Train travel is rather unusual in the US with people always either driving or flying. However, given the time and the choice of a proper route, train travel in the US can be rewarding as I found out aboard the California Zephyr, arguably the best scenic train ride in the country.
Seven odd souls of us started from the Chicago Union Station. We took train # 5, California Zephyr, from Chicago to Emeryville, California. This journey was one of the best that I have ever made. We had reserved coach seats. Being students, it was hard to afford better accommodation. These seats were big and comfy. Pillows were supplied by the train attendant, so overall it was pretty nice. Sleeping in the seats was rather a problem on the first night, though we did manage to get some sleep. The second night was much better, may be the body got used to it. A light blanket helped as it got chilly during the nights.
The seats had big windows with curtains. However, we spent most of our time in the lounge car. It was the best there to enjoy the scenery. The first day was not very special. After the train departed exactly at 2pm from the Chicago Union Station, it cruised through the fall colors and the corn fields of Chicago and the surrounding area. The second day, the Zephyr reached Denver in the early morning. It had snowed the previous night and it was pretty cold. The train halts there for an hour and we took the opportunity to walk around. However, much to our dismay the station was bland. There was hardly any activity with no stalls whatsoever. That was so unlike an Indian station where you can find a whole new world, a different dynamics on its own. I guess the US train stations used to be like that during the golden days of the railways here before they died down with the expressways and the airways coming in.
The part of the trip that followed through the whole day was a delightful experience. If you love to see nature at its best, you cannot miss this part of the California Zephyr. The train gradually started its ascend into the Rocky mountains. As it gained height and emerged from one of the numerous short tunnels, the whole city of Denver could be seen at a distance. The trees on the snowy mountains painted a portrait that looked like the pencil sketch work of a fine artist. The view was amazing. During its course in the mountains, we went through the Moffat tunnel, 6.5miles long located at an altitude of 9500ft above the sea level.
Once past the Rockies, we once again entered an elegant exhibition of the fall colors in the gallery of the Colorado canyons. As we went through the Gore, the Byers and the Red Canyons breathtaking views unfolded in every other turn. I remember my friend joking that we are moving our heads like watching a tennis match to capture the views on both sides. The landscape started with yellow grasses at the bottom, followed by the grey or the red granites, topped with a layer of green pine trees embellished with a touch of white snow. We were also fortunate to spot a few bald eagles nesting in the high leafless trees.
When we entered the Glenwood Canyons, the snow was back. Hot sulfur springs could be seen at places which gave the name to our next stop, Glenwood Springs. What sets this canyon different is the presence of the spectacular stretch of the highway I-70. The highway comprising of a lot of tunnels and bridges were built at a staggering cost of 40 million USD per mile to preserve the beauty of the canyon. I guess very few places have to offer such a blend of natural beauty and engineering marvel.
The canyons ended in a rather flat landscape with smaller mesa mountains scattered around. This was the first time that we saw clear blue sky with copious sunlight. It led the way for a superb light and shadow effect all around us. The moon which was up after a little while only added to the spectacle.
We went through the lunar landscape to enter the glittering industrialized area of the Salt Lake City at night. The next morning, we were in the great basin of Utah and Nevada. It was a desert with dry land, short bushes, small hillocks and white salt marshes. The treeless snow clad mountains of the Sierra Nevada loomed at a distance. However, the real spectacle was in the sky. Long stripes of sirus clouds lit with the early sun rays, the rainbows and the stunning nacreous clouds soothed our minds at the day break. After crossing Reno, the train gained altitude quickly with shrap loops to reach the pine forests and the Truckee River in the Sierra Nevada. We tunneled through the summit of the Sierras to emerge to the sight of the Donner Lake. By now we had entered California. Once we were through the great hole, a 1659ft long tunnel through the toughest part of the Sierra, we descended fast to the marshy lands of California with a lot of birds. The great hole was dug by Chinese workers mostly by hand tools, progressing a few feet a day at most and often impeded by extreme weather conditions. We had to get off one station before Emeryville as the Bay Bridge was closed. We took a bus, which was included in the itinerary, to reach the downtown of San Francisco.
The trip was so enjoyable not just because of the views but also for the company. Taking such a long journey is boring if you are alone, especially at night. It is good to have a book or a deck of playing cards. However, being in a group of seven, we hardly had to think about how to spend time. It was a perfect trip.
Summary of the California Zephyr train trip –
Length – 2438 miles (3,924-km)
Duration – approx 52 hours
Frequency – daily (between Chicago, Illinois and Emeryville, California)
Accommodation – Coach seat (seats similar to the flight first-class), roomettes (sleeping berths but with very limited space for baggage), bedrooms
Amenities – Dining car with service of breakfast/lunch/dinner at affordable rates, Lounge car with big windows to enjoy the scenery and a snack bar, changing rooms in each car, checked baggage service
Scenic attractions –
• Rocky Mountains
• Sierra Nevadas
• Moffat Tunnel
• Colorado's Gore, Byers, Red and Glenwood Canyons
• Truckee River
• Donner Lake
Useful Link - http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentServer/Page/1241210579555/1237405732517
Seven odd souls of us started from the Chicago Union Station. We took train # 5, California Zephyr, from Chicago to Emeryville, California. This journey was one of the best that I have ever made. We had reserved coach seats. Being students, it was hard to afford better accommodation. These seats were big and comfy. Pillows were supplied by the train attendant, so overall it was pretty nice. Sleeping in the seats was rather a problem on the first night, though we did manage to get some sleep. The second night was much better, may be the body got used to it. A light blanket helped as it got chilly during the nights.
The seats had big windows with curtains. However, we spent most of our time in the lounge car. It was the best there to enjoy the scenery. The first day was not very special. After the train departed exactly at 2pm from the Chicago Union Station, it cruised through the fall colors and the corn fields of Chicago and the surrounding area. The second day, the Zephyr reached Denver in the early morning. It had snowed the previous night and it was pretty cold. The train halts there for an hour and we took the opportunity to walk around. However, much to our dismay the station was bland. There was hardly any activity with no stalls whatsoever. That was so unlike an Indian station where you can find a whole new world, a different dynamics on its own. I guess the US train stations used to be like that during the golden days of the railways here before they died down with the expressways and the airways coming in.
The part of the trip that followed through the whole day was a delightful experience. If you love to see nature at its best, you cannot miss this part of the California Zephyr. The train gradually started its ascend into the Rocky mountains. As it gained height and emerged from one of the numerous short tunnels, the whole city of Denver could be seen at a distance. The trees on the snowy mountains painted a portrait that looked like the pencil sketch work of a fine artist. The view was amazing. During its course in the mountains, we went through the Moffat tunnel, 6.5miles long located at an altitude of 9500ft above the sea level.
Once past the Rockies, we once again entered an elegant exhibition of the fall colors in the gallery of the Colorado canyons. As we went through the Gore, the Byers and the Red Canyons breathtaking views unfolded in every other turn. I remember my friend joking that we are moving our heads like watching a tennis match to capture the views on both sides. The landscape started with yellow grasses at the bottom, followed by the grey or the red granites, topped with a layer of green pine trees embellished with a touch of white snow. We were also fortunate to spot a few bald eagles nesting in the high leafless trees.
When we entered the Glenwood Canyons, the snow was back. Hot sulfur springs could be seen at places which gave the name to our next stop, Glenwood Springs. What sets this canyon different is the presence of the spectacular stretch of the highway I-70. The highway comprising of a lot of tunnels and bridges were built at a staggering cost of 40 million USD per mile to preserve the beauty of the canyon. I guess very few places have to offer such a blend of natural beauty and engineering marvel.
The canyons ended in a rather flat landscape with smaller mesa mountains scattered around. This was the first time that we saw clear blue sky with copious sunlight. It led the way for a superb light and shadow effect all around us. The moon which was up after a little while only added to the spectacle.
We went through the lunar landscape to enter the glittering industrialized area of the Salt Lake City at night. The next morning, we were in the great basin of Utah and Nevada. It was a desert with dry land, short bushes, small hillocks and white salt marshes. The treeless snow clad mountains of the Sierra Nevada loomed at a distance. However, the real spectacle was in the sky. Long stripes of sirus clouds lit with the early sun rays, the rainbows and the stunning nacreous clouds soothed our minds at the day break. After crossing Reno, the train gained altitude quickly with shrap loops to reach the pine forests and the Truckee River in the Sierra Nevada. We tunneled through the summit of the Sierras to emerge to the sight of the Donner Lake. By now we had entered California. Once we were through the great hole, a 1659ft long tunnel through the toughest part of the Sierra, we descended fast to the marshy lands of California with a lot of birds. The great hole was dug by Chinese workers mostly by hand tools, progressing a few feet a day at most and often impeded by extreme weather conditions. We had to get off one station before Emeryville as the Bay Bridge was closed. We took a bus, which was included in the itinerary, to reach the downtown of San Francisco.
The trip was so enjoyable not just because of the views but also for the company. Taking such a long journey is boring if you are alone, especially at night. It is good to have a book or a deck of playing cards. However, being in a group of seven, we hardly had to think about how to spend time. It was a perfect trip.
Summary of the California Zephyr train trip –
Length – 2438 miles (3,924-km)
Duration – approx 52 hours
Frequency – daily (between Chicago, Illinois and Emeryville, California)
Accommodation – Coach seat (seats similar to the flight first-class), roomettes (sleeping berths but with very limited space for baggage), bedrooms
Amenities – Dining car with service of breakfast/lunch/dinner at affordable rates, Lounge car with big windows to enjoy the scenery and a snack bar, changing rooms in each car, checked baggage service
Scenic attractions –
• Rocky Mountains
• Sierra Nevadas
• Moffat Tunnel
• Colorado's Gore, Byers, Red and Glenwood Canyons
• Truckee River
• Donner Lake
Useful Link - http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentServer/Page/1241210579555/1237405732517
5 comments:
great!! both tor journey and blogs (alternate career intereset naki?!!). and definitely you are not the only person not working:D
Sanket
Great pictures......
@Sanket & Kuntala - Thanks for the compliments. And Sanket, never feel alone in the lazy group, you have always got company :)
Amazing journey... I would love to take this train sometime. But I do have a question. Does the train have some smoking room somewhere :P?
@Dip - No smoking room. But the stations are meant to be 'smoking halts'.
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