Third Annual Amtrak Journey

[spot1181]

We are leaving Monday Oct 4 Cincinnati-Chicago-Los Angelas-San Antonio-Chicago-Cincinnati, train all the way, no stops. Any suggestions on what to do in LA for 14 hours, short trips or places to see?

Also, I haven't heard much about the diner menus lately. The luck I have is all trains on my previous trips were on the same menu.

All help appreciated, wish us luck with our connections, we'll need it.

Thanks, spot

 

[Amfleet]

There are four dining car menus that rotate throughout the system. Trains that serve more than one dinner per trip have nightly specials to make for a little variety.

 

[gswager]

You can do continue railfanning to San Diego and back on combination of commuters Metrolink/Coaster and Pacific Surfliner, or other commuter lines within LA area.

Ideas to visiting: Queen Mary, Catalina Island, beach, Griffith Observatory, Hollywood, Disneyland, Knott's Berry Farm, Six Flags Magic Mountain, Universal Studios, Long Beach aquarium, etc.

If you would like to let us know more specific to your desire, then we can narrow down the choices on where you would like to explore.

Here's the websites for public transportations:

Metrolink

Coaster

LA commuter lines

 

[spot1181]

We are looking for something like a rail trip away and back to Union Station without being pushed for time. The San Diego trip sounds good.

 

[engine999]

Check into metrolink, or consider one of the mta rail lines. You should be able to find some rail day trip for the lay over. The san diego one is probably a good option too.

 

[Firebert]

Spot-

I used to live in San Diego, there's plenty of great things to do down town. If you hop the trolley to the Convention Center and walk about 2 blocks north there's a great restaurant called Pat & Oscar's. I highly recommend you try it. You can also hop bus #7 on Broadway (just south of the station) to Balboa Park and see the San Diego Zoo or even the Model Railroad Museum. You can also trolley north to Old Town or Fashion Valley. Both are major transit terminals that can get you nearly anywhere in the city. Have a great trip!

-Firebert

 

[tp49]

If you were feeling really adventerous you can take the San Diego Trolley down to San Ysidro and be a stones throw from the Mexican border, and a possible quick trip across.

 

[GG-1]

We are leaving Monday Oct 4 Cincinnati-Chicago-Los Angelas-San Antonio-Chicago-Cincinnati, train all the way, no stops. Any suggestions on what to do in LA for 14 hours, short trips or places to see?

Aloha

What train are you arriving on? Will you really have 14 Hours?

 

[gswager]

We are leaving Monday Oct 4 Cincinnati-Chicago-Los Angelas-San Antonio-Chicago-Cincinnati, train all the way, no stops. Any suggestions on what to do in LA for 14 hours, short trips or places to see?

Aloha

What train are you arriving on? Will you really have 14 Hours?

Chicago-LAX would be Southwest Chief

LAX-San Antonio (Chicago) would be Texas Eagle (Sunset Limited to Florida, or in that case New Orleans if it's really late)

Southwest Chief has a good history of arrival time schedule even though I haven't seen the monthly report of Amtrak arrival status for several months.

 

[Trogdor]

Don't have the link available right now, but Amtrak's OTP stats are available in the very back of their monthly financial reports. July's is available, don't know about August. In July, the Chief was on-time a whopping 29% of the trips.

 

[GG-1]

We are leaving Monday Oct 4 Cincinnati-Chicago-Los Angelas-San Antonio-Chicago-Cincinnati, train all the way, no stops. Any suggestions on what to do in LA for 14 hours, short trips or places to see?

Aloha

What train are you arriving on? Will you really have 14 Hours?

Chicago-LAX would be Southwest Chief

Aloha

Just rode the Southwest Chief last week and it was a blast. If your sleeper is 331 you may have the same car attendent as I did. She was to be off for five days but if she is on, she is great. If it is Joan tell her "Aloha" from Eric.

Since you will be close to on time, I suggest, you follow others ideas to visit San Deigo. However rather than continue to LAX, get off in Fullerton and take either an Amtrak Surfliner, or the mertolink trains, from there. The station has good facilities and frequent service south. You will also see the same track back to LAX on the Surfliner return. Your checked bags to LAX will be fine if you claim them on your return from San Deigo. The fare from Fullerton to SD is 17.00.

Plan on a seat on the right side while traveling south, The shoreline is incredable, except for Camp Pendelton, all though not like mine, but mine doesn't have the train next to the beach. My daughter, Granddaughter and I did a day trip to SD Sept 12. (see trip roport, Honolulu to New Orleans) which was a pleasure.

If you don't want to travel Disneyland is expensive but the holiday events start in October, with the Haunted Mansion Nightmare before Christmas, you might consider it.

Anyway what ever you decide, ENJOY

Eric

 

[gswager]

How about Santa Barbara? Going to San Luis Obispo is really nice since the train goes through Vandenberg AFB which you'll see several launch pads. Unfortunately, schedule doesn't fit.

 

[spot1181]

We arrive 8:30am Wed LA, then leave 10:30pm Wed night. Is there enough time to go to San Diego and back? Would you buy tickets in advance?

 

[engine999]

There is more then enough time. It is only a 2 and a half hour trip IIRC. So round trip would be 5 to 5 and a half hours. As long as you dont have a really long layover in San Diego you should be fine. I would wait to purchase my tickets. On occaison long distance trains can be over 4 hours late.

 

[Anthony]

lax to san diego is 2 hr 50 min according to the timetable

lax to santa barbara is about 2 hr 40 min...

it's a wash. sba station is right downtown about a block from the beach and stearn's wharf. makes a really nice few hours to walk around ... then again, it's been years since i've been in san diego, so there may be enough of an attraction there as well.

here's my vote for sba

 

[battalion51]

I really would reccomend a day trip, it gives you something to do other than sit around LAX for an entire day bored out of your mind. See if you can't leave some of your luggage in lockers or something like that so you don't have to lug all of your stuff around. Make sure you also allow for a buffer period between trains of at least an hour or so. Enjoy!

 

[Anthony]

I don't think LAX has any lockers... but maybe the Amtrak baggage room will let you store things there for a fee. :unsure:

 

[GG-1]

I don't think LAX has any lockers... but maybe the Amtrak baggage room will let you store things there for a fee.   :unsure:

Aloha

On my layover (5 hours) in Emeryville I stored my bags by not claiming them. Some part of my ticket documents said the would be held for 24 hours without charge. Could not do that in Chacigo as the bag was checked through on a missed train. I departed on a different tran the next day.

 

[battalion51]

Actually I believe the policy is that they will be held for 48 hours without charge.

 

[City of Miami]

San Diego and Santa Barbara are fine and I wouldn't be bored out of my mind in LA for a day. At least, walk up the hill and have a look at the new Disney Hall across from the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. There is also Japantown close by Union Station not to mention Phillipe's and Chinatown. From Union Station you can explore the LA subway and go to Long Beach or Hollywood or Pasadena with ease, not to mention interest. The Dash buses around the downtown area are only 25 cents. The Queen Mary is not worth it plus they charge about $23 IIRC. Lots of options. Good luck on the train!!

 

[spot1181]

Thanks everybody. Time for a short nap then down to Union Terminal in Cincy. I think we will take the San Diego trip. Let you know what happens. Thanks again, Spot1181

 

[spot1181]

We arrived back in Cincinnati this morning at 6:30. Here are a few quick highlights as I still have a case of the trainlegs. Cardinal and Southwest Chief both were on time. In Albuquerque two women were tossed from the train for fighting and another for placing a sign in the next seat saying " if anybody sits in this seat I'll kill them". In L.A. our bags were checked for free while we took our day trip to San Diego which went well. On the way back to LA, I was surprized at the majority of Red Sox fans on the ride to Anaheim.

The Sunset left two hours late because of engine problems. Of course we had the same diner menu, specials too. I had the upper bunk in the standard sleeper until Chicago, which to me was a preview of my final resting place in a casket. On, I forgot, I'm being cremated.

In San Antonio we were two hours, 45 minutes late, so we only lost 45 after starting out two hours late. Now on the Texas Eagle, in Austin we got to see the Longhorn fans heading for the Red River Shootout. An extra coach car was on for them as they said Amtrak heavily advertised. They even showed UTexas videos in the lounge.

This was our first stay in the Transition Dorn, room 23. Got to hear a lot of the 'backroom workings' of the train. All upstairs standard rooms were full. Plus since we were next to the diner we had first access to all meals.

Back to Chicago on time. The Cardinal left on schedule, but we arrived in Cincinnati two hours late. It was a great trip, but nice to be home.

 

[JESUSrocks]

Thanks for the report