Riding AMTRAK's "California Zephyr"
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- Опубліковано 30 вер 2024
- This is a condensed video showing the progress of AMTRAK's "California Zephyr" train from Chicago to Emeryville, near San Franciso, in late December, 2015. I edited down about four hours of video I took to and hour and a half, but pretty much everything of interest is represented in the version presented here. I think people interested in taking this great trip will get a good feeling of what they will see during the journey.
I have other videos about what it is like to ride an AMTRAK Superliner train, especially what to expect in a Roomette in a sleeper car on such a train. Accordingly I have NOT included that kind of information in this video.....it is just about the California Zephyr route and scenery.
In this video, you will see the departure from Chicago's Union Station, passing across northern Illinois, then continuing the next morning near Denver, Colorado, then the scenic passage over the Rocky Mountains, then continuing the next morning near Reno, Nevada, with the crossing of the Sierra Nevada mountains and finally the flat transit to the Bay Area and the arrival in Emeryville.
We've traveled on the Zephyr many times between Galesburg, Il., and Sacramento. We always purchase a sleeper for privacy and comfort. I would say that a trip in October is one of the most enjoyable because of the fall colors, especially in the mountains. If you're in a hurry, go ahead and fight the crowds in the airports and stress. If you would like to enjoy beautiful scenery, meet new people and relax, the train is a great experience.
All of your train videos are just the best.
Agreed, 100% agreed 👍🏻
remember that the cost for a sleeper car room is based on a couple things, and the total cost per trip can vary widely. Each passenger pays a transit fare, whether in coach or sleeper, and I think that is the same for everyone on a particular train trip. Then each sleeper room adds an additional fee, but the fee is for the room, not per person, so a single person in a room is paying the same amount for the room as a couple of people would pay. When I booked my trip shown in this video, I wanted to travel the day after Christmas, a Saturday. Because it was a holiday weekend, the quoted total fare was something like $1400. The AMTRAK reservation agent said if I could wait a day and leave on Sunday, the fare would be $1000, and if I waited another day, Monday, the fare would drop to close to $600. So that is what I did, even though it shortened my vacation trip by two days.
Spot on. I take my vacations the first week of December in line with my birthday between the Thanksgiving and Christmas peak fares. Usually the cheapest fares of the year when no one else wants to take a holiday. Airlines, cruise ships, and trains...
youtuuba this is what I ALWAYS hated when I went on a cruise. Never was economical when going solo. I’m wondering if Amtrak gives the opportunity to bunk up with a stranger that’s also going solo in order to save money?
$600 Round Trip?
I'm planning to ride the round trip one from Portland to glacier park back to Portland
May I ask how much you paid for this trip? I would like to do this trip someday!
I caught the California Zephyr from Emeryville, CA to Chicago, IL in May 2018. I broke the journey twice, at Grand Junction, CO. (to drive down to Durango) and also at Denver, CO (to drive to both Cheyenne, WY and Colorado Springs, CO.). It was absolutely fantastic. Why you’d fly and miss all that amazing scenery is beyond me, unless of course you’re in a hurry. I had a Roomette to myself each leg which was very snug and comfortable. The train crew were great, friendly and helpful, especially one sleeping car attendant, Johnny, a Chicagoan, who had a great sense of humour. I travelled all the way from Australia to make this trip. I’d definitely recommend it to anyone not in a hurry and who truly wants to see and experience America.
What's great about this video is that is shows what is happening and what is REALLY happening. Example: 4:35 Radio: one of our main engines exploded.. PA: we have a tiny mechanical error
I plan to do the Zephyr in 2019 and you immedietly answered my first question: Be on the right side for the best view.
I hope the film maker checks in from time to time to know how wonderfully this captures the experience on the California Zephyr today as well as when he did this. I took the Zephyr from Glenwood Springs to Denver in 2014 and was mesmerized by the beauty of the Rockies, and how extraordinary the engineering was to construct this marvel. Thank you for giving me a re-connection with this experience.
The photography is excellent. The pics of the mountains look like highly detailed black and white photos wich very much remind me of Ansel Adams.
Nice video. I posted a short highlights video of scenery to my channel.
I'll be taking this trip from Salt Lake City to Sacramento and then a LONG wait for the Coast Starlight up to Albany, OR next December 19th to spend Christmas with my son and his family. Looking forward to it. I've enjoyed all your videos.
Really enjoyed your video! Really got a feel for the whole trip, the ride through the Rockies looked stunning. Thanks for the upload!
Thanks for your videos! I just subscribed to your channel. I may try to book a trip from Georgia to Denver, CO to visit my daughter. (The bad part is that I live 4 hours south of Atlanta, so that's a pain.) I've never traveled by train...only by auto or plane, but it's on my "bucket list." So...I'm a 60 y/o single female and would choose a Roomette for sleep. (Too bad I'm not 62...for Sr. Citizens Discount!) My question is...how does train travel compare in cost to airline travel, and how would I find the best ticket fare? Looks like I would take #20 Crescent: Atlanta to Charlottesville; #51 Cardinal: Charlottesville to Chicago; #5 Calif. Zephyr: Chicago to Denver.
Thanks to you I am getting to see places I would not be able to get to on my own. Thank you.
Great video to document this very interesting route.
I really enjoyed your video with some amazing scenery. I have taken the Canadian from Toronto, Ontario to Vancouver, British Columbia twice, and you are correct, the scenery in the mountains is spectacular. Thanks for sharing. From London, Ontario, Canada.
I think you should do "A Train Odyssey 5" - Capital Ltd to the Crescent returning to Chicago on the City of NOLA
i am a new train enthusiast... planning on doing LAX to Seattle to Chicago then back to LA!! your video was perfect!
that trip will cost me approx 1900 in July.. but I'm contemplating next winter cause your views are just gorgeous!
+jeantaeoneal best of luck mate
Nice video and good photography. Now I want to make the trip...
Youtuuba, Thank YOU!, for this & many of your other videos. they inspired me to take the trip & I took the Zephyr from Chicago to Emeryville and back on 4th of July week, 2018. The crew, especially both car attendants were very kind. On the way out we were delayed by serious thunderstorms in western IA & Omaha area, broken AC in the sleeper behind me which delayed train badly by the time we got to Denver,which they tried to repair. (4 Hrs). Scenery was spectacular-stunning. I filmed a lot of it with a Panasonic WXF991, that I bought for the trip. Got to Emeryville about 5 hours late, but I couldn't have cared less. Stayed in the Hyatt Hotel across from the station, Very nice hotel. The return trip was great until we lost an engine around Winamucca, NV, (delays started) and limped into Salt Lake City where they hooked up a UP road engine to get us across mountains to Denver. Delays at SL city were several hours, but got to see Utah in the daylight. After arriving in Denver about 10 hours late, we left with only one engine and it quit east of Ft. Morgan, CO. After a patch job to engine, we backed up 15 miles or so to Ft. Morgan and sat there from about 10AM until a replacement engine from Denver arrived and a new crew from Nebraska was brought in. We left Ft. Morgan about 6PM finally and got into Union Station/Chicago approximately 25 hours late. It screwed a lot of people from their connections, etc. What a trip! I got my money's worth! Even got a $400 voucher from Amtrak for the return trip. Amtrak is severely underfunded and it's piss-poor way to run a railroad, with such dedicated personnel as the crews I had both ways. I'd do a trip this summer, but the C-virus is holding me back. This is the short version of the trip! Thanks for your reports on your trips, I love all of them and treasure my trip and the video I did take.
Wow! Seems like everything that could go wrong did go wrong makes me think how lucky I was for both of my CZ trips being uneventful. The only delay getting into Emeryville on one trip was when a UP freight train broke down on the track and we had to wait for it to be removed. I also got a voucher from Amtrak to use for a future trip.
Excellent video! we look foward to going on the CZ one day.
Question. Going from Chicago to California, if my wife and I were to get a roomette, and you could choose side of the train for the scenic views, which side would the roomette be?
Thanks
key West SUNSET, the side of the train does not matter much for most of the trip. For the first half of the crossing of the Rockies (going west) I think a Roomette on the right is better, but after that as the train follows the Colorado I think the left is much better. And the right side gives the best views going up the Sierras, and after that it does not matter much. Unfortunately you can't reserve a Roomette to be on the left or right.....Amtrak reservations can tell you that your room is nominally one side or the other, but then when the crews assemble the cars into the overall train (the Consist), if they put your car on backwards then right and left will be reversed. I just take whichever side I get and then sit in the Lounge car during parts of the trip that I can't see well for from my Roomette.
OK Thank you.
I have done this trip 5 times, Right side of the train from Martinez to Emeryville, at night is the best. Twin Finns right there at Emeryville depot is best for Tons of rail traffic
I enjoyed the video. I’ll be riding that train to Reno from Naperville later in September this year, looking forward to it.
I'm interested in the radio you used. Frequencies? Nice video. Thanks.
Varies with every train and railroads... Best to do a google search the day before a train journey...
my favorite long-haul trip. the California Zephyr. love Truckee in the winter time.
Glad I watched. I leave from Ohio in 24 hours headed to Sacramento. I now know that once I get to Chicago to try and get a seat on the right side of the train so as to see the mountains. Thank you!
Nia Kennedy, AMTRAK seats are all reserved ahead of time. You usually cannot just 'try to get a particular seat' when you get to the station. You can, however, ask the conductor to reseat you.
Thanks for another great train ride with you. Excellent, it was so good I had to turn the heating up!
Cary Owen, yes, we missed the dubious pleasure of "Moon River" on this trip due to the cold temperatures. But the rafters really do that when they are present in the warmer months. Heck, if I was on a raft, I would probably 'moon' the train too.
Very enjoyable to watch and thank you for posting.
Thank you for sharing your.cross country rail journey. I think I will book a bedroom on the Chicago to California. If i understand you correctly the cheapest day to leave is on a Monday?
The Rockies in this video are by far the most beautiful of all the views of the Rockies on Amtrak. The California Zephyr is a must trip.
I'm only three minutes in the video and have a question so far. In the roomette rooms, can one seat be folded down and used as a leg rest while sitting in the other?
Yes...each seat can be configured independently. So, the answer to your question is , yes. 9/11/2018 I had a roomette from Martinez all the way to Chicago. I highly recommend the privacy of a roomette
Watched this video a few times. Nicely done. Final;y bought my ow ticket for the California Zephyr, only I'll be coming back to Chicago from Emeryvile. Really looking forward to it.
Great video! Just a note at 3:28 in this video, that is REALLY Aurora, IL you're going through, and NOT Blue Island! You only go through Blue Island, IL, if you take a Metra Rock Island line train towards Joliet. Mentioning that, since you got that wrong in this video. Otherwise, this was a really great vid, and I loved watching it.
And thanks for posting this vid. I've never gone west of Denver on the California Zephyr, so it was great to see what that stretch was like.
Wonderfull video!! The best I think I've ever seen.
This is cool I love trains
Sean Dromet, this was the third time I have done this route, always Chicago westwards to the end. once was in the Spring, once in the middle of the Summer, and this one in the Winter. They were all good in different ways. In the Spring, the snow melt makes the mountain rivers turn to whitewater, with rafters to watch from the train. In the Summer, the days are longer so you get to see some nice scenery in between the mountains that tend to be in the dark hours during the colder months. In the Winter, much of the trip is in the darkness, but you get the nice snowy scenery in the mountains.
FWIW - The famous curve the California Zephyr negotiates some 18 miles west of Denver Union Station is called the Big 10 curve. www.google.com/maps/@39.8562476,-105.2531384,2051m/data=!3m1!1e3
+40043۱mo
How did you feel about the comfort of the train, the food served and such?
Jmichael Isbell, I am very happy with the entire Amtrak experience, but I almost always have Sleeper service, and only rarely take coach. My only consistent gripe is that it seems like the rails are getting worse, resulting in a rougher ride. Amtrak can't control this, since they run on the freight rails.
This may sound like a dumb question, but....I get really sea sick(like on a cruise or deep sea fishing trip), so I wonder if I would have the same issue on a train? You said that it's a pretty rough ride. I don't get "car sick," so maybe it's just the ocean waves that make me queasy.
Thanks for this upload.I am here from your vid on the crossing of Canada on VIA rail.Good solid info both times.Glen Canyon is incredible, but our Grizzlies are incredibly well adjusted, so I'm calling it square:)
I saw goats on the Empire Builder and salmon jumping up the Columbia River... Yes, Rocky the goat of the Great Northern Railway logo is real...
Thank you for this beautiful video. The views are amazing. Have you ever done this journey during the summer? If so, which one do you think is more beautiful when it comes to the views?
you think thats rough try riding an empty box car
We are planning to do this trip (same direction) in late April 2020 and your video was extremely interesting - one of the very best we have seen for this trip. Thanks a lot! The GPS in the room is a great idea. Also, your videography, commentary, titles and lack of annoying soundtrack made it a joy to watch.
Thanks for the great video.👍🏻
very nice video - Thank you for taking me on your trip. Really enjoyed that. I truly desire to take at least a two night trip in a roomette soon. Love train travel
Thank you for your reply, which side of the bridge is the airport and most of the backpackers?
My name is Neil
Here is the layout. San Francisco Bay is the large body of water just east of San Francisco and the Pacific Ocean coastline. The SF airport is on the west shore of the Bay, just south of SF. The Bay Bridge is the main bridge spanning west to east across the Bay, and its west end is in the middle of east SF. On the east end of the bridge, it ends in between Emeryville and Oakland to the south. So, a ride from Emeryville involves going slightly south on the west side of the Bay, then westward across the Bay Bridge. If your ride then turns right/north, you are in SF, and if it turns left/south, then the airport is nearby. The Bay Bridge is very long, and is actually multiple bridges connected end to end, and even has an island between two of the sections.
I have no idea about backpackers.
love the Cali Zephyr...took it up to Winter Park this past winter...and one time to Denver a few years before....great video!
Thanks for sharing ,loved the trip,like to do it one day soon. Ray Sydney Aust...
Thanks for great video
Your winter schedule missed one other attraction on the Colorado River. Passengers are notified on the PA system that frequently boaters on the river will "moon" the train. I believe the ice and snow are more attractive.
Yeah..I saw some of those a-holes in July
Just came across this after watching a few Amtrak and CZ videos. This is really good and I could listen to that dude talk about anything.
My bad, I70 doesn't go to SLC but you can get there by going to I15 and go North
Thank you for sharing your video an talking about where the train was.
Just discovered your channel. Love it. Enjoying this with some pizza and beer on a Sunday evening. I think I'll have to do a trip From Tucson to Chicago on Amtrak soon.
I've seen a lot of windshield traveling this great nation and I have to say that Glenwood canyon is the most beautiful of all places in the USA.
And I would have to agree with you. Certainly a high spot on the journey.
Your train videos are great. Thank you. Question what specific
frequencies do you listen to for that verbal communication? tnx.
Great video! What was the total cost for the trip?
What a great video! You certainly captured the beauty of the Rockies. I live in Denver and have taken the train from Denver to Glenwood Springs. Also have driven I70 to Salt Lake City many times. I also like the use of your GPS. Thanks again for a great video.
wolfmanred, I think my ticket cost was just a bit more than $600. Of course the rest of my trip, after the train part, cost more.
What if you do not want to go through the Rockies? I live near the San Juan Mountain's in Southwest Colorado and have live here most of my life, with the exception of time spent in Massachusetts with my first Husband who passed away in 2001. God Bless You.
Carolyn Jones, if you don't want to go through the Rockies, don't take this train!
I live in CHICAGO, & my brother rode the " California Zephyr" to GLENWOOD SPRINGS , we went in the fall , we had a sleeper it was BEAUTIFUL, I love the CZ
I took this trip last july in a sleeper bedroom..was a real blast
Lots of scenery and people....but no food !!!!
1:03:45 UP 156 YES SO MANY SD60S AND SWITCHERS
We're gonna make this trip next november (in superliner) and we're very keen about it. We love trains but our country (France) is too small for long rides (and trains are so fast you don't have time to really enjoy). Thanx for sharing, very interesting stuff !
Comment était ce voyage? Je rêve de traverser les états-unis mais bon en ce moment...
thank you very much for a brilliant video, I really enjoyed the ride.
I've only ridden the Zephyr as far we eat as Glenwood Springs, but I think the Canadian is hard to beat with the Spiral Tunnels and the way it crisscrossed the Fraser River . The Super Continental provided similar scenery out WEST. Much of the trip thru the mtns. was spent in darkness. The Coast Starlight is supposed to be Amtrak's best train. It's on my bucket list.
great views from the train, thanks for sharing. look forward to the next one!
you planning on taking the chief soon?
Great video! I really love train travel and the like minded people you meet.
So far I've done Washington to Chicago, San Francisco to LA (Amazing!) and of course "The Sunlander" from Brisbane to Cairns, an amazingly scenic 27hour trip along Queensland's (Australia) subtropical and tropical coastline.
Unfortunately the Sunlander, in all it's original 1950's retro glory was retired to make way for "The spirit of Queensland", a fast, modern "Tilt" train WITHOUT those wonderful private cabins and the wonderfully preserved 1950's kitsch décor.
Hopefully in the future they will bring back "The Sunlander" for special trips just for us rail appreciators.
Hey YouTubba! Why you criticise me when there's worse comments? Are you predijice for ADD comments?
Freddy Mustafa, I criticize when I see a lot of the same kind of error occurring. I was seeing a lot of comments from you that were inappropriate in the same way, so I called you on it.
Don't go blaming that on ADD. I know what that is, and it does not cause people to write bad UA-cam comments. Be responsible for your own actions.
I also have absolutely no pity for people who like to blame others, or shift blame to others, for what are their own failings. You have now tried to suggest that I am prejudiced in some way. No, it is very clear that I commented to you based on the content of your comments without even knowing that you have (or claim to have) ADD. So prejudice is impossible here. Grow up, be responsible for your actions and comments, and if you can't clean up your act then stop leaving those comments. And if you don't do that, be prepared for others to take you to task for doing so.
Great Coverage Of a Very interesting journey, I live in London ,England,you’re Coverage is so informative I can share this wonderful trip with you,,Thank You for the opportunity, Ken !
Never a dull moment on Amtrak. The original route of The Canadian was pretty nice. Via Rail moved to the old Super Continental route because it has more communities. I took this train about 11 years ago. we were 15 hours late going WB. I read something about the City of San Francisco that got trapped on Donner's Pass in the 50s. the wheels froze to the tracks.
The area that you go by the river on this line was once under water
As you get closer to grand junction the river runs more south and were the river was is now grape vines
Roger Evans, to answer your questions:
- I used two different Canon digital cameras to shoot this video. When I was in the lounge/observation car, I used my larger super-zoom camera, otherwise I used my little pocket sized point-and-shoot.
- the train in the winter, including through the mountains, always had a comfortable temperature. At night in my roomette, I thought it was slightly too warm for my tastes, because I like a cool room for sleeping and I could not lower the room thermostat enough, but I simply left the covers off the bed and I was fine
One of the best Rail Video's I have seen on UA-cam. What type of Video System did you use? I live in Denver Colorado. I have taken the California Zephyr from Denver to Chicago and back but not Westbound yet. Was the train as a whole warm and comfortable in the winter?
I just love your train videos... keep them coming!!!😀
Kinda my go to bed best video on you tube. this guy rocks!!! the train sounds put me to sleep....but this guys voice is exactly like agent Smith in the Matrix,,,,(Mr. Anderson ...i hate you...i detest you....this is why I'm in the roomette on my way to California..... you smell Mr Anderson!!!...) LOVE IT!!!!!!
I have gone threw emerville. By amtrak yes i have june 25 2019
This is one of the best train videos I've seen. Youtuuba allowed the scenery and the good vibes from the passengers to tell his story! I mean no disrespect to other people that post train videos. However, this video IMO is the template for how one should film a train trip. I will be taking my cues from this video when I take the Empire Builder from Seattle to Chicago in January 2018! Thank you!
Absolutely fascinating!
Can you please make more Amtrak odesseys videos please ☺☺
Well, I will do more, but not right away. This is, after all, not a travel channel, and I take trips of various sorts when it suits me, not just to make more videos for UA-cam......and you will notice that I don't monetize my channel, as evidenced by lack of commercials.....some other people who do lots of train videos are doing it often because it is part of how they earn income, which in turn finances their trips. I have to pay for everything you see 'out of pocket'......
I'm riding the empire builder in June. How do I find out scanner frequencies?? Any help would be great. Thanks.
Great video! Throughly enjoy your train videos!
I just got back from a train trip to Florida. While on the trip, a lot of fellow passengers asked me if I had ever ridden the Zephyr. After hearing all their positive reviews, I am planning a trip on the Zephyr In a couple of years. Any advice on what to expect on this particular train?
The Zephyr is AMTRAK's best route in terms of scenery. You have a greater chance of seeing lots of passengers from other countries who have ridden just for the views. Make sure you reserve an upstairs room if you will be in a sleeper car; some scenery is harder to see from the lower levels due to trees and bushes being in the way. Expect to spend a lot of time in the lounge (observation) car during the passage of the Rockies, but also be aware that seats fill up soon so you want to stake out a seat early in the day. I always take this train from Chicago to San Francisco, not the other direction. The first afternoon is spent crossing Illinois, then you sleep through Iowa and Nebraska. You wake up the second day in western Nebraska or eastern Colorado, so you have time to grab a shower, get an early seating for breakfast in the Dining Car, then move to the lounge/observation car in advance of most of the crowds and grab a seat. You want to get a seat on the right side for the best views (and Spring and Summer the right side will give views of what passengers call "Moon River" for all the rafters baring their butts at the passing train....however some other locations may also offer similar views). AMTRAK discourages passengers from hogging seats in the lounge car, and I have found that I stay there until the transit of the Moffett Tunnel, and then I give up my seat and return to my room for the rest of the trip through the Rockies; the left side is better for views of the Colorado River (just a narrow rapids at this point), while the right side also has good views...make sure you have a good position on the right side to view Glenwood Canyon. It will get dark about the time that the train crosses into Utah, and you sleep while it makes its way up to Salt Lake City and then crosses the great salt flats in western Utah, and then crosses all the ranges of hills in Nevada. You wake up on the third day in western Nevada, and once again you have time to shower and get breakfast, and then grab a seat in the lounge car for the crossing of the Sierra Nevada mountains. Both sides have good views, but I prefer the right side for the views of Donner Lake. Once the train starts to come down on the west side of the Sierras, you can retire to your room or normal seat, since views are less spectacular and are equally good on both sides. Once the train crossed the large bridge and is approaching the Bay Area from the north, it skirts the shore line and the right side is the one you want to be on top get any kind of view. The train ends in Emeryville (home of the Pixar animation studios!), and NOT in San Francisco. AMTRAK runs a shuttle bus for passengers wanting to be taken across the Bay to San Fran. I always just walk to one of the hotels that are located just southwest of the Emeryville station, and then use the hotel as my base of operations during my visit.
Unlike the Empire Builder which is not very scenic unless you take it during the warmer seasons when daylight lasts longer, the Zephyr is great any time of year. The snow in the mountains is very nice in the Winter, but the rivers are more spectacular in the Spring, etc.
Wow, great video! I really felt like I was on the journey with you. That train ride is absolutely beautiful and I have definitely added that trip to my bucket list! Keep up the great work!
I am exactly where you were 4 years ago… riding the journey with him, it’s fascinating, and definitely added to my bucket list too!
@@paulduggan2 And two years after this, I ended up taking that same trip, it was amazing and I'd do it again in a heartbeat! Hope you are able to take this trip in the future!
After seeing this video, I added this train trip to my bucket list!
Do it. It's been on my list since I was a teen and I did it! I took several but they were all just effing great. Take a vidicam and like this guy a GPS; the trains are not great about telling you the location.
I'm so happy that my first trip was when they still had a real kitchen, with real dinnerware, now it is microwaved and served on plastic.
Wow, A great travelogue .Thanks.
Glenwood Springs looks like an awesome place.
So the river is on the right side of the train ?! YIKES !
That is a cool radio that allows you to hear what is really going on.
This has been an awesome reference. Thank you!
My second full viewing. Still a wonderfull video!
Thank you so much for everything you do. God bless you.
Sorry you missed the big swimming pool in Glenwood Springs. It's kind of a family tradition that we stop in Glenwood Springs and talk about one day staying long enough to go swimming. I remember it took many years to finish that freeway through the canyon. It's pretty now but the construction was hell...
I used to drive through Galva (and Galesburg) taking my daughter to & from Monmouth College (Monmouth, IL). Watched the beginning of this (departure from snowy Chicago) while a snowstorm is going on this evening. Even a winter train journey makes great escapist viewing on a cold, snowy winter day!
I enjoyed watching this trip. So beautiful.
I'll be taking the Zephyr from Salt Lake City to Sacramento then on to Albany, OR on the Coast Starlight over Christmas in a roomette.
Long layover in Sac.
Returning before New Years.
Total round trip cost was $978.60.
Not looking forward to boarding in SLC at 11:30 PM.
This was great. Thanks so much for sharing!
This is one of my favorite trains beside the Southwest Chief. I've never taken this train to San Francisco, but I guess it's just like the Southwest Chief. I enjoy your videos!
Well, the Southwest Chief is certainly not 'just like' the California Zephyr. They DO use the same 'consist', so the length of train, the equipment, the locomotives & cars and their relative positions are the same. The route is the same through almost all of its passage through Illinois, but then is completely different. The SW Chief runs for one late afternoon, all of the second day, and a few hours early in the morning on the third day. The CA Zephyr leaves earlier on the first day, runs all of the second day, and all of the third day, so it is a much longer ride; this is mostly because it uses most of the second day to slowly wind through the Rocky Mountains, and most of the third day to get through the Sierra Nevada mountains. The SW Chief does have some lower level mountains to get through, but this does not take all that much time. I think the CA Zephyr is much better in terms of spectacular scenery, but the SW Chief does have quite a lot of nice desert scenery.....
Where does the Amtrak Train lost control
Wow! What a spectacular virtual trip! Thank you. Now in our 41st year in this great county that has become our home, we and our children (of whom one was born the US) thank the good Lord for His great gift. A happy New Year. Again, thank you!
Great condensation of your trip. I also appreciate the informed commentary. And you have a future in radio, TV or voiceover! :-)
L.T. Hanlon, no I don't have a future in announcing and voiceover.....I have a PAST doing those things professionally.