# California Zephyr: Chicago to Emeryville March 6



## jnismith (Mar 13, 2015)

So after a nice restful night in Chicago, it was time to go off on the train again. But before I ventured off to the station, I decided to go to the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry to see the original Burlington Zephyr. Getting down to the museum was easy as the bus stopped just outside my hotel on Michigan Avenue so I was there for opening time. The train was spectacular but the tours of it didn't fit in with my other tours of the mine and the U-boat so I only saw the outside. I did however spend some time looking at the model railroad which attempts to copy the route of the Empire Builder. All in all, it was a good way to spend the morning.

So next was back to the hotel, pick up my bag and walk up to Union Station which was just as grand as I had remembered it from 30 years ago. I dropped off my bag in the lounge (again slightly underwhelming) and went to see what I could find for lunch. I was pretty amazed not to find a single place selling pizza in the food court and not really having time to look outside, I opened for a Chicago style hot dog which was pretty good really. Then back to the lounge and onto the train.

My first feeling about boarding the California Zephyr was that it was a much more professional environment than the Cardinal. There was a SCA for each sleeper who helped me aboard and directed me where to go and offered help with bags etc. On finding the roomette, there was a route guide and a timetable. The attendant, "J", was OK but not exactly pro-active with advice or assistance. No matter, if you rang the bell, he came and put your bed down pretty quickly.

We left Chicago about 30 mins late due to a) checking the engine (why this couldn't have been done before the departure time I don't know) and b) the presence of a large number of police waiting for a particular passenger to board. He didn't. But anyway, we were soon on our way. I also noticed that we were generally going much faster than the Cardinal.

After we left Chicago, I want for a wander round the train including a beer in the SSL where I was pleased to find that they sold Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, one of my favourites. As we went past farms and fields and grain elevators, I was lost in the American dream and quite happy that the land was so flat. I really enjoyed seeing all the little town and houses though I did wonder why people don't get rid of their old cars rather than just leave them in their gardens!!

For dinner that night, I ate with a nice lady who was also travelling the whole way. She had the chicken which she enjoyed and I had the steak which was nice but certainly the smallest steak I had ever had in America. We both had rice with it which was completely tasteless until smothered in tobasco. But still a much better meal than on the Cardinal and of course I had the cheesecake to follow with a half bottle of Chardonnay which was also pretty good.

Off to bed then as I wanted to be up early to get a good seat after Denver.

We arrived pretty much on time in Denver and I went for walk around the station. It all looked very nice and I wished I had stopped for a day in Denver to see the city. Maybe another time. And then we were off, or at least as far as the yards where we sat for nearly 45 minutes, but eventually we were on our way up to the mountains. This really was the bit that I had been looking forward to the most and it was even better than I had expected, I loved looking at the track as it wound its way up the foothills of the Rockies. And up and up and up till we got to the Moffat tunnel. I won't go on any more about the scenery but the Rockies, the canyons, the Sierra Nevada and the desert were all spectacular in their own ways. And spending most of the day in the Observation car was also cool with some nice people to talk to, all of whom just loved my English accent.

A nice salad for lunch and the half chicken for dinner rounded off my day and I forgot to mention the Railroad French Toast with Bacon, delicious!!! The servers were also friendly and made the dining experience truly great. I forget the waitress' name but she kept calling me "Precious" and was just such a bundle of fun.

Slept quite well again and missed Salt Lake City but again spent most of the day in the Observation Car. A lot of people got on in Reno and the train was pretty full by then. Last meal was again a burger which was also pretty nice. I had lunch with a couple of people who had travelled all the way from Florida to Washington to Chicago and were going to Roseville. The lady said that it had been a bit much. I can agree with that, I feel that you really need to have a break from travelling.

The final stretch through California was actually a bit boring and we went from being 30 mins early to 30 mins late around Oakland but overall the train was pretty much on time though there is so much slack in the timetable that it would be difficult not to be on time.

So, overall, the California Zephyr was a great experience but maybe I would skip the Chicago to Denver section another time.

Almost at the end now but there was one more chapter to my trip. I got the bus to my hotel, and was checking in when I realised that I had left my coat in the little wardrobe in the roomette. Not a big issue as it was an old coat and I didn't really need it in San Francisco as it was nice and warm. there was only one problem. My passport was in the pocket!!

So I phone Amtrak Customer Services who said it would be no problem and they would fill in a form and someone would phone me back with details of how to get the coat back. Could I give them my phone number. Sure I said and reeled it off. And she said, they wouldn't be able to call me back on an international number did I have a local one? So I gave the hotel number and she said they would call me back that evening which of course they didn't and I started thinking of what to do.

So the next morning, I caught the bus back to Emeryville to check if it was still on the train (6) going the other way. Of course it wasn't, so the coat must have been taken off in Oakland. The guy in the ticket office said it might be two weeks before it got to the lost and found which wasn't really much use to me but I eventually got him to phone the yard and lo and behold, they had my coat and passport which they put on the next train and which I picked up from the baggage car at Emeryville.

So thanks to Doug Jensen, I had my passport back and I could get on with the rest of my holiday (Golden Gate Park, Haight Ashbury, organic microbrewery, Alcatraz, more sushi, visit to an old friends vineyard in Lodi, renting a Camaro, street cars, cable cars, Fishermans Wharf, clam chowder )and a pretty average flight back on British Airways.

So where next, not totally sure but I quite fancy another train trip in a couple of years. And San Francisco again. Looks a really great place.

Finally, thanks to all the people who answer my questions about the trip. I had a great time.


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## oregon pioneer (Mar 13, 2015)

Wonderful report, thank you! And I am so, so glad you got your passport back!!! Any personnel worth their salt would look in the coat pockets to see if there was any identifying info, and treat it very carefully if they found a passport. I am glad there were some good people at the yard! I wonder what they would have done with it if you hadn't phoned...


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## caravanman (Mar 13, 2015)

Thanks for taking the time to post the report. Likewise, very pleased that you got your passport back... I had a heart stopping momentary loss of my passport on my USA trip too.

Your impressions of Amtrak pretty much reflect mine... a lot of the fun of Amtrak travel is in the luck of train crew and travel companions.

Sadly, I only rented a Ford Mustang, not a Camaro... but I did do 100mph with the hood*** down, and got pulled over by the Sheriff and fined $80 for speeding!

Cheers,

Ed.  *** Convertible Top...


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## Bob Dylan (Mar 13, 2015)

Glad you enjoyed the trip and for sure that you found your passport!

I agree that the Chicago to Denver segment of the Zephyr isn't anything special!

I'd recommend that for your next trip to the colonies that you consider flying to LA, spend s few days, take the Coast Starlight to Emeryville, spend some time in the Bay Area, then hop on the Starlight to Seattle, ( if you have the time Portland, " The City of Roses", is really cool too, then take a Cascades to Seattle))spend a couple of days,then ride the Casacades up to Vancouver, BC and enjoy the San Francisco/Sydney of Canada and fly home from there!


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## jnismith (Mar 13, 2015)

Thanks Ed,

I actually booked a Mustang but they gave me a Camaro V8 instead. Very nice until trying to get the hood back up again and the locking mechanism broke. Had to drive the 80 miles back down the freeway with the wind in my hair. Lovely wine from Lodi as well


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## jnismith (Mar 13, 2015)

Jim,

Sounds good. I like the West coast. Not sure I want to go back to LA again though. Maybe up the coast from LA to Seattle and then on the Empire Builder. Or even try one of the Southern routes. I've never been to New Orleans and would like to


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## Bob Dylan (Mar 13, 2015)

I understand if you've been to LA, the Coast Starlight from LA to SF is a great train ride, especially in the PPC!

Perhaps you could fly into Atlanta, take the Crescent ) a day trip)to New Orleans, spend several days ( fantastic place!!!), then ride the Sunset Ltd ( 3 days a week train) to Los Angeles, then the Starlight to the Bay Area, then continue up to Seattle and as you say take the Empire Builder to Chicago and fly home from there!


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## oregon pioneer (Mar 13, 2015)

Jeremy,

I believe when you say "hood", you must be referring to what we call the "convertible top"? here in the US, "hood" = what you call "bonnet." It's always interesting to interpret British English. Some people might thing we're speaking the same language, but really, the dialects can be quite different!


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## jnismith (Mar 13, 2015)

Of course, yes hood is the convertible top. In English we have a bonnet and a boot, you have a hood and a trunk. We have a saloon, you have a sedan. And most confusingly, our petrol pumps are green and our diesel black. You have these the other way round. All bloody stupid really. One day we will get you to do things properly like driving on the right side of the road, i.e., the left!!!!,


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## SarahZ (Mar 13, 2015)

I like cultural differences. It would be boring if we were all the same.


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## oregon pioneer (Mar 13, 2015)

jnismith said:


> One day we will get you to do things properly like driving on the right side of the road, i.e., the left!!!!,


Ha, ha, I rather think the world is going the other way on that one! But I agree with Sarah, I love cultural differences, whether it's listening to (and observing) the locals in N'Awlins (New Orleans), Newcastle, or Nantes.


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## boxcarsyix (Mar 13, 2015)

George Bernard Shaw said: "England and America are two countries divided by a common language." :giggle:


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## gaspeamtrak (Apr 6, 2015)

Great report! Thanks for sharing!


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