In 2004, my wife’s brother got married in LA, and we live in Connecticut. After 9/11, my wife refused to fly, so we (our 2 teenage daughters included) took the train from Springfield, MA to Chicago. Then from Chicago to LA on the Southwest Chief. We stayed in the “family room” on a sleeper car and it was wonderful. On the train, you get to see everyone’s backyard 😂. At the wedding reception, a ton of people came to our table when they found out that we had travelled across the country on Amtrak, wishing they could do it themselves. It really is a wonderful way to go.
I also refuse to fly anymore and so I get Amtrak all the way from California to Chicago and then on from Chicago to New York and then get on a ship to the Uk. Then after a month or so I do it all in reverse. This is the only way I have been able to go back to visit my parents in the Uk.
What an amazing experience! My family did this when we left the US when I was 11. We went St Louis to Los Angeles on Amtrak and it was incredible. I still remember it 17 years later. We spent Christmas on board with a group of Amish folk who were moving towns.
honestly, this might be my favourite vlog of yours! it's just really relaxing and the aesthetic of it is just unmatchable. also the editing and commentary on this one was amazing!! ❤
So excited to share this video!! Super proud of this one :') Also huge shoutout to Tom's video for inspiring my whole trip! ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-f79ksk3ggDo.html
I totally disagree on a number of your comments. Yes, this is a fantastic trip, I have taken it several times. If you take Amtrak and expect to get to your destination on time, you are setting yourself up for failure. Rarely will the train be on time, delays are common and part of the trip. If timing is important, fly. Your comment about the food, I hear this all the time, "it's better than airline food" Not even close, airline food, when given more than a bag of peanuts, it is pre-heated and served in a plastic tray. Amtrak meals are all cooked to order by chefs, on real plates and utensils and many options, not one or two. Includes a fresh salad and a fabulous desert. Be glad you didn't travel during Flex Dining, that I would say is closer to airline food, but still more options and as long as heated correctly, very tasty. Your comment about the air quality, I don't understand that either, I have never had any issues with that nor the statement that the train is dirty. I will agree the restrooms can get a little dirty after a couple days of travel but that is up to the passengers to help keep the train clean. On the bright side, I did you enjoy your video, sorry your trip from Emeryville to LA soured your opinions of Amtrak. And yes, it is Moffet tunnel, not Henderson.
I sure liked your short version of The Zephyr as I agree it is amazing and have ridden it twice. I did not know of the AMTRAK card so that is a great tip for saving money. I am from St. Louis and have ridden all the AMTRAK rail routes west of there to see The West, which I did in 5 weekend to weekend trips between 2001 and 2013. I got the idea watching a PBS series on Great railway journeys of the World. My wife went once but it was too much rail time for her reminding me of your Martinez to L.A. experience. I am retired now but when I did the trips I showed pictures to all at work and friends all about this amazing experience, which was unique since so most do not travel by rail in the U.S. and instead drive or fly. I read there had been AMTRAK cost cutting with the dining car, which for my trips was open to coach passengers, and it was the full dining experience of old. Only one of my trips was by sleeper since the sleeper was much more expensive than coach, so your AMTRAK card trip is sure a good one. The observation lounge car is great for viewing. Too bad hearing the cars were not being kept clean enough. Thanks for placing on RU-vid.
This was so cool to see and the views looked incredible. $1200 for this trip is wild to me but I appreciate your tips on saving by using the Amtrak credit card.
If you want to travel in coach it is usually just a few hundred dollars similar to an airplane fare. The expense comes when you essentially rent a tiny hotel room with meals. I have travelled both coach and the roomette and I would say if you have the money the roomette is worth the extra expense. You are really purchasing an experience.
I took this trip from Omaha to Emeryville both ways in September. I love the winter view, the colors are different. It was amazing. By the way, great book choice. I finished The Song of Achilles on January 12. I admit, I thought I would have more time to read than I did. The scenery was just so amazing. Beautiful Vlog, thank you. I loved Tom's vlog too. I bring blueberries and cherry tomatos, oh yes and M&M. I didn't mid the food at all, it was so much better than the flexible dining. So much better than plane food.
I just got back from a cross country trip to see my family, and my first leg from San Francisco to Chicago was the CZ. It was incredible, your footage captures it well. I was bummed I hadn’t done it sooner and I can’t wait to do it again! How fortunate you were it was snowing in places, how great. There’s a book by Karl Zimmerman from 1972 “The Story of the California Zephyr” about the original streamline train run by the railroads starting in the early 1940s, available on eBay and thriftbooks… I found the history interesting, having taken the trip. Cheers.
Marsela, thank you for making this video! It reminded me how much I miss riding Amtrak. It brought back so many fond memories traveling with my family across the U.S. I'm looking to start riding again as an adult. Thank you for the inspiration :)
This honestly looks like it'd be so much fun. I was considering taking the train from NYC to Portland late 2020, but ended up cancelling. You've inspired me to rebook that trip -- thank you!
I've travelling on Amtrak train even before Amtrak became nationwide (formerly individual railroad passengers companies became no longer confused) for over 53 years. I hopped once or twice a year acrossing any part of USA as I love it and no matter if the train is delays or on time because train travellings are blasting with wonderful socially different people from all over the places and a beauty by looking views passing different areas too. And I'm using mostly sleeper car that is including no extra cost eating in dining car is the best! And their real foods are great! Able to walk entire each cars or standing out of train car on platform if stop for 10 or more minutes (don't wonder away from platform then the train will left by catch up on schedule or be on-time a minute or two before). I used took Southern Pacific (SP) Peninsula Commuter trains for years. SP ran between San Francisco and San Jose, now called Caltrain extended to Gilroy (south of San Jose). Once pandemic will be over and I will resume traveling again plus, dining car foods will resume standard real good food. For you guys are taking a short trip on any long distance Amtrak to see if you like the train before taking longer trip. Also, check train status (keeping repeating if a train is catch up) for the arrival to save your waiting. Enjoy!
I did this trip about 5 years ago from Emeryville (western terminus of the route near Oakland) to Denver. Agree that this is the part of the route you really need to see. It's also only one night in the sleeper so you'll save some money there. My initial destination was Kansas City and to do this by train I would have to detrain in Omaha around 4 am and then get from the Omaha train station to the airport to pick up a rental car and drive to KC. Instead I detrained in Denver on the evening of day 2, stayed in the Crawford Hotel (which is in Union Station and was great) and caught a Denver RTD train to DIA for an early flight to KC the next morning - net cost was about the same. I would also recommend packing a backpack or other smaller bag with what you want for the train and just bringing that into your roomette and leaving your actual luggage in the luggage storage areas in the sleeping car. You can also check luggage and then it will be unloaded for you at your destination. As for food, as Marsela noted, eating in the dining car (which does offer cooked to order meals) is not an option for coach (non-sleeper car passengers). This wasn't the case pre-COVID and Amtrak may bring this back but there's no timetable for that at this point. The snack car offerings, which is all that is available for purchase by coach passengers, are pretty limited. I thought the dining car food was pretty good - not great but not bad either. The attendant service was great as well and I thought it was totally worth what I spent to go sleeper. Thanks for this fun video!
This video was one of several that encouraged me to book a train trip this year. Not the California Zephyr, but the Crescent since the Birmingham stop is relatively close to where I live. But wow, the California Zephyr is such a gorgeous route in the winter. Good tip about bringing some fresh fruit. I'll definitely do that for my trip (also booked a roomette).
Before Moffet (not Henderson) tunnel was built, the railroad continued over the continental divide over Corona Pass, then into Winter Park. At the pass there are still old wooden railroad trestle, remnants of a steam engine that detailed and foundations of a mountain house hotel.
Thanks for sharing your California Zephyr train trip. I took the original CA Zephyr from San Francisco to Chicago the last summer of operation in 1969. I just found Super 8 movies of the trip my Dad took and had them digitized. I kept a log during the trip and want to make a video of it. It was great to compare with your trip. When we got to Chicago we were scheduled to fly from O’Hare to Columbus, OH. But the train was so late and the taxi ride to the airport in Friday afternoon traffic was so bad that we almost missed our plane. My Mom and sister got on, but my Dad and I had to stand-by for the next flight. Guess crazy connections haven’t changed much in over 50 years!
I did the same trip, but last summer. Noticed the same thing about all the car shops and auto graveyards. The scenery was mesmerizing! What a great way to travel.
hi, great video. so you said you applied for the credit card and that was a cost saving for you, because you were able to use points towards the trip. excellent.
When I travel by train these days (just did Sacramento to Seattle and back on the Coast Starlight a week ago), I spend most of my time in the roomette, just because you don't have to have a mask on. Coming back I even had my meals in my room, which is standard now. To be fair, though, I did travel alone, and the roomette is roomier for one person than it is for two, even though there are two seats and two beds. Two people might be better suited to the bedroom, which is much larger and has a wider lower bed. I have in the past taken the Zephyr from Sacramento to Chicago eastbound, and roundtrip to and from Denver. It is a very scenic trip. PS: I've also taken the Coast Starlight down to L.A. But because it gets in so late, I actually got off in Santa Barbara, sightseed and stayed overnight there, and then took the Surfliner down to L.A. the next day.
I'm simply speechless to comment on a video as a wonderful as this one. I can only say that it's very inspiring and I'm already evaluating some possibilities. Thank you so much!!
Great video. I used to play Pass the Pigs with my kids in the early nineties when they were very young and we went to restaurants. I actually bought the game at a toy store in Truckee during a blizzard. It helped them behave at the table. You two look very well behaved at the table, so I guess some things never change.
It didn’t bother you that she kept saying carts ( dining cart, observation cart) ? At first I thought I’d misheard but it was in the written narrative as well.
I cannot wait to do this ride and it's so cheap and affordable I've always wanted to do this it is on my must do list for this year for sure! Thank you for sharing.
I was supposed to take this same trip on the Zephyr on Christmas but my plans fell thru. Seeing ur video confirms it would have been as beautiful as I knew it was going to be. Definitely on my bucket list!
I've always wanted to do a trip like this to see America. I hate flying can't deal with the turbulence. One day I'll take a trip like this. Thank you for the video.
I've taken the Empire Builder 3 times from Milwaukee to Seattle. Each trip was for a recovery milestone. The Zephyr is on my bucket list, but one trip wasn't running that day I wanted to leave (the exact day was important) so empire builder again. This last trip funds didn't let me get it. But hoping next trip will be the zephyr.
Happy New Year🎉🥳 nice train ride video.. I didn't know that Amtrak has rides from California to Chicago.. Definitely putting that on my long term goals for this year to travel from here in NYC to California via Amtrak. Last time I took an Amtrak ride was with my mom and my dad when I was 10 we went to Washington DC.. it's a really nice ride on an Amtrak train. Thanks Marsela 🙏🙏
I have travelled extensively in the past by train. I rode the Empire Builder three times round trip from Chicago; The Coast Starlight twice plus trips from Chicago to San Francisco and from Toledo to Washington D.C. So I get the point but when I did this the bedrooms were more reasonable and the dining wasn't nuked.
The info about using points from the Amtrak credit card to finance your trip is helpful. One comment; I think I heard you say “dining cart” and “observation cart”. Isn’t that “car” rather than “cart”?
I would be terrified of getting left behind if I hopped off during the quick 2-5 minute stops lol. Great vlog and deal hunting! $79 for the experience is amazing. I'll keep your recommendations in mind if I ever decide to hop on the train.
Nice job kiddo, but one thing, it's the Moffat tunnel, I couldn't quite make out what you said but it didn't sound like Moffat, LOL ! I first rode this train almost 50 years ago, single level equipment with a rounded dome observation bringing up the rear, as God intended !!
Marsela your''s videos gives us lots of energy and positivity. So don''t do late pl. I love you so much. I am watching this beautiful journey still...🌹🌹🌹❤❤👌
that was really a well done video Marsela ! I think I will do the denver to san Francisco ride as it is almost a no brainer if you have never seen the are area. And your tips were spot on !!! The best of luck to you !
Feels comfy in that train.. First time I try iced train is 2010, from LA to Fresno and back. I didn’t know there will be straight train from Chicago to LA. thanks for the info. 🙏
Very helpful video, thank you! I'm researching a trip for my mom's big 80th bday trip and this might be a good idea since it doesn't require a lot of walking which is detrimental for seniors. Insightful about the cleanliness (rather dirtiness) of the interior... I'm used to extremely clean trains in Japan so this would take some getting used to... I'll carry plenty of wipes and may even bring my portable Dyson aboard. And finally thanks for the tip about the Amtrak credit card as well. Really super helpful video all around. Thanks!
Unfortunately the Amtrak card was recently discontinued (see pinned comment 😢) but I’m glad the video was helpful otherwise! Hope you have the best time celebrating your mom’s 80th!
I live in Martinez. Great video. Did you know that Martinez is the home of the great Joe DiMaggio? Also the home to John Muir. It's a National Park here in town. Also home of the first martini.
I didn't think that americans would catch up with the rest of the world when it comes to railways, but... here we are! Also, I'm not fond of americans in general (well, of the american government most specifically, because otherwise I have nothing against the common folk), but when they set their minds to doing something they freaking do it! That's what impresses me the most about americans. And last but not least, the scenery in this clip is very nice, just like you see on our continent (Europe), I'm really impressed
I took the Amtrak from Chicago to San Francisco (Emeryville), traveling couch. While the scenery is wonderful, the trip is pretty unpleasant. Two nights sitting up, people talking loudly on their phones, kids running up and down the aisle, people coming and going all night, etc. It was about 20% the cost of this lucky woman’s ticket, though. But next time (if I do it again), I’m going to splurge and spring for the roomette. Her comments at the end I would heartily endorse.
I'm sure someone else has commented on this, I wonder what airlines you travel on? Food is similar to Airline food? 4:42 Blizzard? You have never seen a Blizzard huh? :)
i've been wanting to do this trip for about a year. originally i was going to go in january, and somehow it's almost december and i still haven't gone. oh well, at least i'll get to see the snow like i wanted, since i've waited so long.
living in Montana I would have to say give the empire builder a try, for scenery....but get off spend a day or two and get back on, bring your own snacks and beverages too...
I mean. It is 3 days of someone transporting you, essentially room and board and food is included for all of the days. Based on that, $1200 is quite reasonable. If one were to book room and board for 2 nights, buy food for 3 days and pay for someone to drive you from Chicago to SF, I think the cost would be equivalent.
The small towns are beautiful. I would have stayed at Martinez instead, since I love small towns (I live in a small town in Central PA). I remember back in the eighties I stayed with my brother in Santa Clarita (known then as Canyon Country) and frequently went to Acton and Palmdale (since my late sister-in-law's family was in Acton). That was in the mid-eighties.
