Hi all, I was lurking for a bit before eventually becoming a supporting member and I'm finally introducing myself. I am not a complete newbie to Amtrak travel, but later this year I'm finally taking it to the next level doing something I've wanted to do for a long time: cross country sleeper car trip (followed by a week at my destination and then returning, also via Amtrak in a roomette). A few years ago I took a red-eye flight to Boston and then had a roomette on the Lake Shore Limited to upstate NY, as a kind of test run of the roomette situation and also so that I could comfortably recover from the overnight flight. I loved it. We had a lot of delays so I was extra glad to have that roomette since I was on the train quite a bit longer than anticipated ;-) Heh, heh.
But in all seriousness, I'm so grateful to finally have reached a point in my life where I can both swing the time off to travel by train cross-country and afford my own little room along the way. I used to do a fair amount of camping and some backpacking, and I'm good at (and enjoy) detail-planning so I think this is the right forum for me at the right time in my life
Thanks everyone for all the wisdom and tips you share and I look forward to participating a little more than I have been thus far.
Maybe I'll get organized enough to put the routes I've already traveled in my sig at some point, but today I'll just talk about my upcoming trip. I'll be doing Coast Starlight from WA down to Sacramento, picking up the California Zephyr to Chicago, then Lake Shore Limited to upstate NY. On the way back, Lake Shore Limited to Chicago, then Empire Builder back to Western WA. If I miss a connection and arrive a day late, it's fine, and I built in a couple buffer days at the end of the trip in case I don't get back on the date I planned.
Today I've been researching a few items I need to buy for the trip, and reflecting on how absolutely delightful it is to be looking forward to the travel portion of the trip Of course I am glad to be seeing the people I'm going to visit, but I'm also really excited about the train trips. Normally, I'm dreading the entire horrendous air travel experience, but now I just get this dumb grin on my face every time I remember that for this trip, I don't have to deal with TSA nor cramped airplane seats nor any of the other indignities that come with flying. I don't even have to set foot in an airport. Fabulous!!!
But in all seriousness, I'm so grateful to finally have reached a point in my life where I can both swing the time off to travel by train cross-country and afford my own little room along the way. I used to do a fair amount of camping and some backpacking, and I'm good at (and enjoy) detail-planning so I think this is the right forum for me at the right time in my life
Thanks everyone for all the wisdom and tips you share and I look forward to participating a little more than I have been thus far.Maybe I'll get organized enough to put the routes I've already traveled in my sig at some point, but today I'll just talk about my upcoming trip. I'll be doing Coast Starlight from WA down to Sacramento, picking up the California Zephyr to Chicago, then Lake Shore Limited to upstate NY. On the way back, Lake Shore Limited to Chicago, then Empire Builder back to Western WA. If I miss a connection and arrive a day late, it's fine, and I built in a couple buffer days at the end of the trip in case I don't get back on the date I planned.
Today I've been researching a few items I need to buy for the trip, and reflecting on how absolutely delightful it is to be looking forward to the travel portion of the trip
Of course I am glad to be seeing the people I'm going to visit, but I'm also really excited about the train trips. Normally, I'm dreading the entire horrendous air travel experience, but now I just get this dumb grin on my face every time I remember that for this trip, I don't have to deal with TSA nor cramped airplane seats nor any of the other indignities that come with flying. I don't even have to set foot in an airport. Fabulous!!!
Last edited:
