Fron CS to CZ - where to disembark?

[margo]

We're taking the SL to LAX, then the CS, then the CZ. Should we get off the CS and reboard the CZ at EMY, Richmond, Martinez, Davis or SAC? We don't care about sightseeing in any of these towns. We're headed to CO (Green River, GJT, or GSC). We're traveling on AGR. Thank you for your help.

 

[kbmiflyer]

What are you going to do all night? The northbound CS stops around 10:00 pm to 12:00 am in those stations, and the CZ comes through in the morning? Are you planning to get a hotel?

Also, I didn't think the CS stopped in Richmond.

 

[margo]

I realize we will have to get a hotel. I just don't know anything about these towns/stations. We just want a decent hotel close to the station. Thanks

 

[TVRM610]

Well Sacramento has hotels right across the street from the station, and the station itself is very nice.

It's also walking distance to the Railroad Museum of Sacramento and some other old time museums.

 

[margo]

Sounds like SAC will work best, just late arrival- 11:59 pm.

 

[kbmiflyer]

If it were me, I would probably stop in Emeryville. There is a Hyatt House all but attached to the station, and a Four Points and Hilton Garden very nearby. The advantage to Emeryville is that you will get a daytime view of the ride up the north bay and past the mothball fleet outside of Martinez. For me, riding the train in the daylight is better than riding the train at night. Hotel rooms might be pricier though.

Second choice would be Sacremento as metioned by TVRM610 above. The disadvantage is the new station platform has created some really long walks. You are also getting off at midnight like you mentioned. Old Sacremento is a neat little area, and you will have time to walk around in the morning.

There appears to be a little hotel right next to the Davis station, but I don't know anything about it. http://www.hallmarkinn.com/

 

[tomfuller]

Old Town Sacramento is very quiet before 10AM. (Been there done that). The California Railroad Museum doesn't open until 10 so you won't have time to visit before you have to be at SAC to board the CZ.

Probably the best option is a reservation in Davis at a hotel near the station.

If you were willing to give up the beautiful Pacific views, you could arrive in SAC much earlier by using the Amtrak bus north to Bakersfield and the San Joaquin to Stockton, Martinez or SAC.

 

[margo]

For sure, can't give up the view or Pac. Parlor car on the CS! Both a highlight of the trip!

 

[Bob Dylan]

:hi: Welcome, nice trip! Please Google up Davis, it's a great little College town, Cheaper and Prettier than Emeryville or Sacramento( most Underwhelming Big City in North America), great Old SP Station and a neat Bakery right beside the Station for a Start the Day Right Breakfast! You would catch the Zephyr in the Morning after a nights sleep and be ready for the Beautiful Scenery thru the Sierras between Sacramento and Reno!

As was said, it's NOT recommended to take the Inland Route on a Bus and the San Joaquin Train between LAX and the Bay Area!! The Starlight is the Way to Roll!

 

[guest in the west]

I'd do Emeryville. The hotels are close to the station and nicer than those around the Sacramento station. Plus, you will get a good night's sleep because you never know if the Starlight will be late into Sacramento. Even if on time, by the time you get to the nearest hotel across the street, the Vagabond Inn, and decompress and hit the sack, it it will be nearly 1 a.m. If the train is late all up the coast, you still will get a good night's sleep getting off and spending the night in Emeryville. And as another poster mentioned, there are some nice sights along the route from Emeryville to Sacramento.

 

[Railroad Bill]

If it were me, I would probably stop in Emeryville. There is a Hyatt House all but attached to the station, and a Four Points and Hilton Garden very nearby. The advantage to Emeryville is that you will get a daytime view of the ride up the north bay and past the mothball fleet outside of Martinez. For me, riding the train in the daylight is better than riding the train at night. Hotel rooms might be pricier though.
Second choice would be Sacremento as metioned by TVRM610 above. The disadvantage is the new station platform has created some really long walks. You are also getting off at midnight like you mentioned. Old Sacremento is a neat little area, and you will have time to walk around in the morning.

There appears to be a little hotel right next to the Davis station, but I don't know anything about it. http://www.hallmarkinn.com/

I would agree here with all the positive arguments re: hotel in Emeryville, view of Suison Bay (spelling) and you also would board the CZ at the beginning of the trip and have more time for boarding, getting settled, etc. Not sure if you would get breakfast on the CZ out of Emeryville? Getting to your hotel around 10pm in Emeryville would probably be nicer that after midnight if you rode all the way to Sacramento

 

[guest in the west]

:hi: Welcome, nice trip! Please Google up Davis, it's a great little College town, Cheaper and Prettier than Emeryville or Sacramento( most Underwhelming Big City in North America), great Old SP Station and a neat Bakery right beside the Station for a Start the Day Right Breakfast! You would catch the Zephyr in the Morning after a nights sleep and be ready for the Beautiful Scenery thru the Sierras between Sacramento and Reno!
As was said, it's NOT recommended to take the Inland Route on a Bus and the San Joaquin Train between LAX and the Bay Area!! The Starlight is the Way to Roll!

Would you explain a bit more your animus regarding Sacramento?

Do you not think Old Town Sacramento is worthy of a visit, in particular the State Railroad Museum, one of the finest such facilities in the nation?

The Sutter Fort is not a recreated Disneyland but the actual site where Sutter had his mill and learned of the discovery of gold, with terrific historical displays and hands-on activities for adults and children.

The State Capitol grounds are the envy of most states, and the Capitol itself is certainly more in keeping with the ideas of democracy and self government than the overbuilt, over-wrought monument to excess that is called the Texas State Capitol!

The Crocker Art Museum ranks among the finest regional art facilities in the US and not only has beautiful architecture but is in a prime park locale befitting an arts building.

Sacramento has one of the finest and longest bike and jogging paths in the nation, more than 30 miles along the Sacramento and American rivers.

It has a well-regarded light-rail and bus system.

The airport is convenient, easy to navigate and well-run.

And I don't even live there!!

 

[margo]

Thanks to everyone for your help. We love riding the train and couldn't do it without this forum.

 

[Bob Dylan]

:hi: Welcome, nice trip! Please Google up Davis, it's a great little College town, Cheaper and Prettier than Emeryville or Sacramento( most Underwhelming Big City in North America), great Old SP Station and a neat Bakery right beside the Station for a Start the Day Right Breakfast! You would catch the Zephyr in the Morning after a nights sleep and be ready for the Beautiful Scenery thru the Sierras between Sacramento and Reno!
As was said, it's NOT recommended to take the Inland Route on a Bus and the San Joaquin Train between LAX and the Bay Area!! The Starlight is the Way to Roll!

Would you explain a bit more your animus regarding Sacramento?

Do you not think Old Town Sacramento is worthy of a visit, in particular the State Railroad Museum, one of the finest such facilities in the nation?

The Sutter Fort is not a recreated Disneyland but the actual site where Sutter had his mill and learned of the discovery of gold, with terrific historical displays and hands-on activities for adults and children.

The State Capitol grounds are the envy of most states, and the Capitol itself is certainly more in keeping with the ideas of democracy and self government than the overbuilt, over-wrought monument to excess that is called the Texas State Capitol!

The Crocker Art Museum ranks among the finest regional art facilities in the US and not only has beautiful architecture but is in a prime park locale befitting an arts building.

Sacramento has one of the finest and longest bike and jogging paths in the nation, more than 30 miles along the Sacramento and American rivers.

It has a well-regarded light-rail and bus system.

The airport is convenient, easy to navigate and well-run.

And I don't even live there!!

I don't have any real animus towards Sacramento, I just think that for such a Large City that it's dead @ night downtown, its terribly Hot in the Summer and there must be a reason that several Governors didnt live in the Mansion including Arnie who commuted from LA vis Private Jet! I love the Rail Museum, and I have recommended Old Sacramento to many people on here, its just that Davis, all things considered, is a nicer place to spend the night when waiting for a Train the next morning!

As to your comment about Pretentious Austin, I agree, the Traffic and the Monuments and the Politicians @ the Beautiful Capitol Suck, and it's Hot as Sacramento in the Summer but since I DO Live here, and have visited Sacremento many times, still feel that Austin a Better City than Sacramento, but my advice to people is Come Visit but Please Don't Move here!, we have Enough People already!

 

[the_traveler]

The OP's question was not about staying days in and around SAC. It was only to switch from the CS to the CZ, with an arrival around midnight and a departure the next morning (a "few" hours later).

 

[tp49]

:hi: Welcome, nice trip! Please Google up Davis, it's a great little College town, Cheaper and Prettier than Emeryville or Sacramento( most Underwhelming Big City in North America), great Old SP Station and a neat Bakery right beside the Station for a Start the Day Right Breakfast! You would catch the Zephyr in the Morning after a nights sleep and be ready for the Beautiful Scenery thru the Sierras between Sacramento and Reno! As was said, it's NOT recommended to take the Inland Route on a Bus and the San Joaquin Train between LAX and the Bay Area!! The Starlight is the Way to Roll!

Would you explain a bit more your animus regarding Sacramento?Do you not think Old Town Sacramento is worthy of a visit, in particular the State Railroad Museum, one of the finest such facilities in the nation?

The Sutter Fort is not a recreated Disneyland but the actual site where Sutter had his mill and learned of the discovery of gold, with terrific historical displays and hands-on activities for adults and children.

The State Capitol grounds are the envy of most states, and the Capitol itself is certainly more in keeping with the ideas of democracy and self government than the overbuilt, over-wrought monument to excess that is called the Texas State Capitol!

The Crocker Art Museum ranks among the finest regional art facilities in the US and not only has beautiful architecture but is in a prime park locale befitting an arts building.

Sacramento has one of the finest and longest bike and jogging paths in the nation, more than 30 miles along the Sacramento and American rivers.

It has a well-regarded light-rail and bus system.

The airport is convenient, easy to navigate and well-run.

And I don't even live there!!

But I do live there.

To call the bus and light rail system well regarded is patently false. The system isn't regarded as good by Sacramentans unless you happen to be commuting into downtown during the rush hour or out of downtown in the evening. The hours of service also leave a lot to be regarded. The running joke here is that using RT makes you want to buy a car. Outside of the riverfront and the railroad museum I really don't think Old Sacramento is worth visiting.as outside of the rail museum and the Discovery museum next door there isn't a lot to do there. Downtown except for the stretch on K Street between 10th and 12th Streets is for the most part a ghost town after 5 during the week.

For what the OP is trying to do I would say EMY is probably the best place to spend the night. Downtown Sac doesn't have much open between wake up time and the time the CZ would arrive. EMY would allow for getting on the train at it's origination point and a daylight run through along the bay from RIC to MTZ and the mothball fleet between MTZ and Suisun City. Additionally if on time EMY provides for a longer night's sleep at a more reasonable hour. Davis would be my second choice because the station is in downtown and there are a number of places to eat close by and open in the morning. Since sightseeing isn't an issue I would base the decision on arrival time and hotel cost.

 

[TVRM610]

For the OP... Yes I think Emeryville would be your best choice now that I hear more. (I recently stayed in Sacramento and had a great time but I wasn't making the same connection you are.)

I had a great time in Sacramento! The nice museums, nice light rail, etc. really impressed me.

 

[TVRM610]

tp49... What a terrible attitude to have about the place you live... Especially one with such amazing history that is well preserved.

I was really impressed with the light rail system... I rode the line from the station all the way out to Folsom to see the rebuilt turntable (I've never seen a wooden turntable so that was a real treat). I'm not exactly sure why anyone would have a problem with the light rail system as it seemed to me to be just like any other light rail system I've ridden and lots of people were indeed riding it.

I'll echo that the Sacramento RR Museum is simply amazing. The only RR museum I possibly like more is RR Museum of PA... And I think it's a close tie in my book.

 

[tp49]

tp49... What a terrible attitude to have about the place you live... Especially one with such amazing history that is well preserved.
I was really impressed with the light rail system... I rode the line from the station all the way out to Folsom to see the rebuilt turntable (I've never seen a wooden turntable so that was a real treat). I'm not exactly sure why anyone would have a problem with the light rail system as it seemed to me to be just like any other light rail system I've ridden and lots of people were indeed riding it.

I'll echo that the Sacramento RR Museum is simply amazing. The only RR museum I possibly like more is RR Museum of PA... And I think it's a close tie in my book.

I don't have a terrible attitude about where I live. I merely speak the truth. The issue with light rail is that when it was built it was done so on the cheap and without consideration for where the population is. Outside of downtown it is build along railroad right of way. Significant portions of the city aren't even served by light rail at all and the Natomas area with a fairly decent population isn't even served well by busses. Personally, I think VTA in San Jose has done a better job of planning and operating their system.

 

[steve gisseler]

Just an FYI Sacremento station is now under renovation and not all that appealing was there 8/19 due to the SC being 8 hours late into LAX had to do the bus and san joaquin. lost all the coast ride on CS. the walk from station to tracks is quite long something like a block and a half.

 

[Alice]

If you were in coach, I'd say get on the CZ as early as possible to get a good seat. However, it looks like you are in sleepers. Therefore, if you are not a night person, take EMY; if you like being up late, take SAC; if you like higher-end motels, then EMY; if budget places are your thing, SAC. Wherever you are, all you are going to be doing is going to a motel to sleep, then getting up to get on a train.

 

[the_traveler]

I'd say your best bet is EMY. You get in early enough to get a good night's rest, and for a close hotel, you can't beat the Hyatt House. It's right across the tracks from the station (with a bridge in between) and some rooms even overlook the station! And the ride up the Bay and past "the mothball fleet aka the boneyard" is in daylight on the CZ but in the dark on the CS.

 

[margo]

Thanks everyone.

 

[rainyday6]

I live there and Sacramento sucks; moving to Oregon soon. Old Sac is full of thugs and there have been a lot of purse snatching lately and two shootings. There are no good restaurants near the station, the mall is packed with thugs. The station itself is in shambles/rehab, with a looooooong steep tunnel from the tracks to the station. Davis is small, cute with a nice hotel steps away, a movie theater also steps away and you're right downtown with lots of nice places to eat/shop.

 

[Nathanael]

If you want to actually stay for a day, Sacramento's worth it -- I liked Old Sacramento and the RR museum.

If you're just staying overnight, it's not worth it.