# First LD Amtrak Trip! California Zephyr, Chicago to Emeryville - O



## milyusha (Oct 12, 2018)

Hi everyone, I am fulfilling a life-long bucket list item for myself this weekend! I'm taking the train from Chicago all the way to Emeryville, in a roomette on the California Zephyr. I'm flying to Chicago tomorrow very early in the morning from Cincinnati. I have scoured the forum for tips for riding (I have my windex and extension cord and clothes pins...) and hopefully I remembered everything!

Any advice is very much welcome!!

As long as we have wifi or data access, I'll update this post periodically. I enjoy photography so hopefully I can get some nice shots on the train. I am taking my GoPro with a suction cup mount to try to do some timelapse of the trip, and I have a mirrorless Olympus camera that I'm sure I'll wear the shutter out on over the next few days




If I'm relatively decent at figuring out photos through a window on a moving train, I will try to share what I did. #CrossesFingers

The only long distance train trips I've been on were in Europe (Moscow to St Petersburg being a highlight, but traveling from Kings Cross station in London to Edinburgh, Scotland, was pretty awesome too, at the height of Harry Potter fandom, and I've done winter stretches between Berlin, Prague, and Vienna) so I am looking forward to a different experience here. I would love to do all the long stretches around the country. Otherwise, I've only ridden Amtrak between NYC and DC, and DC into MD on a commuter train. (Not much passenger rail in southern Indiana or Ohio.) I can't wait! Thanks for following along


----------



## Manny T (Oct 12, 2018)

Hi milyusha. Wishing you a great trip! You seem like a seasoned LD train traveler, albeit in Europe, so I have no doubt you will cope well with Amtrak and enjoy yourself. I'm sure you'll let us know how things go!


----------



## railiner (Oct 12, 2018)

Hi! Welcome to AU!

Looking forward to your report... If you have time before you board, you might see if you can obtain one of these ...

http://discuss.amtraktrains.com/index.php?/topic/73846-amtrak-rail-pass-planning-the-great-adventure-advice-and-questions/page-2&do=findComment&comment=777752

Should help your 'thru the glass' shot's...


----------



## milyusha (Oct 13, 2018)

Thank you!! It is wonderful so far. We left exactly at 2pm. Our attendant is Michel-Antoine. My room neighbors are very friendly, from Sweden. I didn't have time to pick up the rubber lens hood (thanks for the tip!) but I have a plastic one that seems to be doing the trick so far for the Olympus. The GoPro is set up behind a curtain in my room... hopefully the glare isn't too bad (I am on the left side so the sun is hitting it)! Excited to start getting some photos off it after dinner. So far, a bunch of scenery that looks just like home



cornfields, windmills, groups of houses.


----------



## OBS (Oct 13, 2018)

Enjoy your trip!


----------



## oregon pioneer (Oct 13, 2018)

Welcome! I am really looking forward to your travelogue!


----------



## milyusha (Oct 14, 2018)

The first day was nice! The weirdest/most unexpected thing I saw from the train was a guy playing with a remote control car in a park next to the tracks. I had dinner with a nice couple from New Zealand and a nice guy from Texas. Before that, I sat in the observation car for sunset and enjoyed talking with a couple from England. (Everyone is so interesting!) Sunset was phenomenal around Ottumwa, IA. As soon as the sun went down, the train became very rocky. Is that normal? I was exhausted (a wake up call at 4:30am for my flight did me in) but found it extremely hard to sleep. Not sure if I was just too excited or the swaying was a bit much!! (Normally I like that feeling.) I got up around 5am to shower and get breakfast before Denver. The shower was hot and not bad at all (I am 5'2). I had breakfast with a couple from Michigan and a lady from near Los Angeles, extremely enjoyable. We just left Denver and I'm parked on the right side of the observation car ready to see mountains in the snow!! (It's snowing a bit in Denver, quite wonderful!)


----------



## AmtrakBlue (Oct 14, 2018)

My first LD train I had a little trouble sleeping but I attributed that to the excitement and newness of traveling by train. 2nd night I slept fine. Subsequent train trips I sleep fine.


----------



## Bob Dylan (Oct 14, 2018)

Sounds like a fairly good start to a Wonderful Trip! Please continue to share your Trip with us and have a Ball!( As Betty said,you should sleep better crossing the Desert between SLC and,Reno!And then you get to cross the Beautiful Sierras!)


----------



## cpotisch (Oct 14, 2018)

AmtrakBlue said:


> My first LD train I had a little trouble sleeping but I attributed that to the excitement and newness of traveling by train. 2nd night I slept fine. Subsequent train trips I sleep fine.


Yeah, same here. I bet the OP will sleep better the second night.


----------



## Steve4031 (Oct 14, 2018)

There is always the afternoon roomette nap. Just put the seats down and nap. An hour does wonders.


----------



## caravanman (Oct 14, 2018)

Sounds a great start to your trip. I kind of re live my own first long distance Amtrak rides when I read others reports.

Please comment on the service you experience in the dinner car, that is a hot topic on AU at this time...





Ed.


----------



## oregon pioneer (Oct 14, 2018)

I always have a hard time sleeping on the first night of a train trip. After that, and on the return (even if it's a month later), I seem to have muscle memory and my body just settles right into sleep.


----------



## milyusha (Oct 14, 2018)

Thank you everyone for your sleep comments. I am hoping it goes the same for me tonight!

Today was amazing. We left Denver with strong snow flurries and headed up into the mountains. It kept snowing all the way to Winter Park/Fraser and the evergreen trees were just a picture perfect wonderland. Coming down we had a few flurries but things stopped sticking and instead went back to glorious fall. One of my main wishes for this trip was to get to see the Aspens in yellow and wow. I was so afraid I had missed all of it but thank goodness for Glenwood Springs! Also the last time I went through Glenwood Canyon, in 2010, I was the one driving so I am so so so happy to have photos of it now. We saw two herds of elk for sure and maybe an eagle (I am not convinced but perhaps). We had a pretty sunset in Utah in between Green River and Helper, and it seemed to last forever.

My dining companions were great again. So many interesting people! At breakfast, a couple from Michigan and a lady from Los Angeles. At lunch, a lady from Germany and a guy from the Bay Area. At dinner, a family of 3 also from Michigan. The food has been great. I had scrambled eggs for breakfast, a burger for lunch, and a steak for dinner. As far as service, all of today's meals were good or great - one waitress in particular is really really good (Jana). Last night was definitely lacking and it was a guy who served us.

I am having a wonderful time. I literally watched out the window and took pictures all day, exactly what I wanted to do! Sorry I don't have pictures in this thread yet. I will try to put some as soon as I can!

Looking forward to the Sierras tomorrow. We went to Lake Tahoe and Yosemite for our honeymoon last year in May and I can't wait to see it in Fall!


----------



## milyusha (Oct 14, 2018)

Here are a few photos from today!


----------



## Maglev (Oct 14, 2018)

Beautiful photos! Thanks for the trip report!


----------



## railiner (Oct 15, 2018)

Great contrasting scenery, from Aspen's in gold, to wintry grey....thanks for posting!


----------



## Bob Dylan (Oct 15, 2018)

Beautiful!

What a Wonderful Trip! Get ready for the Sierras,, grab a Seat in the Lounge on the Right Side off the Train!( Donner Pass and Lake are Spectacular) Some of us think the Scenery is even better between Reno and Sacramento than the Rockies!


----------



## cpotisch (Oct 15, 2018)

Gorgeous! Thank you so much for posting! I've gotta find some way to take the CZ again.


----------



## milyusha (Oct 15, 2018)

I slept much better last night! We are nearly to Sacramento now so it's almost over, and I don't want it to be yet! The views today continued to be stunning. Breakfast to the sunrise in Nevada, lunch just past Colfax. Good dining companions again and good service again (I had the good one again). Going past Donner Lake was breathtaking. I adore the mountains and it was wonderful to be in them so long on this trip. Also looking forward to the ocean!


----------



## milyusha (Oct 15, 2018)

A few photos from today!


----------



## trainman74 (Oct 15, 2018)

Looks like you had an awesome trip!


----------



## Bob Dylan (Oct 15, 2018)

Fantastic pics, thanks for sharing!

Looking forward to the Rest of your Adventure!


----------



## Dakota 400 (Oct 15, 2018)

I appreciate your interesting report and the great photos. If you are going into from Emeryville to San Francisco using an Amtrak transfer, I would appreciate learning how that went.


----------



## NEPATrainTraveler (Oct 16, 2018)

Great trip report. Makes me want to ride the CZ.


----------



## cpotisch (Oct 16, 2018)

NEPATrainTraveler said:


> Great trip report. Makes me want to ride the CZ.


If you do, you definitely won't regret it!


----------



## milyusha (Oct 18, 2018)

Dakota 400 said:


> I appreciate your interesting report and the great photos. If you are going into from Emeryville to San Francisco using an Amtrak transfer, I would appreciate learning how that went.


I did not use the transfer since I was planning on Ubering. It was $15 for me to get to my friend's work with an Uber (equivalent with Lyft) and it was going to be $11 for the transfer to downtown + whatever it would cost me to Uber down to her place from there (probably another $10). Everyone who was riding the transfer bus seemed to be doing okay though. The ticket person was very helpful (tip - the restrooms in the lobby at the station need a token to access them, and the ticket counter person will hand you one) so I think it would have been pretty easy/straightforward if I had wanted it.

FWIW - Uber and Lyft are the easiest ways, by far, to get around SF if you don't have a car (aside from walking, depending on where you are). Most rides, except to the airport, cost us less than 10 bucks for 2 people when using the "pool" service (you potentially share rides with other people along the way). I was with lots of friends who live in SF (and have for anywhere between 2-6 years) and that's what all of them use to get around. (Full disclosure, we are all around 30 years old.)

I am working on getting all my photos organized (something like 200GB...I went a little overboard...we will see how many turn out), then I will write up some blog posts and, fingers crossed, make the time lapses. Am I allowed to link to my website to show you the posts? They will have lots more photos and details about the trip (it is my personal travel/adventure blog that I try to write about our trips in). I definitely understand if not




Thanks everyone for reading!!


----------



## cpotisch (Oct 18, 2018)

milyusha said:


> I am working on getting all my photos organized (something like 200GB...I went a little overboard...we will see how many turn out), then I will write up some blog posts and, fingers crossed, make the time lapses. Am I allowed to link to my website to show you the posts? They will have lots more photos and details about the trip (it is my personal travel/adventure blog that I try to write about our trips in). I definitely understand if not
> 
> 
> 
> Thanks everyone for reading!!


If you're not selling or profiting on anything from the site, you can link to it.


----------



## Steve4031 (Oct 19, 2018)

Great photos.


----------



## mitako (Oct 21, 2018)

Love the photos! I've always heard that the CA Zephyr was one of the most beautiful routes, and now I see why.


----------



## caravanman (Oct 21, 2018)

A very enjoyable read, and the photos are great, especially through the train windows.

Please link your travel blog, many of us enjoy reading about all aspects of travel.

Ed.


----------



## cpotisch (Oct 21, 2018)

mitako said:


> Love the photos! I've always heard that the CA Zephyr was one of the most beautiful routes, and now I see why.


IMO, it's by far the most beautiful route. You have the Sierras, Rockies, Colorado River, etc. The Zephyr is really an amazing train.


----------

