Southwest Chief leaving LAX - 2 questions

[user 6862]

Have now booked trains 2 and 3 for our Spring US trip, and again as for the first trip the price quoted in initial reservations was the price we paid online. Perhaps that bug in the booking system that created a problem when booking for 2 with a roomette is now in the past?

We arrive in LAX on the Surfliner at 12:15pm and leave on the Southwest Chief at 6:15pm so have 6 hours exactly between trains. Allowing for arriving and preparing to board later I guess we have a comfortable 4 hours in LAX, would that be about right?

Any suggestions to what we can do either roughly in the station area or even away from the station that doesn't put any pressure on us re time?

When we board the SWC, do they serve dinner that evening or is the first meal breakfast the next day (I have searched the forum but couldn't find an answer leaving LAX).

Thanks

 

[benale]

Union Station is in a very historic section of LA within walking distance. Phillipes is a great restaurant nearby that everybody raves about. If you are arriving in business class on the Surfliner and/or have a sleeper on the SW chief you could use the Metropolitan Lounge. If you have at least four hours you can take the Red Line subway to Hollywood. There are other lines running from Union Station,as well. Hardly a shortage of things to do during a layover. If the weather is nice,it is pleasant to sit in the garden./

 

[seat38a]

Based on Amtrak, meal service schedule, http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentServer?c=Page&pagename=am%2FLayout&cid=1248539615772 you should be getting dinner on board. Right across the street from the Station is Olvera Street, the historic heart of Los Angeles and also the Red Line (Hollwood / Highland Station) will take you right into the heart of Hollywood / Mann's Chinese Theatre or Whatever they are calling it these days. If you are a sleeper passenger, they will board you from the Lounge via red cap if you request it. You can also go up to the lounge and leave your luggage with the attendant for safe keeping. Actually even when I have not requested Red Cap service they have taken me to the platform through the back in a golf cart.

 

[oregon pioneer]

When Hubby and I are in Los Angeles for a few hours, we stroll up Olvera Street (small Mexican shops and restaurants in historic buildings), and then we walk a few blocks further up the hill away from the station, till we come to Chinatown. Here's a map including all of these attractions. Zoom in a couple of times, and you can see Los Angeles Union Station and Olvera Street. If you continue past Olvera Street, and up Cesar Chavez Blvd another block or two, you'll come to Broadway. Cross Cesar Chavez, and go north along Broadway for 5 or 6 blocks. It's a classic American Chinatown, with grocery stores, import stores, restaurants and festivals. We have even stayed in a motel in Cinatown, and were the only English-speakers staying there, ha, ha!

You can indeed take public transit to Hollywood, but it always makes me a little nervous to be further than walking distance from the station, when I must catch a train very soon. I did enjoy going to the La Brea Tar Pits, a prehistoric fossil excavation site. I believe we took the Red Line to get there, but we might have needed to change to a bus as well. You can find the LA public transit trip planner here.

 

[Bob Dylan]

Nice itinerary! You will get dinner in the diner on #3 leaving LAX, its a limited menu with three entree choices but the sides and desert are what's on regular offer! Your sleeper attendant should have a reservation time for you when you board! Breakfast will be served starting @ 6:30am in Arizona, its always first come, first served!

I agree that having lunch @ Philippe is a must and you will enjoy strolling in the Olvera District and Chinatown as was said!

Union Station itself is beautiful, a Spanish Style Building, last of the Modern Grand Stations to be built in the 1930s! Chinatown was actually relocated to build the Station!

The new Metro Lounge is upstairs over the Amtrak Ticket Counters, there is an Elevator around the corner past the Ticket windows but you may want to use a Redcap when you arrive,they'll take you to the Lounge on a Golf Cart, in fact its a good idea to use one from the Lounge to board, just tell the attendant when you check into the Lounge!

 

[GG-1]

Aloha

If I remember correctly there is only 1 meal sitting as you leave Fullerton usually at 7:00pm. everything Jim said is correct about the SCA having made the reservation and the limited choices.

 

[NW cannonball]

Had two layovers last 2 years at LAUS. Never ever was there before -- but -- forget how totally vile LA is portrayed as. LAUS is --

The station itself is beautiful, the courtyard is calm and beautiful, Olvera Street is cheap and even dumb tourists get bored there real quick, you don't want to eat there --

Philippe - good -- good. Chinatown on your right - Little Tokyo on your left. -- The High-Rise "detention center" near by.

Me -- took the Gold line (light rail - day pass $5) to Pasadena on my waiting time. Got good food near some LRT stop. Then rode the Blue line to Watts -- not so good.

Hollywood - I know it's famous -- but won't ever go there -- Watts, Long Beach, "east LA" all higher on my bucket list.

Suggest take any metro line for $5 day pass. Just explore. LA didn't seem as evil as it was portrayed. Actually liked the place.

 

[user 6862]

First, thanks to everyone for their input, we really do use your information to help plan this trip and it will be better for that.

It's plain there is much to see and do in LA and to suit every taste, but the main point is there is a time constraint not a lack of places to go. Also we are on vacation so don't have any wish to fill every minute of every day, just want one or two things that will allow us to have a place to go that will show a little more of where we are.

So far we have decided we will walk a little including City Hall area plus maybe a light rail day pass to the science museum to see Endeavour. That's allowing a couple of hours to spend at the station which sounds wonderful.

The purpose of the meal question was there is no lunch when the CZ leaves Chicago so wasn't sure if dinner was possible when the SWC leaves LA.

So far our full booked itinerary is -

Arrive Chicago - CZ to san Francisco - car rental to drive Hwy 1 down to SLO and back to SF via Salinas - San Joachim to SLO - Surfliner from SLO to LA - Southwest Chief to Kansas City

The last section from KCY to Charleston and onto Naples, Fl then back to Cocoa Beach for the Space Center and fly back from Orlando is yet to be booked but there will be one more train in there somewhere.

For us this is a 'travel' trip of a lifetime, although we have plans for others later if we can. Couldn't have arranged things so well without the help from this forum, it is superb.

 

[oregon pioneer]

City Hall area is very nice, there is a pedestrain mall/park where you can walk up the hill under the greenery (you can see it on the maps). Easy to walk Olvera Street, City Hall park, and then even Chinatown in an afternoon's stroll, as long as walking (and not shopping) is what you want to do.

You must mean bus to SLO? It might be on the San Joaquins train schedule, but it's a connecting bus.

 

[user 6862]

You must mean bus to SLO?

Yes of course you are right, my mistake. It's bus, train and then from Hanford bus again. By using this route from SF we get to travel the Central Valley which I think is an important part of California? and have read a little about it.

If we get to Phillipes for lunch, any recommendations for moderate eaters?

Thanks

 

[Bob Dylan]

Jamie; their French dip sandwiches are famous and the claim is they were invented here! The Beef is OK but the Lamb is to Die for! Some like the Single Dip( AU jus), make mine Double!!! They also serve Full Breakfasts and have 45 cent coffee ( used to be 9 cents) and lots of Deli type food! You order @ the counter, Pay and either eat by the counter @ tables or go to the booths up front! There is sports memrobelia, a model train room and pictures of old LA on the walls!

People flock there from all over LA for Breakfast and Lunch but service is punctual and the food so good you'll want to go off your regular diet a little or a lot! LOL

Google up Philippe the Original/ Los Angeles, nice web site!

 

[me_little_me]

Have now booked trains 2 and 3 for our Spring US trip, and again as for the first trip the price quoted in initial reservations was the price we paid online. Perhaps that bug in the booking system that created a problem when booking for 2 with a roomette is now in the past?

That bug seemed to occur only when there was "only one room left at this price" [or whatever it said] and not when there was more than one.

 

[NW cannonball]

First, thanks to everyone for their input, we really do use your information to help plan this trip and it will be better for that.

It's plain there is much to see and do in LA and to suit every taste, but the main point is there is a time constraint not a lack of places to go. Also we are on vacation so don't have any wish to fill every minute of every day, just want one or two things that will allow us to have a place to go that will show a little more of where we are.

So far we have decided we will walk a little including City Hall area plus maybe a light rail day pass to the science museum to see Endeavour. That's allowing a couple of hours to spend at the station which sounds wonderful.

The purpose of the meal question was there is no lunch when the CZ leaves Chicago so wasn't sure if dinner was possible when the SWC leaves LA.

So far our full booked itinerary is -

Arrive Chicago - CZ to san Francisco - car rental to drive Hwy 1 down to SLO and back to SF via Salinas - San Joachim to SLO - Surfliner from SLO to LA - Southwest Chief to Kansas City

The last section from KCY to Charleston and onto Naples, Fl then back to Cocoa Beach for the Space Center and fly back from Orlando is yet to be booked but there will be one more train in there somewhere.

For us this is a 'travel' trip of a lifetime, although we have plans for others later if we can. Couldn't have arranged things so well without the help from this forum, it is superb.

Well, in your time at SLO - take the local dollar bus to Pismo Beach. Wade in the surf. SLO is a (probably) college tow

 

[greatcats]

I have had at least one good dinner at one of the Olivera St. Restaurants. Good place to pass a little time.