Saxman's USA Rail Tour 2010!

[saxman]

Took me a few days to get an internet connection. So here it is. I plan to write daily again. Also if you have Twitter, follow me as "SaxmanB777." I'll be doing live updates from that so you can track me. While not nearly as long as my trip last year, this should be a good time as I return home June 10th.

So without further ado, here is my first entry:

Day 1- Tuesday, May 11, 2010

I guess I was a little excited for my trip so I was up by 7:00 AM, and could sleep any longer. Plus I had some last minute planning to do. My trip would be a good one, yet not nearly as long as my USA Rail Tour from last year. I packed almost exactly the same too, except I didn’t need to bring as many warm clothes this time. For some reason though, my pilot roll aboard was just as heavy as my larger bag which I would be checking most of the way. (Both weigh in at about 33 pounds)

My sister got back from an early morning rehearsal and was nice enough to take me to the Centreport/DFW Station which is about a 13 mile drive from the house. I wanted to catch the 9:45 AM Trinity Railway Express train to Dallas, where I would offer my time to volunteer there as a station host. I loaded the car and we left by 9:15 AM. After a 20 minute drive, she dropped me off at the station and a few minutes later the TRE arrived. It was about a 30 minute ride into downtown Dallas where I picked up my tickets and checked my bag to Milwaukee. Since I’m a volunteer, the agents are nice enough to let me hang out in the ticket office. I spent the day restocking the timetable racks and answering a few passengers questions about the train. It wasn’t too busy, being that is was the middle of the week and school has yet to let out for the summer. I watched the southbound Texas Eagle arrive and depart and a few hours later, it was time to board my train, the northbound Texas Eagle to Chicago. I’d be traveling to Chicago for a meeting with the group I volunteer through, TEMPO, but I left a few days early so I could do some train riding in Chicago and Milwaukee, and to see my friend, Casey, in Wisconsin Dells.

The Texas Eagle arrived on time into Dallas where I boarded into my private roomette. I was in room number 10 in the 2230 car. There I saw some other TEMPO members across the hall from me who were also going up early. We departed Dallas about 3 minutes late due to some boarding issues with other passengers. Right after we left Dallas, the dining car steward came around to make dinner reservations. I chose to join my friends for dinner, so we planned to have dinner at 6:00 PM. Just as we arrived into Longview, they called for our 6:00 seating so we made our way to the diner. I had the steak dinner which turned out nice a tender, along with a baked potato and green beans. For dessert I had peanut butter pie. Mmmm, it was good!

Later we arrived into Marshall, Texas. Just about a week prior there was quite a large freight train derailment right at the station. Cars had scattered all about the platform, and took down the iron fence, lots of trees and even the power lines to the station. Luckily it happened when no one was standing on the platform or anywhere near it. They had cleared most of the wreckage but there was still one box car sitting on its side. I could tell they were cutting it up into pieces and probably turning it in to scrap metal.

Still on time, we made a quick stop in Texarkana. The station itself actually sits on the border between Texas and Arkansas. So the front half of the train was in Arkansas and the back half was in Texas. After leaving Texarkana I decided to call it a night.

 

[WhoozOn1st]

Love that peanut butter pie, and looking forward to more updates!

 

[saxman]

Day 2- May 12, 2010

I didn’t get very much sleep that night. For some reason I just couldn’t get comfortable even though I had four pillows; two to sleep on and two to hold. I always have to have a pillow to hold. And Amtrak pillow are kind of flat so I need two to put my head on as well. Somehow I was lucky to have four pillows in my room though. The roughness of the tracks didn’t help much either.

When I got up we were about an hour outside of St. Louis going along the Mississippi River. We were going slower than normal due to flash flood watches in the area. It was raining everywhere, so there was lots of water as far north as Iowa, which I would find out later. I got dressed and headed for the dining car for breakfast. I sat with three ladies, two of which were both school teachers. They mostly talked about teaching and how they couldn’t wait to retire. I didn’t have much to say in the conversation and they apologized about being so boring. It was okay with me because it was too early for me to talk much anyways. To eat, I had the breakfast special which was an egg and cheese quesadilla. It wasn’t too bad, but nothing to write home about. (Wait, I guess I am writing home about it)

After that and a few cups of coffee I headed back to my room where I saw my neighbors up and about. Mike, my sleeping car attendant had yet to make up my bed, so I sat on my bed to watch the approach into St. Louis. Due to the slow orders, we arrived about 30 minutes late, but we decided to step off the train. It was pretty chili and rainy so I didn’t stay out long. We left St. Louis once everyone was boarded and made our way across the Mississippi. The rail tresell over the river is quite high and provides great views of the skyline and of the Gateway Arch. Then we crossed over several highways filled with rush hour traffic going into the city. My sleeping car neighbors, whom are big transit advocates, joked about all the people freely using their cars while sitting bumper to bumper. I joked about it too with them.

We sped up the line to toward Chicago. Before I talked to my friend, Robert T, who was staying in Chicago for a couple days and doing some train riding. He told me he was coming from Chicago to Lincoln, IL and going back. So I decided to join him. But I decided to get off in Joliet, IL which is a suburb southwest of Chicago. Soon a southbound Texas Eagle arrived into Joliet, and I found Robert T. in the lounge car. Since I had already seen this part of the route a few hours earlier, I just talked with Robert on the trip back down to Lincoln. A couple hours later, we arrived into Lincoln which is a small town near Springfield. It is of course named after the famed president, Abraham Lincoln. We had about 30 minutes to walk around town before heading back north to Chicago. There is a nice town square and we had some tacos at a local Mexican joint on the square. Then we headed back to the small station. Soon a Lincoln Service train arrived and we boarded for Chicago. Robert and I talked more about trains on the way back to Chicago where we finally arrived at about 8:30 PM.

I was going to overnight in Chicago with another friend of mine, Robert M. He met both me and Robert T. at Chicago Union station. Robert M. owns a nice condo just a few blocks from Union Station so we all walked to his place to drop off my stuff. He was nice enough to let me sleep on his couch. Later we went out for a late dinner, and then Robert T. left to catch a Metra train up to his moms house in Glenview. The other Robert and I walked back to his condo where we both turned in for the night.

 

[WhoozOn1st]

It was pretty chili and rainy so I didn’t stay out long.

Don't think I'd stay out long either. Don't recall that I've ever encountered a chili storm myself - probably woulda remembered - and if beans were involved I'd guess that getting pelted by them from the sky could be pretty unpleasant. Then afterward you'd have to be careful not to slip on all the cheese and onions lying around.

 

[rtabern]

Had a good time with you in town!!!

Photos from our time in Lincoln are now posted to my website...

http://rtabern.shutterfly.com

Enjoy and visit again soon!!! RT

 

[Bob Dylan]

Had a good time with you in town!!!
Photos from our time in Lincoln are now posted to my website...

http://rtabern.shutterfly.com

Enjoy and visit again soon!!! RT

Great pics Rob! I missed Chris in DAL on my trip North on the Eagle, we ran late and he had to go to DFW to pickup someone! Wish I was taking his trip,

or could make your point runs, Im limited to the Eagles which have been running late due to UP trackwork but since it's triple points, as the_traveler says I'm FORCED to make turnarounds to TAY! :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[caravanman]

Good luck with your trip, I am looking forward to reading more...

Cheers,

Eddie

 

[saxman]

Day 3- May 13, 2010

Right now, its triple point promotion for Amtrak Guest Reward points. So instead of getting a minimum of 100 points for each trip I take, I get 300, plus the bonus points I get for being Select Plus Member. It’s about the equivalent of being an elite or platinum member of an airline miles program. During promotions like this, I like to take short, cheap trips to gain lots of points quickly. Robert T. and I decided to do another quick round trip outside Chicago for an easy 700 points for only $19. I was up early to meet Robert again and we boarded a train for Plano, IL. It’s a small town just to the west and I’d have a short layover there to come back. Robert decided to head all the way to Galesburg. About an hour later, the train got to Plano where I got off to wait for my return trip. Unfortunately, I found out my return train was running a bit late due to the flooding along the Mississippi River. It was originally coming from Quincy, IL. At first it was scheduled to be about 50 minutes late. So I went to walk about the quaint little town of Plano, IL. It’s a bit different than Plano, Texas, a large sprawling suburb north of Dallas. I found a small diner just down the street, and I had a ham and cheese omelette. Everyone looked at me weird because I was dragging my suitcase along behind me. When I got back to the station, I called Julie again, to see how my train was doing. This time it was and hour and a half late. I was still good for my connection to the Empire Builder though…

My return train to Chicago ended up arriving about an hour and a half late. The conductor later told me it was a combination of signal problems and serious flooding along the Mississippi River. Yet what made the situation worse was that the crew had about 20 minutes of duty time left for some reason. Like pilots, train crews are limited to 12 hours on duty and once that time hits, the train can’t move at all, no matter where it is. Luckily Naperville was the next stop so the train would simply stop there and wait for a relief crew. So we waited…and waiting some more, before the dead conductor got on and told us it was going to be an hour or two longer. Apparently the relief crew was in a van and the van driver got lost. Why a van driver would get lost in a city that apparently he’s suppose to know is beyond me. As a part time limo driver, I wouldn’t keep my job very long if I got lost all the time, or at least was able to read a map to get where my passengers wanted to go. Yet, I’m not one to judge, because I didn’t know the whole situation. Another hour or two sitting in Naperville would mean I would miss my connection to the Empire Builder. Luckily, Metra commuter train also serve the station so the conductor informed us we could step off and ride the Metra into Chicago. I did just that and finally got to Chicago, 30 minutes before my connection. So much for spending any time in the Metropolitan Lounge.

As soon as I arrived into Chicago, I headed for the boarding lounge for the Empire Builder to Wisconsin Dells. It was already boarding so I was near the back of the line. They sent me to the #711 coach where I found an isle seat. Just about every seat was taken by the time we left. During the ride I mostly stayed in my seat and watched the movie “High Fidelity” on my iPhone. Later I went to the lounge car for a snack but soon returned to my seat. I’ve done this route numerous times, so much of the scenery is very familiar.

After about 3½ hours we were right on time into the Dells, where Casey was there to meet me. We got some dinner and also watched a movie for the evening and I soon fell asleep.

 

[rtabern]

If they told you #380 was delayed due to flooding along the Mississippi River, I would sorta question that. #380 starts in Quincy, IL. The station stop there is at 30th Street (or 30 blocks/4 miles or so east of the Mississippi River) and the train never crosses the Mississippi as it just goes east from there. Sometimes it sits in the yards/wye at West Quincy, MO -- so maybe that was it -- but it shouldn't have had a major impact on the train. I mean if it's 50 minutes out of Quincy... its not going to lose more time because of MS River flooding.

Anyway, good to see ya... and have a good rest of your trip!!

 

[BlakeTyner]

I got to see saxman in Chicago over the weekend, and we were on the adjacent sleeper from Chicago back down on 21 yesterday/last night. We had dinner together on the train last night and he and I stayed up talking in the lounge for about an hour before bed. Good times, good company. Hopefully he'll stay up tonight and fill us all in on the switching of 421 in San Antonio.

 

[saxman]

Day 4- May 14, 2010

Since I was in a hotel bed, this was my first real bed in a couple days, as well as my last. I still, for some reason, woke up early. Casey went with me to Country Kitchen for a brunch before it was time to catch the Empire Builder again going back toward Chicago. The Builder arrived into the Dells just a couple minutes early where I grabbed my bags and boarded the train. It left right on time at 12:09. This time I rode to Milwaukee where I had about a 45 minute layover to catch a Hiawatha commuter train. I also had time to claim my bag which I had checked from Dallas. Except after claiming it, I just told him to recheck it to Chicago. I also gave him my smaller bag to check so I would have to mess with it while doing a few point runs before hand. (A point run is where I by a cheap Amtrak ticket and ride a short distance and earn lots of points) At 3:00 PM I caught the next Hiawatha Service to Sturtevant, WI. The Hiawatha’s run frequent service between Chicago and Milwaukee and make a few other stops. Sturtevant is about 20 miles south of Milwaukee and then I would catch another train going back to Milwaukee. Sturtevant has a very nice new station that was built mainly for commuters. The only downside is that there is nothing around the station, so I just sat inside to wait. My northbound train arrived about 30 minutes late though. It was okay because that same equipment would just simply turn around in Milwaukee again and go all the way to Chicago. So I did just that and finally arrived into Chicago at around 7:45 PM. Robert M. was there to meet me and I grabbed my checked luggage and we walked to his condo.

Later that night we walked down the street to get a later dinner. After returning I got on my laptop to do some trip planning for my stay in California. Soon I made my bed on the couch and went to sleep!

 

[saxman]

Day 5- May 15, 2010

Tempo Meeting

I volunteer one or two days a week for Amtrak at their Dallas station. While there I help passengers get to and from the train and answer lots of questions about riding and various other services onboard. Many locals come through the station too wanting information on riding DART or the Trinity Rail Express to Ft. Worth so I help them out as well. The organization through which I volunteer through is called TEMPO, or the “Texas Eagle Marketing & Performance Organization.” Three times a year we get together in various cities along the route of the Texas Eagle, and this time the meeting was in Chicago.

The meeting was an all day affair at the Hyatt Regency in downtown. I actually remember staying at the Hyatt 15 years ago when I was in 7th grade. My middle school band was invited to play in Chicago at the Midwest International Band & Clinic, which was a pretty prestigious honor, especially for a middle school band. But the Hyatt was where we stayed during our tour so long ago. It was pretty fun to see the hotel again although I didn’t remember a whole lot about it.

The meeting lasted until about 4:00 PM where then we had a long break before our traditional dinner. It was at a very nice restaurant called Petterino’s, which was near the hotel. Various officials from Amtrak were also in attendance and somehow I ended up at the same table as the Amtrak CEO. ☺ I was only two seats down so I was able to converse with him during our dinner.

Afterwards, Robert and I walked back to his condo where we both turned in for the night.

 

[saxman]

Day 6- May 16, 2010

For some reason, I woke up early again and couldn’t fall asleep again. Robert was already up and asked if I was going to do another point run before my departure that afternoon on the Texas Eagle. Since I was already awake, I figured why not, so I grabbed the bags and we headed back for the station. Robert decided to ride along with me so we again hopped a Hiawatha train. We would just go to Glenview and back which is a suburb in northern Chicago and it was only about a 20 minute ride each way. The train left right at 8:25 AM and a few minutes later we got to Glenview. Since it was Sunday morning the train wasn’t very crowded. We stood on the platform in Glenview for about 8 or 10 minutes before the return Hiawatha train arrived. This train was a bit more crowded as it was coming from Milwaukee. Still more than I expected for being a Sunday morning.

By 9:30 we were back at Chicago’s Union station where Robert suggested we get some breakfast at Lou Mitchell’s Diner. It’s a good breakfast place near the station. When we arrived there was already a line but we got a table fairly quickly. The place was pretty busy and we ended up sitting across from each other at a big long table where we had to make friends with everyone sitting next to us. But since I’m use to community seating at Amtrak, this wasn’t a issue for me. I decided to have the smoked salmon omelette which was really really good. It came with potatoes and for dessert they give everyone a small small cup of soft serve ice cream.

After breakfast we went back to the station where Robert and I said our farewells and I headed to the Metropolitan Lounge to await the departure of the Texas Eagle. I also saw many other Tempo members in the lounge as we were all taking the train back home. Except I was planning on going all the way to Los Angeles.

 

[PaulM]

If they told you #380 was delayed due to flooding along the Mississippi River, I would sorta question that. #380 starts in Quincy, IL. The station stop there is at 30th Street (or 30 blocks/4 miles or so east of the Mississippi River) and the train never crosses the Mississippi as it just goes east from there. Sometimes it sits in the yards/wye at West Quincy, MO -- so maybe that was it -- but it shouldn't have had a major impact on the train. I mean if it's 50 minutes out of Quincy... its not going to lose more time because of MS River flooding.

380-383 and 381-382 always lays over in the yards in West Quincy. But you are absolutely right; MS River flooding could not have caused the delay, unless the W. Quincy levee had broken while the trainset was in the yard. Which hasn't happened since 1993 (broken levee and destroyed station, that is; not a trapped train). The route climbs immediately to a high bridge and then stays on high ground.

The problems was most like signal related. I was on 383 on May 10 in a moderate rain storm when weather related signal problems between Macomb and Plymouth caused a 30 minute delay.

 

[PaulM]

During promotions like this, I like to take short, cheap trips to gain lots of points quickly. Robert T. and I decided to do another quick round trip outside Chicago for an easy 700 points for only $19. I was up early to meet Robert again and we boarded a train for Plano, IL. I

Don't mean to brag, but I recently scored 300 points for $2.13 ($2.50 less the old fogy discount). I parked at the Alton, IL (ALN) station, biked to St. Louis, and returned on 304.

So I went to walk about the quaint little town of Plano, IL. It’s a bit different than Plano, Texas, a large sprawling suburb north of Dallas.

If you think Plano, IL is quaint, then you caught it just in time. Plastic box subdivisions are replacing corn fields at an alarming rate; and before long it will be another Plano, TX. Next time you will have to go to the next stop, Mendota, which is quaint and has an interesting RR museum.

Enjoying your report.

 

[saxman]

Sorry guys. Been awhile. I have to board the Cardinal in about 3 minutes, so I'll post what I have so far. Hopefully tomorrow when I get to CVS, I'll find a good wifi spot during my layover.

Here's the continuation of Day 6:

Departing Chicago on the Texas Eagle

Soon it was time to board the Texas Eagle. I found my room which was room 18 in the 2132 car to Dallas. In Dallas I would switch to a different car, the 2131 car where I would have room 2. The Eagle departed Chicago on time and headed south along I-55, a route I was already familiar with from a few days earlier. It’s also interesting to note that historic Route 66 runs parallel to the track most of the way to St. Louis. Some parts aren’t even open anymore as there are weeds and grass growing in the pavement. Other parts they rebuilt another two lane road next to it, and that is considered Route 66. Even though I was going to Los Angeles, like 66 does, I would not see it again.

For dinner I met Blake and his wife. Blake was also at the Tempo meeting in Chicago and also a member of the Amtrak Unlimited forums. We chatted about trains and such and about his teaching jobs in East Texas. After dinner Blake and I met some more in the lounge car and discussed various passenger train happenings that will probably happen in the state of Texas. After that I went to bed as we rolled though Southern Missouri.

 

[saxman]

Day 7- May 17, 2010

Texas Eagle Day 2

I awoke just before arriving into Marshall, Texas. Some of the Tempo members, including Blake, detrained here. There were still remnants of the freight derailment on the platform a few weeks prior. Marshall is where a crew change is and my friends’ Steve and Larry were the next conductors to board to take us to Fort Worth. Since I volunteer in Dallas, I’ve met many of the local train crews when they come through. Larry always asks me if I’ve found a flying job yet. Sadly I still have to say nope.

I had a quick breakfast and a few hours later we pulled back into Dallas. This is where most of the remaining Tempo members got off, and I went in the station to say hi to the station agents. In Chicago, there is a good place that sells popcorn at the station, and the agents in Dallas are always wanting people to bring them some. So I was nice enough to bring them lots of cheese and caramel flavored popcorn from Chicago. Apparently no place in Dallas sells any that good.

After about a 30 minute layover in Dallas, I switched rooms where I would stay until Los Angeles. I had lunch while going between Dallas and Fort Worth. Everyone is always interested in seeing the new Cowboy’s Stadium which the train passes nearby in Arlington. Cowboy Stadium is often referred to as “Jerry World,” as Jerry Jones, the owner of the Dallas Cowboy’s, was able to get his $1 billion built. Nonetheless, it’s still an impressive building. In fact the next Super Bowl in 2011 will be held here!

Soon we made our usual backup move into the station at Fort Worth, where we would have a long layover. I went into the station and looked around and also watched the northbound Texas Eagle come and go. Since they are doing track work near Austin, our schedule was pushed back an hour to help accommodate that.

Promptly at 3:10 PM we pulled out of Fort Worth and the train made its way to San Antonio. Since the dining car staff gets off in Austin, I had to have a very early dinner at about 4:30 PM. Of course no one is hungry then so I had something very light. Later that evening we were pulling into San Antonio for our long layover until 5:40 the next morning. I stepped off the train to watch some of the switching moves there. My sleeping car and one coach car would be taken off my train and attached to the end of the Sunset Limited, which comes from New Orleans. I watched the eastbound Sunset Limited arrive and leave its two cars behind for the Texas Eagle which would depart the next morning. But before my train arrived, the westbound Sunset Limited, I had gone back to my room to take a nap. Unfortunately, I ended up falling asleep for the entire night and was unable to see how they did the switching moves. Oh well, maybe next time.

 

[saxman]

Day 8- May 18, 2010

Day 3 on the Texas Eagle- West Texas

By the time I woke up we were already high balling through West Texas. Del Rio was the next stop, and I had breakfast in the diner while we stopped there. The landscape changes dramatically after Del Rio. The trees gets smaller and the vastness of open land gets bigger. A few minutes after Del Rio the train passes by Lake Amistad which is a huge man made lake fed by the Rio Grande. Its also here where the train traverses the highest railroad tressle in the United States, as it crosses the Pecos River. I believe it’s over 300 feet from the rails down to the water.

It was also out here where we started facing some delays. Apparently there was a broken freight train that was moving very slowly and we had to follow behind for several miles. This also created some congestion with opposite moving trains, which eventually led to us being about 2 hours behind. This was unusual for the Sunset Limited because lately its had the best on time performance of any of the other Amtrak trains. Later we made a quick stop at Sanderson, and then Alpine. At Alpine, we were able to step off and stretch our legs for a few minutes while there was a crew change. Alpine is nice little town and is also the gateway to Big Bend National Park. It is also home to Sul Ross State University. I didn’t know of anyone that went there though.

A few hours after Alpine we got to El Paso. At El Paso, I was in the middle of eating dinner, so I wasn’t able to step off for very long. I was hoping to go see the station on the inside, but due to our tardiness, I did not want to go far. El Paso is also interesting, because the station sits just a stones through away into Mexico. It’s quite a contrast between Juarez on the Mexican side and El Paso on the U.S. side. For a few miles the train goes right along the border, which is marked by a large wall and fence. Sometimes you can see Border Patrol vehicles sitting atop the hills looking for anyone who might dare to cross. Yet after we crossed the Rio Grande, I would say goodbye to Texas until I returned home from my trip. I was now in New Mexico, where I turned in for the night.

 

[rtabern]

Enjoying reading your posts!! Hope youre having a good trip!!!

 

[saxman]

Day 9- May 19, 2010

Arrival in California

Due to hour morning arrival into LAX, I set my alarm so I would be up in time for breakfast. It starts at 5:30 so the dining car staff can have the car all cleaned before the scheduled 8:30 arrival. Yet, every time I set my alarm for an early time, I always wake up a few minutes before it is set to go off. This morning was no different. I was wide awake, so I got dressed and headed for the diner. I had some French toast along with my usual coffee. Then I returned to my room to find that my sleeping car attendant had already put my bed away. I usually like it when I can go back to my room and lay down a bit, but too late. I even closed my curtains when I left.

After breakfast the train pulled into Palm Springs, California. Right by the station there are probably thousands upon thousands of large wind generators. They seem to go on for miles and miles in places. I’m not sure if having that many is really attractive or not. But it sure was interesting. After a brief step off the train we were back on our way to Los Angeles. I spent most of the morning looking out the window as we came into the outer suburbs of Southern California. Almost makes Dallas/Fort Worth seem like a small community. But that’s probably because I not as familiar with the area, so it seems bigger. Brief station stops were made at Ontario and Pomona and soon we finally pulled into LA’s Union Station, about an hour behind schedule. I had just completed my longest single train segment ever, 3 days and 3 nights, and 2728 miles!

My train riding wasn’t over yet though. I still had to catch a train to San Diego. My friend Patrick was waiting on the platform when we pulled into LAX. He was going to go with me to San Diego. We were planning on catching the 9:40 train, but somehow we missed it while I went in to check my bag. The next train wasn’t until 11:10, so we decided to have breakfast at Philipp;s French Dip Sandwiches. Philipp’s is a local joint just a block from Union Station and is famous for their French dipped sandwiches. They have a good breakfast too so I had the standard bacon and eggs.

Patrick and I headed back over to Union Station to board our next train, The Pacific Surfliner bound for San Diego. I wanted to see the USS Midway which is an aircraft carrier that served from the 40’s all the way until 1992. It was an excellent tour with audio included so I was able to get a lot out of it. You also get a great view of San Diego Bay so we took lots of pictures of the city.

After seeing the ship we went back to the station to retrieve our bags and headed up hill to the hotel. It was the same Rodeway Inn that Patrick and I stayed in just over a year ago during my 2009 USA Rail Tour. The last part of the walk up a very steep incline probably burned off all the calories I took in for the day. ☺

Later that evening we headed down the street to check out the Gas Lamp District. It’s full of restaurants and bars, and we chose an Indian place to eat at. It was very very good. We walked about the area for a bit after dinner, then we decided to call it a night. I was ready to sleep in a real bed that wasn’t moving.

 

[saxman]

Day 10- May 20, 2010

Trains and Trolley's in San Diego

Today was a day of train riding for us. We got up at about 8:00 AM to check out of our hotel and headed back to the Santa Fe Depot in San Diego. Our plan was to take the San Diego Trolley down to the Tijuana and back. We both stored our bags and took the hour ride down to the border. We decided on not going across the border into Mexico but at least I got to see it. The Trolley stops right at the border crossing where you are able to walk across if you wish. Many do so everyday. The problem is not getting into Mexico, but it's the coming back that can cause problems I heard.

Patrick and I headed back north on the Trolley where we rode around downtown a bit before heading back to the depot. Patrick was going to head back home which was near LA. I thought I would ride part way with him. So we caught Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner #775 back north. I decided to get off in Oceanside so I could ride the new Sprinter service over to Escondido. The Sprinter commuter rail system makes frequent runs between Oceanside and Escondido. Yet, what makes this service unique is the type of rail car it uses. Instead of the normal diesel-electric motors, this one uses diesel-hydraulic. In other words the thing sounds and drives like a diesel pick-up truck, including gear changes when accelerating. Patrick said he didn't really care for it, but I didn't think it was so bad. The cars were very modern looking and clean. A glass window and door is in front for the driver so you can easily see out front.

The round trip turn on Sprinter took about two hours and soon I was back at Oceanside. There I boarded another southbound Pacific Surfliner and headed back for San Diego. Back in San Diego I walked across the street to my new hotel for the night. It was a European style hotel meaning that it was very utilitarian. My room had a twin bed, a desk, and a wardrobe. Down the hall was a bathroom with showers. I didn't mind though. It was my kind of price and I will stay there again next time. I spent the rest of the evening walking around town and took several pictures of the shoreline. I headed back to the hotel for the night as I would have to be up very early the next morning.

 

[saxman]

Day 11- May 21, 2010

I was up very early this morning so I could board the early train back to LAX. It departed at 6:10 AM, and a couple hours later I was back to LA. It just so happened that Tom B, otherwise known at “MrFSS” was transferring at LA Union Station coming off the Southwest Chief and going on the Coast Starlight. Patrick was also there so we all said hello and a took a few pictures. Patrick and I were both hungry so we headed back to Philippes for some breakfast again. It was good as usual and we went back to meet Tom once again. But apparently Tom had already board his train, the Coast Starlight. So we went out to the platforms and found Tom waiting in the Parlour Car already. We flagged him down from outside and he came out again to say hi. Soon it was time for his train to depart so Patrick and I stood on the platform to watch the Starlight depart Union Station.

Right about that time, it was time for my departure to the north up the San Jaoquin Valley. I had to get a bus connection, so I boarded a bus at 10:45 which took me to Bakersfield. The bus route to Bakersfield is actually quite scenic as you climb out of Los Angeles and climb through the Tehachapi Mountains. Just before Bakersfield, the mountain range ends and your back in flat farmlands. Its amazing how much the terrain changes in this area so quickly. We arrived into Bakersfield a few minutes early where my next train was already waiting and boarding. I took a few minutes to take some pictures of the area and soon found my seat on a very crowded San Joaquin Service train. My destination was Fresno.

About 2 hours later we pulled into the station at Fresno. Here I was going to rent a car and drive around the national parks for a few days. Hertz was there to pick me up, but my checked luggage did not make it to Fresno. This would turn out to be a problem because I needed some of my warm clothes for visiting the national parks. Eventually the station agents were able to find out where my bag had gone. Turns out they missed it when it was supposed to get off in Los Angeles and kept going to Santa Barbara. It was already enroute to Fresno, yet would not arrive until 8:30 that evening. Great! There was little I could do so I decided to go rent my car. A man from Hertz kindly drove me over the rental car place so I could pick up my car. I got a Toyota Matrix and even came with a GPS included at no additional cost! Not that I needed the thing anyway, but it did come in quite handy.

Next I headed to Walmart for supplies. I found a fifteen dollar tent and a twenty dollar sleeping bag, along with a few other camping essentials. I figured while I was waiting on my bag I may as well find a state park near by and camp there. That way I wouldn’t need too many warm clothes. So I headed for the foothills near Yosemite to a state park called Millerton. It was on a small lake with some big hills and I had a site right on the lake. Since it was the weekend it was pretty crowded. It felt a little weird though camping out by myself. I set up my Walmart tent and I was in business. Soon it got dark so I just went to sleep. However, I didn’t really get much sleep because some people next to me were being noisy. I don’t mean that they were just up late and talking loud. Apparently they thought it was okay to blare out loud rap music on their car sterrio at 1:00 AM. I don’t get people being so inconsiderate sometimes. I got up to yell at them, and they turned it down. After finally getting to sleep, I was up early again to get an early start. Since it was about 6:00 AM, my new friends sleeping. I really wanted to be loud as possible, but trying to be loud taking down my tent was harder than it sounds.

 

[saxman]

Day 12- May 22, 2010

After I packed up, I headed back to Fresno to pick up my lost bag. It arrived and I headed to the hills. Next stop: Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Park! As I ascended the hills, which later turned to mountains, the tempurature dropped significantly. A couple hours later I entered Kings Canyon, which is a large U-shaped canyon formed by glaciers and runs along the King River. I also got to see the giant sequoia trees, which seemed to be even bigger than redwoods. When mature, these trees get to be over three thousand years old! That’s quite a bit older than anyone I know. I drove all the way into King Canyon and back. It took most of the afternoon because I also wanted to drive down into Sequoia NP. The two parks are right next to each other

I drove through the parks stopping to take lots of pictures and eventually got to the southern end of Sequoia where it was warm. Unfortunately, all the campsites at the bottom of the mountain were taken so I would have to find something else. I eventually made it all the way to Visalia, where I stayed at the Econo Lodge.

 

[WhoozOn1st]

My train riding wasn’t over yet though. I still had to catch a train to San Diego. My friend Patrick was waiting on the platform when we pulled into LAX. He was going to go with me to San Diego. We were planning on catching the 9:40 train, but somehow we missed it while I went in to check my bag. The next train wasn’t until 11:10, so we decided to have breakfast at Philipp;s French Dip Sandwiches. Philipp’s is a local joint just a block from Union Station and is famous for their French dipped sandwiches. They have a good breakfast too so I had the standard bacon and eggs.
Patrick and I headed back over to Union Station to board our next train, The Pacific Surfliner bound for San Diego. I wanted to see the USS Midway which is an aircraft carrier that served from the 40’s all the way until 1992. It was an excellent tour with audio included so I was able to get a lot out of it. You also get a great view of San Diego Bay so we took lots of pictures of the city.

After seeing the ship we went back to the station to retrieve our bags and headed up hill to the hotel. It was the same Rodeway Inn that Patrick and I stayed in just over a year ago during my 2009 USA Rail Tour. The last part of the walk up a very steep incline probably burned off all the calories I took in for the day. ☺

Some pics from the day: Whooz Saxman, 5-19-10 - A couple Amtrak Unlimited pals do some SoCal train riding and touristing. (comprehensively captioned)

That last hill up to the Rodeway Inn is brutal. Saxman had 2 fairly heavy bags, while I was essentially unencumbered, so I offered to haul one and race him up the incline. A dead heat. At check-in we were asked for information about parking a car. "No car," I gasped. "You came up the hill?" "Good guess, seeing as how we're standing here dripping in sweat and out of breath."

 

[saxman]

Day 13- May 23, 2010

A very cold night

I slept until about 8:00 AM as I really enjoyed my real bed at the hotel. I had some breakfast and packed up the car again while I tried to decide where I wanted to go. I would have really liked to drive up the eastern side of the parks which is lined by US Highway 395. Death Valley was also suggested to me as a place to see. There were either back roads across or if I drove much farther south I could have crossed there, but this would add a couple hundred miles to my driving time. So I eventually decided on the back mountain roads. I drove for about 30 minutes to an hour up a narrow road with tight turns and lots of switch backs. I noticed cars going the opposite direction had about one or two inches of snow on them. It didn’t seem like a good sign up ahead, but I pressed on. I eventually came to a mountain village called Camp Nelson. I passed it by about another 5 miles until I came upon a sign that read “chains required.” Hmm, it didn’t look bad but apparently there had been a snow storm up ahead and I didn’t want to get caught without having chains in the car. Oh well…I turned back and stopped in the diner at the town I had just passed. Luckily it had wireless Internet so I was able to do a little research and figure out my next plan of action. Obviously I wasn’t going to make it the other side of the mountain range.

I figured with my pass I could go back and visit Kings Canyon, so I decided to do just that. I would take about two hours to get there again, but I figured I could camp down in there again as all those campsites were available the day prior. After driving on many more mountain roads I eventually arrived back at the bottom of the canyon by late afternoon. Much of the camp was empty so I decided to camp near the people that were there. Out of nearly 100 available sites there were probably 5 other groups camping down there. It would be a quiet night. I also knew it would probably be cold.

And cold it was. That night it probably got down into the twenties. I was sleeping in my clothes and a hooded sweatshirt. I also had bought a fleece sleeping bag to go along with my real sleeping back. Once I was all wrapped up and covered my head I stayed pretty warm, but it still was an adventurous night.