![]() ![]() The sounds of the observation car then wasn’t unlike that of the sounds of an audience watching an action movie - lots of “oohs” and “ahhs,” punctuated by the occasional “wow!” For this stretch, I’d recommend people try to sit on the right side of the observation car - at least for the first 90 minutes or so - then, if possible, switch to the left side. We were surrounded by arboreal beauty everywhere. As we chugged up the granite mountains, we passed an undulating stream of Douglas fir, lodgepole pine, quaking aspens, blue spruce trees and fast-moving whitewater rivers. After breakfast and our stopover in Denver, I camped out in the observation car as we began left out of the green meadows and up into the Rockies. Per Robert’s admonition, however, on day two I woke up around 5:30 a.m., as the moon slowly sank toward, and finally below, the horizon. Michael Kimes from Rescue, California, told me he’s taken close to a dozen Amtrak trips over the years, half of which were on the Zephyr. The mix was constantly changing as folks boarded and departed at every stop I thought nearly everyone would want the full California Zephyr experience from Chicago to San Francisco, but most people were just doing shorter segments - Omaha to Salt Lake City, Grand Junction to Sacramento, and so on. I’d wager that more than half were repeat Amtrak passengers, some almost obsessively so. Surprisingly to me, the Zephyr riders were a mix of ages and ethnicities. I expected the California Zephyr to be filled with retirees, with impromptu bingo games breaking out throughout the train. and Europe, as well as our favorite places to visit on either side of the pond. Two of my favorite meals were shared with couples from England and Ireland, respectively, as we discussed the differences in train travel between the U.S. Luckily every meal was filled with the warm conversation. Tables are shared during meals, and unless you’re a family of four, you never know who you might be seated next to. The Amtrak chefs aren’t going to win any James Beard Awards, but my dinner companions and I agreed the food was much better than anticipated and miles above the best airline meal any of us had ever had. Passengers have at least three or four different options for each meal - including dessert for lunch and dinner - as well as one alcoholic beverage or soft drink. Meals are complimentary for sleeper cabin guests (bring along some cash for tips). (On a side note: I heard a rumor that Amtrak may be updating the roomettes in the coming years. Despite what 1930’s noir thrillers had led me to believe, dinners on this train wouldn’t be formal. A tray table between the two seats was serviceable for dining or light work. What may be the world’s slimmest closet held two coat hangers and not much else. Two chairs sat on opposite sides of the room facing each other and could be transformed into a bed. Mine, for its part, was a bit smaller than I anticipated - about 6.5 feet by 3.5 feet. The roomettes did not appear to have changed much since Kerouac’s day. ![]() ![]() Larger pieces of luggage for the entire car were stacked on shelves in-between. The other passengers and I would all be sharing a few bathrooms and one shower. There were at least three sleeper cars, and my roomette was one of four on the bottom level of ours. When it was time to board, an Amtrak employee walked those of us in the lounge to the train. I particularly enjoyed the wall art, which evoked sights I would see during my trip. Unlike the folks sharing wooden pews in the Grand Hall, I could relax on a plush couch and graze on complimentary snacks. Because I booked a roomette sleeper car, I had access to the Metropolitan Lounge. The next morning, I made my way to Union Station. How would I manage nearly two-and-a-half days on a train? A direct flight from my hometown of Indianapolis to the West Coast only takes about six hours, and while I can grit my teeth and get through it if I have to, I don’t like to be confined in a space for any length of time. I’ve always been curious about train travel, but it’s the kind of cross country-trip I would typically reserve for my camper van. From there, passengers can take a bus to San Francisco. Beginning in Chicago, and over the course of 52 hours, it chugs through the middle of the country, traversing some of its most beautiful scenery before reaching its final stop in Emeryville, California. Today, the California Zephyr route is considered by many to be America’s most beautiful train ride. I first learned about the California Zephyr from a song by Ben Gibbard and Jay Farrar, who, in turn, were paraphrasing Jack Kerouac’s novel Big Sur: “Now I’m transcontinental, 3,000 miles from my home,” Gibbard sings in his, as my buddy Scott Zuppardo describes, “nasally sweetness.” “I’m on the California Zephyr, watching America roll by.” It sounded blissful. ![]()
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