to London in search of refuge. The only thing that really got to me was my thinking nature of “Why isn’t everyone freaking out about a talking bear?”

Once the movie was over we got our dinner reservations, of course in the PPC. Mr. Z and I met in the PPC once again before dinner, and discussed me turning 18 and talked about credit cards and thinking about getting an AGR card.

In the PPC, dinner for me was lamb, and for Mr. Z it was mac and cheese. The lamb was very good but apparently the mac and cheese was not very good. There wasn’t much of a view at dinner but it was great to talk to Mr. Z and it is always great to be in the PPC.

Mr. Z went off to take a nap, so I decided to go to the SSL and play solitaire with cards. A nice older couple sat across from me and started talking to me about Amtrak and were amazed by my great knowledge and interest in trains. It was a very cool conversation that wouldn’t of happened if I would of just stayed in the PPC.

After that, I retired to my room up until Emeryville. Before Emeryville one of the PV’s were taken off in the Oakland Yard, delaying us about 20 minutes. We got to Emeryville, and apparently the hotel that I was supposed to be at did not change the booking, and told us to go to a Courtland Marriot. We went to the one closest, and they told us that they meant the Courtland Marriot in Richmond! After a 20 minute drive, we went arrived. It is a pretty nice place but now I have to take a taxi cab to the station at 0630 AM… Oh well.

California Zephyr tomorrow!
 
SarahZ said:
OH MY GOD! I was so far off. (I thought Railroad Bill was Mr. Z.)

Shanghai is a wonderful person. You are so lucky to spend all this time with him. :)
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SarahZ, I thought the same thing! (because of the location). Shanghai was somewhere on my possible list, but thought he was too far away because he lived in Florida!
 
Mystic River Dragon said:
SarahZ said:
OH MY GOD! I was so far off. (I thought Railroad Bill was Mr. Z.)

Shanghai is a wonderful person. You are so lucky to spend all this time with him. :)
Click to expand...
SarahZ, I thought the same thing! (because of the location). Shanghai was somewhere on my possible list, but thought he was too far away because he lived in Florida!
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There is no distance too great between AUers. :)
 
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DAY FIVE

8 AUG 2015

This day was my birthday. I got up at around 6 AM, and got my taxi. I took a ride from Richmond to Emeryville train station, which cost me around 50 dollars. Outrageous! I was finally there. I was finally at the station to go on the holy grail of all trains, “The Train that everyone is talking about”, the California Zephyr.

I was there at about 0700, so I decided to go to the gas station a block away. The first thing I did was I got a 1 dollar lottery ticket so I could get change for tips (yes, finally 18!). I walked back to the station and anxiously waited for the train.

Before that train I got a few good shots of some Surfliner trains, the San Jaquan, and the southbound Coast Starlight. At around 0950, I saw it, the train that I had been waiting so long to ride, so anxiously excited about, the California Zephyr. I could have had jumped out of my pants with excitement, but I held it in. I showed my boarding pass to the very nice SCA, and made my way to my bedroom, Bedroom A. It is not as small for one person, which is nice.

I anxiously waited for lunch, and got the first seating in lunch. I met a person who had never been on the rails before with his 6 year old son. I talked to them about Amtrak and they talked about how they move a lot and travel a lot, and I told them Amtrak is a good way to go. They actually agreed! I had the hamburger with no bun, and it was pretty good.

After that I went to the sightseer lounge to see the Sierras and Donner Pass. I got to see Donner’s lake and Donner’s pass. Beautiful views as we climbed to great elevations and through valleys. We went down the famous S-Curve to Truckee.

At that point, it was almost dinner time so I went back to my room to get my early dinner reservation. I dressed up a bit with a nice Brooks Brother’s shirt that Shanghai gave to me, and I was ready. I went down to the dining car, sat with some nice ladies and we talked. At the end of dinner, the dining staff knew that it was my birthday. The waiter sang a jazzy happy birthday song with an amazing Louie Armstrong voice. It was incredible!

After that, I went to get ready for bed as I was tired but still made sure I watched the scenery pass by, but at this point we were in the desert. I got out for the fresh air stop in Reno, and then I made my way to my bed.

I can’t think of a better way to spend my birthday, on the train that I’ve always dreamed of riding.
 
DAY SIX



9 AUG 2015

This day started a little late, with me waking up around 8:30 AM to the final call for breakfast. I freaked out a bit and asked the SCA kindly if he could get me breakfast, and JR was very optimistic and told me he could. I, of course, ordered the omelet with bacon and potatoes.

I had a very good breakfast and I was ready for my day to go through the Rockies. We were almost to them and my excitement went up and up. Then we were finally climbing, up the mountains and paralleling the Colorado River.

There were amazing views, and I ended up having lunch with the same people I had lunch with the day before. We had some good conversations, and I went back to my room after having the hamburger with no bun.

Speaking of buns, there was a very indecent rafter that decided to show his buns as we went by. I guess the full moon was out today… Anyways, other than that the view was beautiful through the Rockies.

I took a nap and woke up when the LSA from the diner was getting reservations, and as Shanghai taught me, I got dinner early. I got a 5 PM dinner, and then there was an announcement to stay in the car you were in because we were going through the very long Moffat Tunnel. It was actually very cool to go through that long of a tunnel, but it smelled like diesel inside my room.

I had dinner as we were going down the Rockies. I saw Denver from the end of the Moffat tunnel, way down the mountain, but still remarkably a mile high. We arrived in Denver about 20 minutes early.

I decided to get some exercise, and did 25 push-ups in about 20 seconds, and then felt the effects of exercising a mile high as I was used to the very low elevation of Toledo, OH. I felt very light headed, and went into the station to take pictures and explore. I loved the big "Travel by Train" sign! I came back to the platform and did a few shuttle runs before getting back on the train.

We then were heading on our way out of Denver, and I was still very excited about riding on the Zephyr. This is when we heard the news about the conductor, Mark Simmonds, who boarded us in Emeryville, and I had a brief conversation about the engine numbers and baggage car numbers with, had passed away in the Reno hotel he was staying in the night before.

After this I decided to go to bed since it was around 9 PM EST and I wanted to wake up early to get some fresh air in Omaha, NE.
 
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Apologies about the shortness/lack of content in the posts, I promise when I get home I will update this all into one big travelogue with more content!
 
TylerP42 said:
Speaking of buns, there was a very indecent rafter that decided to show his buns as we went by. I guess the full moon was out today… Anyways, other than that the view was beautiful through the Rockies.
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Tyler, it is very common for rafters on the Colorado River to "moon" the train, regardless of the phase of the moon. In July 2014, during the OTOL fest, I saw more "mooners" than I had ever seen.
 
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Any photos from the California Zephyr to share?

How was the Lake Shore Limited from Chicago to Toledo?

I'm happy that you were able to be on your "Holy Grail" on your birthday!!

Are you ready for your senior year at school?
 
DAY 6



9 AUG 2015

This day was a pretty normal "Chicago Connection Day". I had my normal omelet for breakfast, which today was actually pretty runny. I actually took a nap after eating breakfast and did not have lunch.

We arrived in Chicago around 20 minutes late, which according to the day before's Zephyr, was amazing.

When I got there, I rushed to the Metropolitan Lounge so I could red cap my luggage, and then went out to enjoy Chicago until 830 PM.

I first went to Taco Bell, because I hadn't had it in over 5 days! I had my lunch and decided to go for a run. I ran all the way to a fire station that was over 2 bridges. I then walked to the Fire Station that was about 10 minutes walking from the fire station. Then I went to the district fire HQ and got a patch and a challenge coin.

After that I got a free drink at fire house subs because they thought I was a firefighter, and they kept interrupting me while I tried to explain that I was just a fire explorer.

After that it was already about 7 PM, so I went for another quick run, found the Boeing store and looked around for a bit before going back to the station to catch the Lake Shore Ltd.

I boarded the Lake Shore Ltd. at 830 PM, and saw AMTK 8550 (Diner) that I can't find any info on, if anyone can help, please enlighten me to its past service.

Other then that, I got into my bedroom and quickly tried to get to bed. Especially since I would be getting into Toledo around 3 AM.
 
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DAY 7

10 AUG 2015

(Really short)

I woke up at 2:30 AM, to find the train about a half hour late. I opened the door so I could fall back asleep and allow the SCA to wake me. I was woken up about 30 minutes later, and got ready to get off. We got to Toledo, and I reluctantly, (I wanted to shed a tear, but I did not), got off the train. The trip was over. I saw my mom, gave her a big hug, and went home.

5,640 Miles of the Amazing Birthday Trip.

Thank you so much to Amtrak Unlimited, which if not for the forum, I would not of met such nice people and such amazing community.

Thank you to Shanghai, for his endless generosity and amazing spirit.

Thank you to Mrs. Shanghai, who was very nice and always had a way to make things better, I hope you are feeling better as well!

And thank you all for reading, as it gives me a reason to keep posting. If you are not a member of this forum and are reading this, please think about registering. It is an amazing forum and an amazing community.
 
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Diner 8550 is an ex-Burlington Northern (CB&Q?) Diner Grill; It was on my Lake Shore Limited that arrived Chicago the afternoon of 7 AUG. I like the fancy metal "room dividers" on the Dining side and hopefully when this car is retired, she will go on to a new home.
 

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