R
rail rookie
Guest
Hello Everyone,
Just returned from the great state of California and just completed my first trip on Amtrak on the California Zephyr.
My girlfriend and I left Lincoln Nebraska on the CZ on Saturday morning March 4th. The train arrived a little late but not by much. It was about 45 minutes late. We were excited (but tired) and very, VERY much loved our first train excursion.
We had a deluxe sleeper room and found the tracks in Nebraska to be very "noisy". We were told by Amtrak employees that the tracks are beat up by all the coal trains. We slept ok though as the "sleepless" part was more by "excitement" than by noise. The Amtrak conductor was Lester out of Omaha Nebraska. He was TOPS!!!!! We had a wonderful time visiting with him and he was top notch. He was our conductor until Denver. Our sleeping car attendent was Ron, he has been with Amtrak 34 years. He was kind, soft spoken and there in a pinch when we needed him. (which wasn't much) Our meals were great, and the people we met were just another whole chapter to this great trip on a train. I plan on doing it again as soon as possible ($$$$) and wished I hadn't waited 42 years to do this. Also, my cousins in California (which I didn't know real well but I do now) are also going to look into taking the "train"! Our stories of how much we liked it has inspired them as well. Our only downside was that we left our camera in the observatory car for only an hour or so and it was stolen. It was our fault for that, but the person who stole it fault as well. What comes around goes around. So....that just means we have to take another trip to get all those good pictures right?!? LOL I will try and post more a day or so later. I'm tired and exhausted but the Amtrak part of my trip was my favorite part of the trip. Man....what a relaxing way to see the US!
Just returned from the great state of California and just completed my first trip on Amtrak on the California Zephyr.
My girlfriend and I left Lincoln Nebraska on the CZ on Saturday morning March 4th. The train arrived a little late but not by much. It was about 45 minutes late. We were excited (but tired) and very, VERY much loved our first train excursion.
We had a deluxe sleeper room and found the tracks in Nebraska to be very "noisy". We were told by Amtrak employees that the tracks are beat up by all the coal trains. We slept ok though as the "sleepless" part was more by "excitement" than by noise. The Amtrak conductor was Lester out of Omaha Nebraska. He was TOPS!!!!! We had a wonderful time visiting with him and he was top notch. He was our conductor until Denver. Our sleeping car attendent was Ron, he has been with Amtrak 34 years. He was kind, soft spoken and there in a pinch when we needed him. (which wasn't much) Our meals were great, and the people we met were just another whole chapter to this great trip on a train. I plan on doing it again as soon as possible ($$$$) and wished I hadn't waited 42 years to do this. Also, my cousins in California (which I didn't know real well but I do now) are also going to look into taking the "train"! Our stories of how much we liked it has inspired them as well. Our only downside was that we left our camera in the observatory car for only an hour or so and it was stolen. It was our fault for that, but the person who stole it fault as well. What comes around goes around. So....that just means we have to take another trip to get all those good pictures right?!? LOL I will try and post more a day or so later. I'm tired and exhausted but the Amtrak part of my trip was my favorite part of the trip. Man....what a relaxing way to see the US!
