p&sr
OBS Chief
In May of 2006 I was once again feeling the need to get "out and around". In making plans for a trip by rail with my wife, I kept suggesting extensions while she kept suggesting abbreviations. Ultimately it became clear that we were talking about two different trips, so she suggested I should just go ahead on my own... but do it that same month so I would be back in time for her own scheduled vacation time.
So that Tuesday I had her blessing to go ahead. All of Wednesday I studied routes and schedules. On Thursday I worked out the details with the North America Pass desk at Amtrak. On Friday I drove to my home station, Martinez, and picked up my Pass, the tickets for the Amtrak section of the journey, and a current nationwide schedule. (The schedule books come in very handy for planning, or for working out last-minute changes. In particular, there is a page covering the Western US showing expected areas of daylight or darkness for the trains in each direction.) And then the next Tuesday I was on my way. The "30-day" pass was good only for about 20 days, because I bought it for the off-season rate... and the off-season was about to expire. But for a 19-day itinerary... no problem!
The basic plan was to cover the "Four Corners" of the North American Rail System... San Diego, Miami, Halifax, and Vancouver BC. Eastbound routing via Chicago, and Westbound across Canada. The trip was a super bargain, because the Canadian section alone would normally cost much more than the price of the Pass (especially with 10% discount for AAA).
Travelling in Coach all the way. But this time I used a few hotels (five nights total) to allow rather more reasonable connections than on my first trip (August 2004).
So at daybreak on Day 1, my wife drove me to the local Amtrak bus-stop. A quick ride to Martinez, where I put on my backpack and headed out for a morning walk. (John Muir was a famous resident of that town, and folks said they saw a resemblance...) Past the Steam Locomotive on display, out past the Marina to the pier where the old ferry landing is. Great views of the Carquinez Strait and the massive RailRoad Drawbridge on the route to Sacramento. Then along the waterfront and through the wetlands to the UP Yards, and then back along the tracks to the Station.
I caught the first train heading West/South, destination Oakland Coliseum. Through Jack London Square, the train runs right down the street for a few blocks, which adds interest. At Coliseum (end of the line for that train) I transferred to the BART and rode to Fremont. At Niles Creek we crossed the UP line used by the Coast Starlight (sometimes), the Corridor Train to San Jose, and the Altamont Commuter Express (to Stockton via Livermore). Then North on BART, through Oakland and under the Bay to San Francisco. At Daly City (in the fog near Ocean Beach) I transferred to the Millbrae train via SFO Airport. There, I caught the northbound CalTrain back to San Francisco through industrial areas along the Bayshore. From the Depot at 4th and King, I rode the Light-Rail to Market Street (Embarcadero Station), then surfaced and caught the Heritage Streetcar along the Waterfront to Fisherman's Wharf. My car was a slender yellow model from Milan, complete with original ads in Italian, and a whistle instead of a horn. At Jones Street (loop and end of the line) I transferred to a street car from the "Boston Elevated Railway" (old Orange line there), back to Pier 39. From there it's a short walk to catch the Ferry to Oakland. The ferry was filled with kids on a school field trip. Cool, windy, and overcast, a typical day in the City. We sailed along the Waterfront to dock at Market Street, then crossed the Bay to Oakland (Jack London Square). At the Station there I checked my bags and headed out for a walk into town... Chinatown, Downtown, new Federal Bldg, historic neighborhood of Victorian Homes, then north on Broadway and cutting across to Lake Merritt, and back to the Waterfront (where students from UC Berkeley were launching small boats) and the Amtrak Station.
I caught the last run to Bakersfield, and enjoyed dinner on board the San Joaquin Train. The menu includes a lot of California specialties, such as a Spanish Omelette (with Sausage) and a Jumbo Chicken Burrito. Also very good Coffee. And imported Beer. At Midnight I transferred to the San Diego Bus, bypassing the Tehachapi Mountains and the famous Loop track there. Back in the 50's they still had passenger service on that section, which I did ride on one memorable day.
Day 2 saw daybreak in San Diego. The Trolley system there had just opened the new loop via Santee, which I was eager to see. I rode the Orange line past the Convention Center, then the main Orange line up the hill to the East... right on the streets, following the route of an old freight line (which still serves that track at night). Transferring to the Green Line, to Santee where the track ends in the parking lot of a large shopping mall. Then down Mission Valley, underneath the Campus for Cal State U, past several upscale shopping areas and a large sports stadium, along the San Diego River with rich jungle-like growth on the banks. The canyon walls were covered with wildflowers and lots of little wild palm trees. At Old Town (great Mexican food!) I transferred to the Blue Line, which goes through the Amtrak Station (Santa Fe Depot) and along the streets of Downtown, then south past the Naval Shipyards to Chula Vista and the National Border at San Ysidro.
I checked my bags at the Greyhound Station there, and crossed over into Mexico. There is a shopping plaza for tourists, then a pedestrian bridge over the river, and then the main street of town. Looking around for several blocks, then picking up some souvenir postcards... one showed a donkey painted like a zebra and wearing a sombrero and sunglasses! Near the border I bought some imported French liqueur "duty-free", then returned to the US of A. Blue-Line Trolley back to downtown. Italian Submarine Sandwich for lunch, and then relaxing in the Santa Fe Depot until Train Time.
About Noon I caught the Surfliner to Los Angeles, with its beautiful coastal views as far as San Clemente, and sub-tropical gardens in San Juan Capistrano. Good views on approaching LAX at Redondo Junction. Then (with an all-day Pass) the Gold Line light-rail to Pasadena (past their own little Santa Fe Depot), and the Red Line for a brief walk downtown. Across from Union Station I walked through the Plaza (original center of town from 1776), visited the original Church there (Santa Maria de los Angeles), and the Olvera Street tourist zone of Mexican shops and restaurants. There was still time to enjoy LA Union Station, with its painted ceiling beams, and courtyards with tile fountains, and the modernistic Bus plaza at the other end of the concourse. I boarded the SouthWest Chief, and enjoyed dinner on board as we pulled out through Fullerton, Riverside, and San Bernardino.
At Barstow I woke up in time to see the original Harvey House Restaurant there. Then Day 3 began in Northern Arizona. Fine views across the Painted Desert and the Rio Grande Rift Valley. Pulling out from Albuquerque one of the engines gave out. Start and stop, very slow, limping to Lamy (near Santa Fe) where they tried to fix it. Eventually it was declared "fit for service", but it never regained any kind of performance. By evening we were in view of the Prairies, and saw another Harvey House at Las Vegas NM. It was completely dark before we got to Raton Pass and the Mountains of Colorado. A quiet night on the train, except for the excitement in the lounge car. One fellow with too much to drink kept asking other folks to buy beer for him. But most of the ones he was asking were themselves under age! At La Junta, he was off-loaded into a waiting police car.
Day 4 we crossed Missouri, a corner of Iowa, and the State of Illinois. Because of our delays, the crew was interviewing each group of passengers to make arrangements for their continued travels. Some would catch later trains. Busses were provided into Michigan. And the Capitol Limited was being held for us... very thoughtful of them! I transferred to that train right across the platform, with seconds to spare. No time to see the Station! It got dark soon after leaving Chicago.
Day 5 we came to Pittsburgh at dawn. Passengers continuing on to Miami were advised to transfer to a bus, as we were not expected to make that connection in Washington DC. But I would rather sacrifice Florida than give up the trip across the Appalachians and down the Potomac. Besides, there was a second train to Florida later that same day. Around that time there was an older lady who kept insisting on smoking on the train. She was repeatedly scolded and warned. Then she started saying all the trouble was due to "those guys"... pointing first to my seat-mate, then to me... and then to the Conductor himself! He was not amused. At the next station, he announced it would be a "special smoking stop just for her". She got off to enjoy a few puffs, and he closed the door and off we went without her!
The mountain scenery was wonderful, but the descent into Cumberland was very slow and bumpy. I was surprised to see how much the tracks had deteriorated since two years previously. Hopefully they have been fixed since then. On arrival into Washington, the train to Miami was right there on the platform, ready to pull out. They announced that they would NOT hold it, since all passengers heading that way should have taken the bus out of Pittsburgh. I was first out the door, and ran across to it with seconds to spare. No time to see the Station!
On board, I met the folks who had taken the Bus from Pittsburgh. They said the trip was boring, with long stops along the way, then a long wait for the train, perhaps at Philadelphia. Just as well I stayed where I was.
Good scenery as we crossed the Potomac Bridge and headed south into Virginia. At Ashland, the train runs right down the middle of the main street. At Richmond, we did not see the downtown or the classic Main Street Station (that would be on the way to Newport News), but crossing the James River just south of town was very interesting... a deep cut into the land, very wide with many channels and lots of rocky islands with small trees on them. In the dark, we passed through the Carolinas and Georgia.
Day 6 began in Jacksonville. Right after sunrise, the day was shockingly hot and humid. Great scenery along the St Johns River, lots of jungle-like vegetation, highlighted by the famous Kudzu Vines. At Orlando there was extensive urban congestion and sprawl with lots of freeways. Rather like Los Angeles (without the Mountains or the Beach or Downtown). Then we stopped at Tampa, which was interesting to see but there were no good views of the Bay. Then we backed up through Lakeland to near Winter Haven, where a Wye in the Track enabled us to resume our Southward Journey, engines first. Across central Florida, it was mostly scrub palms, with occasional ancient sand dunes to about ten feet high. Otherwise flat.
That afternoon we arrived in Miami. The Station is in the center of a Loop, which allows the Trains to turn around. One long block south is the Metro-Rail, which I rode Downtown. There I caught the People Mover, first on a northern spur and then on a loop. Before completing the loop, they told us all to exit. The station was an opening on the side of a tall building, a couple of stories above street level. Then we saw our little car disappearing into its barn for the night. Twilight was falling quickly, and service was being cut back. So I took the next car back to the Metro-Rail Station (in a modernistic building with a large glassed-in lobby, with entrances directly from the elevated station).
It was a nice introduction to Downtown Miami, and it was fun to see Coconut Palms growing. Some views of harbor activity just beyond, but no open water because of the barrier islands (including the town of Miami Beach). On the Metro-Rail I returned to the main RailRoad tracks, where the Tri-Rail Commuter Train has a station. Just after buying my ticket, they closed the window. And there were NO ticket machines! Too bad, when the next (and last) train was still an hour away. I took that train South to the end of the line, where a shuttle bus connects to the Miami Airport. There I had dinner, just as the whole airport seemed to be closing up for the night (about 10:00 PM). After that, I phoned my hotel and they told me where to catch their shuttle bus. Ready at last for a good night's sleep on solid ground!
To be continued...
So that Tuesday I had her blessing to go ahead. All of Wednesday I studied routes and schedules. On Thursday I worked out the details with the North America Pass desk at Amtrak. On Friday I drove to my home station, Martinez, and picked up my Pass, the tickets for the Amtrak section of the journey, and a current nationwide schedule. (The schedule books come in very handy for planning, or for working out last-minute changes. In particular, there is a page covering the Western US showing expected areas of daylight or darkness for the trains in each direction.) And then the next Tuesday I was on my way. The "30-day" pass was good only for about 20 days, because I bought it for the off-season rate... and the off-season was about to expire. But for a 19-day itinerary... no problem!
The basic plan was to cover the "Four Corners" of the North American Rail System... San Diego, Miami, Halifax, and Vancouver BC. Eastbound routing via Chicago, and Westbound across Canada. The trip was a super bargain, because the Canadian section alone would normally cost much more than the price of the Pass (especially with 10% discount for AAA).
Travelling in Coach all the way. But this time I used a few hotels (five nights total) to allow rather more reasonable connections than on my first trip (August 2004).
So at daybreak on Day 1, my wife drove me to the local Amtrak bus-stop. A quick ride to Martinez, where I put on my backpack and headed out for a morning walk. (John Muir was a famous resident of that town, and folks said they saw a resemblance...) Past the Steam Locomotive on display, out past the Marina to the pier where the old ferry landing is. Great views of the Carquinez Strait and the massive RailRoad Drawbridge on the route to Sacramento. Then along the waterfront and through the wetlands to the UP Yards, and then back along the tracks to the Station.
I caught the first train heading West/South, destination Oakland Coliseum. Through Jack London Square, the train runs right down the street for a few blocks, which adds interest. At Coliseum (end of the line for that train) I transferred to the BART and rode to Fremont. At Niles Creek we crossed the UP line used by the Coast Starlight (sometimes), the Corridor Train to San Jose, and the Altamont Commuter Express (to Stockton via Livermore). Then North on BART, through Oakland and under the Bay to San Francisco. At Daly City (in the fog near Ocean Beach) I transferred to the Millbrae train via SFO Airport. There, I caught the northbound CalTrain back to San Francisco through industrial areas along the Bayshore. From the Depot at 4th and King, I rode the Light-Rail to Market Street (Embarcadero Station), then surfaced and caught the Heritage Streetcar along the Waterfront to Fisherman's Wharf. My car was a slender yellow model from Milan, complete with original ads in Italian, and a whistle instead of a horn. At Jones Street (loop and end of the line) I transferred to a street car from the "Boston Elevated Railway" (old Orange line there), back to Pier 39. From there it's a short walk to catch the Ferry to Oakland. The ferry was filled with kids on a school field trip. Cool, windy, and overcast, a typical day in the City. We sailed along the Waterfront to dock at Market Street, then crossed the Bay to Oakland (Jack London Square). At the Station there I checked my bags and headed out for a walk into town... Chinatown, Downtown, new Federal Bldg, historic neighborhood of Victorian Homes, then north on Broadway and cutting across to Lake Merritt, and back to the Waterfront (where students from UC Berkeley were launching small boats) and the Amtrak Station.
I caught the last run to Bakersfield, and enjoyed dinner on board the San Joaquin Train. The menu includes a lot of California specialties, such as a Spanish Omelette (with Sausage) and a Jumbo Chicken Burrito. Also very good Coffee. And imported Beer. At Midnight I transferred to the San Diego Bus, bypassing the Tehachapi Mountains and the famous Loop track there. Back in the 50's they still had passenger service on that section, which I did ride on one memorable day.
Day 2 saw daybreak in San Diego. The Trolley system there had just opened the new loop via Santee, which I was eager to see. I rode the Orange line past the Convention Center, then the main Orange line up the hill to the East... right on the streets, following the route of an old freight line (which still serves that track at night). Transferring to the Green Line, to Santee where the track ends in the parking lot of a large shopping mall. Then down Mission Valley, underneath the Campus for Cal State U, past several upscale shopping areas and a large sports stadium, along the San Diego River with rich jungle-like growth on the banks. The canyon walls were covered with wildflowers and lots of little wild palm trees. At Old Town (great Mexican food!) I transferred to the Blue Line, which goes through the Amtrak Station (Santa Fe Depot) and along the streets of Downtown, then south past the Naval Shipyards to Chula Vista and the National Border at San Ysidro.
I checked my bags at the Greyhound Station there, and crossed over into Mexico. There is a shopping plaza for tourists, then a pedestrian bridge over the river, and then the main street of town. Looking around for several blocks, then picking up some souvenir postcards... one showed a donkey painted like a zebra and wearing a sombrero and sunglasses! Near the border I bought some imported French liqueur "duty-free", then returned to the US of A. Blue-Line Trolley back to downtown. Italian Submarine Sandwich for lunch, and then relaxing in the Santa Fe Depot until Train Time.
About Noon I caught the Surfliner to Los Angeles, with its beautiful coastal views as far as San Clemente, and sub-tropical gardens in San Juan Capistrano. Good views on approaching LAX at Redondo Junction. Then (with an all-day Pass) the Gold Line light-rail to Pasadena (past their own little Santa Fe Depot), and the Red Line for a brief walk downtown. Across from Union Station I walked through the Plaza (original center of town from 1776), visited the original Church there (Santa Maria de los Angeles), and the Olvera Street tourist zone of Mexican shops and restaurants. There was still time to enjoy LA Union Station, with its painted ceiling beams, and courtyards with tile fountains, and the modernistic Bus plaza at the other end of the concourse. I boarded the SouthWest Chief, and enjoyed dinner on board as we pulled out through Fullerton, Riverside, and San Bernardino.
At Barstow I woke up in time to see the original Harvey House Restaurant there. Then Day 3 began in Northern Arizona. Fine views across the Painted Desert and the Rio Grande Rift Valley. Pulling out from Albuquerque one of the engines gave out. Start and stop, very slow, limping to Lamy (near Santa Fe) where they tried to fix it. Eventually it was declared "fit for service", but it never regained any kind of performance. By evening we were in view of the Prairies, and saw another Harvey House at Las Vegas NM. It was completely dark before we got to Raton Pass and the Mountains of Colorado. A quiet night on the train, except for the excitement in the lounge car. One fellow with too much to drink kept asking other folks to buy beer for him. But most of the ones he was asking were themselves under age! At La Junta, he was off-loaded into a waiting police car.
Day 4 we crossed Missouri, a corner of Iowa, and the State of Illinois. Because of our delays, the crew was interviewing each group of passengers to make arrangements for their continued travels. Some would catch later trains. Busses were provided into Michigan. And the Capitol Limited was being held for us... very thoughtful of them! I transferred to that train right across the platform, with seconds to spare. No time to see the Station! It got dark soon after leaving Chicago.
Day 5 we came to Pittsburgh at dawn. Passengers continuing on to Miami were advised to transfer to a bus, as we were not expected to make that connection in Washington DC. But I would rather sacrifice Florida than give up the trip across the Appalachians and down the Potomac. Besides, there was a second train to Florida later that same day. Around that time there was an older lady who kept insisting on smoking on the train. She was repeatedly scolded and warned. Then she started saying all the trouble was due to "those guys"... pointing first to my seat-mate, then to me... and then to the Conductor himself! He was not amused. At the next station, he announced it would be a "special smoking stop just for her". She got off to enjoy a few puffs, and he closed the door and off we went without her!
The mountain scenery was wonderful, but the descent into Cumberland was very slow and bumpy. I was surprised to see how much the tracks had deteriorated since two years previously. Hopefully they have been fixed since then. On arrival into Washington, the train to Miami was right there on the platform, ready to pull out. They announced that they would NOT hold it, since all passengers heading that way should have taken the bus out of Pittsburgh. I was first out the door, and ran across to it with seconds to spare. No time to see the Station!
On board, I met the folks who had taken the Bus from Pittsburgh. They said the trip was boring, with long stops along the way, then a long wait for the train, perhaps at Philadelphia. Just as well I stayed where I was.
Good scenery as we crossed the Potomac Bridge and headed south into Virginia. At Ashland, the train runs right down the middle of the main street. At Richmond, we did not see the downtown or the classic Main Street Station (that would be on the way to Newport News), but crossing the James River just south of town was very interesting... a deep cut into the land, very wide with many channels and lots of rocky islands with small trees on them. In the dark, we passed through the Carolinas and Georgia.
Day 6 began in Jacksonville. Right after sunrise, the day was shockingly hot and humid. Great scenery along the St Johns River, lots of jungle-like vegetation, highlighted by the famous Kudzu Vines. At Orlando there was extensive urban congestion and sprawl with lots of freeways. Rather like Los Angeles (without the Mountains or the Beach or Downtown). Then we stopped at Tampa, which was interesting to see but there were no good views of the Bay. Then we backed up through Lakeland to near Winter Haven, where a Wye in the Track enabled us to resume our Southward Journey, engines first. Across central Florida, it was mostly scrub palms, with occasional ancient sand dunes to about ten feet high. Otherwise flat.
That afternoon we arrived in Miami. The Station is in the center of a Loop, which allows the Trains to turn around. One long block south is the Metro-Rail, which I rode Downtown. There I caught the People Mover, first on a northern spur and then on a loop. Before completing the loop, they told us all to exit. The station was an opening on the side of a tall building, a couple of stories above street level. Then we saw our little car disappearing into its barn for the night. Twilight was falling quickly, and service was being cut back. So I took the next car back to the Metro-Rail Station (in a modernistic building with a large glassed-in lobby, with entrances directly from the elevated station).
It was a nice introduction to Downtown Miami, and it was fun to see Coconut Palms growing. Some views of harbor activity just beyond, but no open water because of the barrier islands (including the town of Miami Beach). On the Metro-Rail I returned to the main RailRoad tracks, where the Tri-Rail Commuter Train has a station. Just after buying my ticket, they closed the window. And there were NO ticket machines! Too bad, when the next (and last) train was still an hour away. I took that train South to the end of the line, where a shuttle bus connects to the Miami Airport. There I had dinner, just as the whole airport seemed to be closing up for the night (about 10:00 PM). After that, I phoned my hotel and they told me where to catch their shuttle bus. Ready at last for a good night's sleep on solid ground!
To be continued...
Last edited by a moderator:
