April 15, 2017
Amtrak Chicago to Emeryville, CA 230p – 430p+2 California Zephyr First Class

I suppose it’s possible if not probable that most people – after having completed a 7 day, 4700 mile train ride across Asia - would have had their fill of train travel for a while.

Not me.

I’ve been looking forward to this portion of the trip with every bit as much enthusiasm as any other part of this grand adventure. The California Zephyr is widely regarded as the most scenic of Amtrak’s long distance routes and is without question my favorite of all Amtrak’s long distance trains. The name suggests a gentle Western breeze carrying you across the heart of America to the golden shores of California. For many travelers, that’s a prospect every bit as comforting as it is exciting. By comparison, an airline flight between Chicago and San Francisco offers you a seat aboard a nameless Boeing or an Airbus.



The route of the California Zephyr


My first ever long distance train ride came aboard the original California Zephyr back in 1969. I was on my way from Denver to a river rafting camp outside of Glenwood Springs, Colorado. The Zephyr was in its final year of independent operation prior to the nationalization of the nation’s passenger railroads and the arrival of Amtrak. The six hour 190 mile ride up through the Rocky Mountains and the canyons of the Colorado River was a magical experience that instilled in me a passion for train travel that still burns hot to this day.



The original California Zephyr climbing into the Rocky Mountains


So it is then that I awoke this morning with vim and vigor, excited and ready to return to the rails for a four day journey that will take me first to California aboard the Zephyr and then north along the Pacific Coast and through the Pacific Northwest aboard Amtrak’s Coast Starlight to Seattle.


* * * :-: * * * :-: * * *



The hotel shuttle delivered me to Terminal 2, the most convenient access point for anyone taking Chicago’s CTA trains into the city. The Blue Line trains are inexpensive ($5.00 one way) and fast, generally getting you into the heart of Chicago much faster than a cab – especially during rush hour.



A seat on the CTA Blue Line


Normally I get off at the Clinton Street Station, which is only a three block walk from Chicago’s Union Station. However, this station is not ADA compliant and so you must climb a fairly lengthy flight of stairs – a couple of them as I recall. As my roll-a-bord had gotten quite a bit heavier over the course of this trip, I decided to get off at the Jackson St. Station and catch a cab from there.

Chicago’s Union Station is massive, taking up approximately nine and a half city blocks. Built in the popular Beaux-Arts style seen in stations at Kansas City, St. Louis and Denver to name just three, Union Station is known for its distinctive Corinthian columns and magnificent Great Hall. The station has been designated as one of America’s “Great Places” by the American Planning Association and for those that have an hour or two between or before trains, it’s worth having a look around.



Chicago’s Union Station


Chicago’s Union Station


Chicago’s Union Station


Perhaps it happened when I was getting out of the cab. Or maybe it was a moment or two later out in the street. All I know is that when I walked into Amtrak’s new Metropolitan Lounge and took off my daypack to retrieve my train ticket, I noticed that my wallet was missing. The pocket that I normally keep it in on the outside of my pack was unzipped and wide open with no wallet within. It was a terrible feeling, because given the locale and the hundreds of people who could have stumbled across that wallet had it fallen out of my daypack, well… let’s just say I didn’t feel real good about my chances of recovering it.

I won’t bore you with all the various things I did over the next 45 minutes in an effort to find that wallet. Suffice it to say that they all proved futile. I had about $130.00 in cash plus three credit cards and one debit card. I managed to cancel all of the credit cards without incident but by the time I called to cancel the debit card, someone had already rung up $3100.00 in charges on it. That will of course be reimbursed but still … Any of you who’ve ever had a wallet stolen know what a hassle it is.

So there I was in Chicago’s Union Station with $1.25 in my pocket and a ticket out of town. The train was due to depart in 25 minutes. Thankfully I still had my passport. Since my First Class tickets on the Zephyr included all meals, I decided my best course of action would be to board the train and see what I could work out along the way.

Now then – where is it leaving from? Ah – South Concourse, Track 22.



California Zephyr – All Aboard!


Each Amtrak bi-level Superliner Sleeper is outfitted with 14 Roomettes, 5 Deluxe bedrooms, 1 Family bedroom and one Handicapped bedroom. Four roomettes along with the Family and Handicapped bedrooms are located downstairs. As always I had reserved roomette #11, located downstairs and to the left.



Roomette 11 – First door on the left


Although most people are excited about the prospect of a seat or bedroom high on the upper level of Amtrak’s Superliner fleet, I prefer a lower level room for two reasons. First, the downstairs rooms are quieter because there is much less foot traffic passing by your door. All the inter-car traffic is upstairs. Secondly, riding in the lower level of the car results in much less tilt motion than is experienced on the upper levels. Like a fulcrum point on a seesaw, the ride is smoother down closer to the tracks.

The roomettes measure 3’6” by 6’6” and are accessed via a sliding glass door. During the day they offer two wide opposite facing seats that fold together to become a bed at night. Above them is a fold-down upper berth. Other amenities include four separate lights, an electrical outlet, a tall mirror, a fold out table, a small open closet with hangers and a thermostat which I immediately turned to its lowest level. Best of all, each compartment has its own huge window, approximately 2’ X 5’, through which to view the passing scenery. Toilet and shower facilities are down the hall. For a single traveler, I think these roomettes are quite sufficient and comfortable which is a good thing because they would be my home for the next four nights.

At my seat were two big fluffy pillows and two hangars. On the center console where the table is stored were two bottles of water and a variety of pamphlets about the train. There was a route guide, a timetable, Amtrak’s excellent magazine The National and a brochure describing the train and its various services and attractions. Also provided was a safety card much like you’d see aboard an airliner.



Roomette in daytime configuration


Family Bedroom


Deluxe Bedroom


Shower Suite


Shower Suite


At the top of the stairway is the service area for each car. In the morning, juice and coffee are available from this area. Ice is occasionally available depending upon the car attendant, though they’ll always be happy to bring you some upon request as well.



Service Area


I hung my jacket and then grabbed my camera and stepped off the train for a couple of photos. Train travel is exciting stuff with plenty of sights, sounds and smells to stimulate the senses. Amtrak’s bi-level Superliner cars are huge, towering above those of us down on the platform.



Huge Superliner Car


It wasn’t long before the “All Aboard!” call rang out and I quickly re-boarded the train. The doors were closed, the step stools stowed and just like that, the California Zephyr slowly accelerated out of the station. Emeryville was 52 hours and 2440 miles to the west. I settled into my roomette and started making calls.

My itinerary as originally planned had me riding the California Zephyr out to the Oakland suburb of Emeryville, overnighting in San Francisco and then flying down to Burbank the next morning to connect to the northbound Coast Starlight up to Seattle. From there I’d fly down to Phoenix, pick up a rental car and drive it up to Colorado for a short visit with family before heading back home to Alaska.

With no driver’s license or credit card, I’d be unable to rent a car. I was really looking forward to that drive from Arizona up to Colorado and it seemed to me that if I could make just a couple of minor adjustments, I could possibly get back on track in a couple of days. Here’s what I came up with:

After arriving in Seattle on the Coast Starlight as planned, I cancelled the Seattle to Phoenix flight and instead rebooked myself a seat back home to Fairbanks using award miles. I’d already arranged for one of my credit cards to be expedited via one-day express mail to my home address in Ester. It would be waiting for me by the time I arrived home. During my short stay in Fairbanks I’d head over to the DMV and get my license re-issued as well as run a few other wallet related errands around town. I also booked a mileage ticket for the following day down to Phoenix and then modified my rental car reservation to pick up two days later. Although I’d lose out on my swing through Joshua Tree National Park and the Mojave Desert, I’d still be able to resume my travels as originally booked simply by driving up to Flagstaff where I already had a room booked at the Travelodge off Route 66.

As for cash on hand, I had the five quarters in my pocket – not even enough to buy a cup of coffee in the lounge car. Thankfully my nephew lives in Denver and, upon hearing of my plight said he’d drive downtown and meet me during the California Zephyr’s 45 minute stop at Denver’s Union Station. He also agreed to bring me $300.00 cash and a bottle of Jack Daniels. What a great nephew!

Later, I was chatting with my car attendant Darryl, a big gregarious man with whom I’d traveled last year while on a different trip aboard the Zephyr. I remembered that Darryl was a big fan of his hometown Chicago Bears – a team which for the most part has defined mediocrity since its spectacular march to a Super Bowl title 31 years ago. We had a good time catching up on his travels (mostly back and forth across America aboard the California Zephyr) and mine (somewhat more varied) as well as discussing potential draft picks for both the Bears and the Broncos in the upcoming NFL Draft.

I also explained to Darryl what had happened to me earlier in the day at the station. My neighbor from the family room was retrieving some items from his luggage on the baggage storage shelves which are located just down the hall my room. He overheard my story and took a moment to stop by and offer me $20.00 to help me out with onboard expenses. What a nice gesture! I explained that my nephew would be meeting me in the morning with cash in hand and so would be happy to return the $20.00 then but he instead requested that I make a donation to the Red Cross. His name was Ateef and gestures like his are rare these days. I will forever more remember his kindness and hopefully - should I ever come across a traveler in similar straits - I’ll be in a position to reciprocate that kindness.

A couple of hours into the trip we’d left Chicago and its extensive suburbs behind and were now rolling past the farms and fields of western Illinois at what looked to be about 79 mph - the maximum allowable speed on this corridor.



Illinois at 79 mph


Scheduling of the California Zephyr is designed to provide passengers with optimal viewing of the Rocky Mountains and Sierra Nevada Mountains during daylight hours. The plains states and desert areas of western Utah and eastern Nevada are crossed at night. Although many consider the scenery between Chicago and Denver boring, I was impressed by the many picturesque hamlets we passed while rolling through western Illinois. This landscape is not by any means the dramatic scenery for which the Zephyr is famous, and yet I found the sight of it rolling past my window oddly soothing. Occasionally the engineer would let loose a blast from his whistle as we’d speed past farm roads and rural highways. At one crossing, a group of boys on bikes waved vigorously at the train as we flashed past. I waved back.

The rest of the afternoon passed by with alacrity. I’d spent the early part of the trip creating a spreadsheet detailing every item I could think of that needed replacing from my stolen wallet. I listed each one along with a column showing the date and time that I’d reported it and another column indicating the resolution for each item. There was a lot to be replaced including all of my airline club cards and Priority Pass along with various incidentals like voter’s registration, AAA membership and automobile and health insurance to name just a few.

Earlier in the day, a Dining Car employee had stopped by to take reservations for tonight’s dinner seatings. A variety of times between 5:00 and 7:30pm were available. I chose the 7:30pm seating. Announcements were made over the train’s PA system as each seating became available and I remember being surprised at how soon my time was up. I closed up my laptop and made my way back to the dining car, conveniently located just two cars back from mine. Along the way I noticed a lady in one of the deluxe sleepers eating in her room. It should be noted here that room service has always been an option on Amtrak trains. As a single passenger I’ve never taken advantage of it but were I traveling with someone else I should imagine it might be a nice change for one meal.

Then again, one of the most entertaining aspects of long distance train travel is meeting and getting to know your fellow travelers. The dining car is an excellent place to do just that. Dinner is far and away the most popular meal in the dining car and the number of diners relative to the number of available tables means that communal seating is the rule. The dining car steward seats people wherever available seating can be found, often with whoever shows up just before or after them. Well to do travelers who’ve strolled up from the sleepers might very well be sat across from a couple of young backpackers who’ve come up from the coaches.

On more than a few occasions I’ve ended up with a diverse and occasionally colorful collection of tablemates. This makes for some interesting conversations and - as one dining car steward once put it – you’ll start out as strangers but you may end up as friends.



Amtrak Superliner Dining Car


Tonight I was seated across from Charles and Linda Sayers, a couple from Paonia, Colorado. Although each table seats four, it was just the three of us for dinner tonight. Jillian was our waitress and she started us off with menus and a basket of surprisingly good dinner rolls. The sun sat low on the western horizon as we rolled through some attractive wetlands made all the more so by the setting sun…



Iowa wetlands at sunset


A nice setting to dine by


The beautiful evening was sufficiently distracting that when Jillian returned to take our orders none of us had even had a good look at the menus. Jillian took a moment to admire the scenery and then told us she’d give us a couple more minutes to make up our minds. Something in her tone suggested that when she returned, we’d better be ready. The [I]Zephyr[i] had recently stopped in Ottumwa, Iowa and many of the people who’d boarded there – people who hadn’t had a chance to sign up for dinner earlier – were now making their way into the dining car. Jillian and her crew were a busy lot. We dutifully turned our attention to the menu.



California Zephyr Menu


One of the nicest things about traveling First Class on Amtrak is that the fare includes all of your meals in the dining car. You can order anything you want, too - from the most expensive steak dinner to a side of sausage with your morning omelet. Dessert and non-alcoholic beverages are also included. Beer and wine are extra.

The only downside to Amtrak’s menus is that they haven’t really changed much over the past fifteen years. Breakfast, lunch and dinner have all revolved around the same four or five main courses with only a few regional exceptions, such as those offered aboard the Coast Starlight’s Pacific Parlour Car.

Imagine then my surprise and delight upon opening my menu and seeing that it incorporated a fresh new layout including a number of new menu offerings that, according to Jillian, only just went into effect today. Let’s check ‘em out! Just click on the link below and allow yourself to daydream just a little bit. What would you order?


CALIFORNIA ZEPHYR MENU


I like it! One thing that surprised me by its absence was the lack of more vegetarian entrees. When I rode aboard the Empire Builder earlier this year I remember commenting in my trip report that Amtrak’s menu was very vegetarian friendly. All of the breakfast choices are pretty good but there are only two luncheon choices and two dinner choices (IF the Vegetarian Asian Noodle Bowl is offered as a special.)

When Jillian returned to take our orders, Linda and I requested the Amtrak Signature Steak with baked potato and sour cream while Charles went for the gusto and ordered the Field & Sea Combo. I wanted to order that one too but felt guilty about the potential cost to Amtrak. That guilt evaporated the moment I saw Charles’ meal. More on that in a moment though.

Drink orders were taken and I used the first of my $20.00 from Ateef to order a Jack Daniels on the rocks. Had I not had my wallet stolen earlier in the day, I would have headed over to the CVS Pharmacy across the street from Union Station and picked up an entire bottle of JD. Heck, I mighta been half in the bag by now, so there are some positives to come from my earlier misfortune.

Drinks were served and conversation flowed easily throughout the meal. Charles had been a bank manager in Rifle, Colorado for many years. Linda was an RN and still practiced home nursing now and then – especially at home since Charles had suffered a stroke three years earlier. His mobility had suffered somewhat but mentally he was still sharp as a tack. He had some great stories and insights into Colorado history which I thoroughly enjoyed. I was born and raised in Colorado and had spent a fair amount of time in the Glenwood Springs to Rifle corridor back in the 70s. So much so in fact that Charles and I even had a mutual acquaintance out of Gypsum, Colorado.

Though the dining car was filling up rapidly, Amtrak’s chefs were up to the task. It couldn’t have been more than ten minutes – if even that – before Jillian arrived with our steaks. She even brought us a refill on our dinner rolls. Those of you who’ve kept up with my trip reports over the past fifteen years know that I’ve ridden a lot of Amtrak trains and the flatiron steak is my favorite dinner entrée. One thing I’ve noticed about Amtrak’s steaks over the years is that they are almost always perfectly cooked. I like my steak medium rare and I can’t remember the last time I had one even slightly off while riding aboard an Amtrak train.



The Amtrak Signature Steak


As a stroke victim, steak was a rare treat for Charles but both he and Linda were quite happy with their meals and we all agreed that the baked potatoes couldn’t have been baked any better. As for Charles’ Field & Sea Combo, the only difference between it and my steak was the addition of four small shrimp and a side of Béarnaise Sauce. Oh yeah – it cost an additional $11.00. The shrimp were small – about a 51-60 count per pound. I’m sure they made a tasty addition but if I’d paid $11.00 more and received only four little shrimp, I’d be a bit disappointed. As it was we were all traveling in the sleepers and so I resolved to order the Field & Sea Combo tomorrow night. As for dessert, that too would have to wait until tomorrow night – or later.

Darkness had fallen by the time plates were cleared. Our next stop was Omaha and we were running about 20 minutes late. It had been a long day for Charles as he and Linda had begun their day on the shores of Gull Lake in Kalamazoo, Michigan – another place we all had in common. I bid them a good night and decided to return to my roomette as well. My day hadn’t been as long as theirs but with less than $10.00 in my pocket I didn’t feel like spending the evening in the lounge car. Instead I returned to my roomette where Darryl had already made up my bed for the night.



Amtrak’s Roomette Lower Bunk


I have always felt that one of life’s great travel experiences is being able to lie down in your own bed aboard a train that’s speeding through the night. It’s a very sensory experience where you can hear as well as feel the rhythmic cadence of your car’s motion as it rolls down the tracks. The occasional distant wail of the locomotive’s whistle is a lullaby that in combination with the aforementioned motion related sensations combines to create an environment surprisingly conducive to sleep.

The lower bunk mattresses in Amtrak’s Superliner Roomettes measure 28” wide by about 6’6” long. They’re not particularly thick and yet I’ve always slept really well on them, with the operative words being “on them”. I don’t get under the sheets and blanket. On a smaller mattress like that, getting under the sheets is too confining for me. I prefer to sleep under my big wool blanket which has plenty of space beneath it and keeps me supremely comfortable.

Amtrak’s roomettes have plenty of lights including a good bright reading light which can be adjusted. After knocking off a few chapters from my latest book, I called it a night and slept comfortably until waking about 30 minutes out of Denver. Had I not arranged a wakeup call from Darryl the night before, I might have slept right on through to Winter Park or Granby!