Okay gang – here’s some more, covering First and Business Class travel aboard Amtrak’s Coast Starlight and Pacific Surfliner. Happy reading!


October 16, 2006
DEN-SEA 4:00p-5:45p ALASKA 737-800 N557AS Economy Class

Pictures from this trip can be found HERE


There wasn’t much about this two-hour flight that was worthy of comment. It offered only a beverage service and operated on time and without incident. I was however surprised that Alaska’s 737-800 fleet was up to ship number 557. Well, they did order something like thirty-eight of the 800s, so I guess they’re starting to arrive from Boeing fairly regularly now. I saw another one out on the ramp at BFI just the other day. In any event, chalk up another Alaska jet flown in my logbook. The total number of unique Alaska jets that I’ve flown upon is now 147. Hoo-eee!! Do I get a prize at 150?

The only reason I know how many different Alaska jets I’ve flown upon is because I keep track of them in my flight log. No doubt some readers are by now thinking “This guy needs a life!”. To be sure, not many people keep a flight log unless they’re a pilot or have a high level of interest in flying. I’ve been enchanted by commercial airliners for as long as I can remember. I started keeping a log of my flights when I was in seventh grade. Back then, I’d only flown about twenty times, mostly on 707s, 720s and DC-8s. Over the next few years, as the number of flights increased significantly, I began to purchase actual pilot logbooks to record my flights. By 1985 I’d logged almost 1500 flights and needed a larger logbook. So – I went down to an aviation supply store and purchased a Master Pilot Flight Log. This log had columns for all types of entries – most of them related to flying as a pilot rather than a passenger. Still, I hated to leave so many columns empty and before long had come up with all manner of statistics for any given flight. As a result, besides having a chronological record listing the airline, aircraft type, registration number, city pair and mileage of all my flights, I also know things like how many times, miles and hours I’ve logged per airline or per aircraft type. I know how many times I’ve flown a given route either in total or by airline, or the total amount of unduplicated route mileage either in total or by airline. Of course, it’s all totally useless information in the whole scheme of things, but it’s still fun to figure out on a rainy day. And of course, once you’ve flown as often as I have, a logbook with all that information practically takes on a life of its own. In the case of airlines that I fly a lot such as Alaska, I go a step further and check off aircraft flown against a fleet list. That’s how I know I’ve flown all but nine or ten aircraft in the entire fleet depending upon new 737-800 arrivals. Again, I imagine many of you are thinking “So what?” but like anyone with a hobby, I tend to transcend the boundaries of normal behavior in pursuit of that hobby.

Note: A small bit of investigative work revealed that Alaska now flies ten 737-800s, the most recent being N560AS, delivered October 12th.


October 20, 2006
Seattle – Santa Barbara 9:45a – 6:45p Next Evening
Amtrak “Coast Starlight”
First Class Sleeper Car 1130, Room 11

Normally I could never afford a First Class ticket aboard the Coast Starlight. Thanks to Amtrak’s partnership with Alaska Airlines’ Mileage Plan, I can cash in 20,000 miles – the same amount required for an Economy Class Saver Award ticket within the Continental US – and get roundtrip First Class travel aboard the Coast Starlight anywhere between Seattle and Los Angeles. Accommodation is in a standard bedroom and includes all meals.

I’ve flown over 180,000 miles this year. Any of you who’ve read my Trip Reports have no doubt surmised by now that I enjoy flight. However, unless you really enjoy just being up in the air, well – aside from any amenities and services that might contribute to the enjoyment of the inflight experience, flying anywhere basically means you’re stuck in a small metal tube for a few hours. Unless you’re flying Upper Class on Virgin Atlantic, there’s no bar or lounge to go to. No dining car is available to stroll into for a nice sit down meal. Your meal – if you get one at all - usually comes on a tray or in a bag. Short of an interesting seatmate, a good book or an inflight emergency, there’s very little to break the monotony of your average flight. Despite all this, I still love to fly.

In a more general sense, I enjoy travel. I’ve always looked forward to going there every bit as much as being there. So - my love of flight notwithstanding, if I have the time and the price is right, I’d much rather drive or take the train than I would fly. The pace is slower and more relaxed, I get to see and enjoy the country I’m traveling through rather than over, and, should I so choose, I’ve got the opportunity to meet a lot of interesting people along the way. In this regard, trains are an excellent way to travel. I may or may not have a seatmate but if I want to socialize, I can always head for the Lounge Car.

In the not so distant past, Amtrak’s Coast Starlight was branded as the finest long distance train in America. Amtrak invested extra money in the train to include a special lounge car for First Class passengers and the meal service was upgraded to include regional specialties served on washable plates with real silverware. Unfortunately, these enhancements did not result in the extra revenue sufficient to justify their added expense so all but the silverware have been dropped. Regardless, for one such as myself who enjoys a good train ride, the Coast Starlight still offers plenty in the way of comfortable accommodations, good scenery and a good time onboard. I’ve been looking forward to this part of the trip for awhile.

I alit from the 174 bus at 9:00am and made my way across the busy thoroughfare outside Seattle’s King Street Station. Four or five streets converge at this point and crossing the intersection can be quite an adventure. The upper entrance to the station is on the back of the building through a nondescript single glass door that leads to a long set of stairs down to the main lobby. It is anything but the grand entrance one usually associates with big city train stations.

In its heyday the interior of this station was as nice as any station in the land. The same architects who created New York’s magnificent Grand Central Station designed the King Street Station. On the walls are some archived photos showing what the station used to look like in its heyday. It was constructed of brick and granite from the quarries at Index, WA. The interior of the building was white marble, and ornate plaster decorated the ceiling. Most of the floors were terrazzo and mosaic tiling, forming borders and dramatic designs. The building's most notable feature, the clock tower, was designed to mimic the bell tower at St. Mark's Church in Venice, Italy. The King Street Station truly looked like and indeed was a place where great rail journeys began. The Empire Builder, The North Coast Limited, The Western Star – they all departed from the King Street Station.

I am pleased to report that after years of neglect, the King Street Station is finally starting to show signs of improvement. Keep in mind that “starting” is the operative word here - there’s still a lot of work to be done. The central waiting room, once dingy and plain, has now been enlarged and some of the beautiful old walls, columns and ceiling have been exposed. Although the main ceiling in the lobby is still comprised of cheap ceiling tiles, a two foot wide opening along one wall revealed that a lot of work has been put into cleaning and restoring the plasterwork on the original ceiling high overhead. A large display in the waiting room details the improvements yet to come. How soon this will all be completed is anyone’s guess. No construction work or workers were in evidence this morning.

In my haste to catch an early morning bus into the city, I’d yet to have even a cup of coffee. Unfortunately, the only food and drink concessions in the station were a pair of half-stocked vending machines. After checking in with the conductor to surrender my ticket and obtain my boarding pass, I headed out the main Jackson Street entrance in search of sustenance. Thankfully a small deli was found just one block away. $5.00 was sufficient for a breakfast burrito and a tall cup of coffee. Another dollar got me both Seattle newspapers and when I returned to the station, boarding for First Class passengers was just getting underway. This trip’s off to a good start…

Southbound trains must be backed into the King Street Station and since Amtrak places its coaches at the rear of the train, followed by the lounge and dining cars and finally the sleepers, I had a bit of a walk ahead of me. Still, it was no worse than a typical stroll down most any airport concourse and soon I arrived at Car 1130. I was greeted at the door by Car Attendant Thomas who took my boarding pass, welcomed me by name and crossed my name off his manifest. I was then directed to my room, located on the lower level just beyond the stairway.

Amtrak’s double-decker Superliner sleeping cars have six rooms downstairs and fifteen upstairs. Accommodations vary between standard bedrooms, deluxe bedrooms, a family sized room and a room for handicapped travelers. Standard bedrooms are located on both levels. I have learned to request rooms on the lower level for two reasons. First, there’s less back and forth sway to the train closer down to the tracks. Secondly, because there is sway, passengers in the upstairs rooms get to listen as people bounce off their door and inside window as they ricochet their way down the narrow hallway. During the middle of the day, people are constantly walking up and down these hallways traveling between meals in the diner or visits to the lounge so the noise factor can be annoying. It’s much quieter downstairs.

Amtrak’s Standard Bedrooms, now known as Superliner Roomettes, are a monument to organization and efficient use of space. Each room measures 3’6” by 6’6” and is 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 the seats 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 adjusted to its lowest temperature. Best of all, each bedroom 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 accommodations are quite sufficient and comfortable.

At my seat were two big fluffy pillows and hangers for any coats and jackets. Behind 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 and a brochure describing the train and its various services and attractions. Gone was the complimentary bottle of wine, stationary packet and chocolate mint that used to be standard accoutrements of First Class travel. Also missing was the small wicker basket that contained a washcloth, shampoo and conditioner.

A stairway leads to rooms on the upper level. 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 available throughout the day. Just before departure, Thomas stopped by to explain the layout of the car as well as the location of the lounge and diner. I asked him about the missing First Class lounge car known as the Parlour Car. He explained that most of these cars were out of service due to maintenance reasons. Given Amtrak’s precarious financial health, it was unlikely they’d be returning to service anytime soon, if ever.

One thing that’s always good for increased ridership and thus higher profits (or in Amtrak’s case, any profit) is an on time departure. We departed Seattle right on time, and soon were rolling through the suburbs with considerable alacrity – about 60 mph by my trained eye. An announcement was made advising First Class passengers that a welcome aboard continental breakfast would be available back in car 1132. Normally, the breakfast offerings are nicely arrayed atop the buffet table in the Parlour Car. Today however, since there is no Parlour Car, the food and beverages were placed in one of the deluxe bedrooms in car 1132. I wasn’t hungry and so didn’t partake but I imagine there couldn’t have been space in that room for more than two or three people at a time.

About a half-hour out of Seattle, Thomas returned to offer luncheon reservations. Six different sittings were available between 11:30am and 1:30pm. I chose 12:15pm and was handed a card so indicated. Announcements for the various sittings were made via the train PA. At 12:15 I grabbed my gear from the lounge car where I’d been taking in the scenery and headed back to the dining car.

Normally Amtrak seats people communally but as I was one of the last to arrive, I ended up with a table to myself. Within seconds, my water glass was filled and I was presented with a menu. Sadly, the menu had been Xeroxed onto a standard sheet of paper. I was later informed that Amtrak does indeed still have normal menus but because of a shortage (no doubt due to pilferage by overzealous rail fans) it was forced to make copies for this trip. Here’s the menu:


LUNCHEON

All lunch entrees include coffee, tea or milk

ANGUS BEEF BURGER
Flame broiled all beef Angus burger on a soft bakery bun, with or without cheddar cheese. Served with lettuce, tomato, potato chips and a pickle spear. $8.25

GARDENBURGER
The delicious meatless alternative on a soft bakery bun.
Served with lettuce, tomato, potato chips and a pickle spear. $7.75

GRILLED CHICKEN SANDWICH
Tender boneless grilled chicken breast served on a soft bakery bun, with or without cheddar cheese. Served with lettuce, tomato, potato chips and a pickle spear. $8.00

STONE FIRED SUPREME PIZZA
Freshly baked individual size stone fired crust pizza topped with pepperoni, sausage and roasted vegetables. Served with a tossed salad. $9.00

THREE CHEESE QUICHE
Classic rich quiche in a flaky crust. Served with a tossed salad. $9.00

CHICKEN CAESAR SALAD
Café size salad featuring fresh Romaine lettuce topped with roasted chicken breast, shredded Parmesan cheese, and a classic Caesar dressing. $6.00


Hmm… no more soup. Dang! I remember once being served a particularly tasty clam chowder aboard the Coast Starlight and as today was Friday, I was rather looking forward to a repeat performance. Alas. Instead, I settled for a Chicken Caesar salad and a bottle of water. The salad was on par with most any chicken Caesar salad you could get in an airport. Not bad, though hardly memorable.

We were just departing Vancouver, Washington as luncheon came to a close, so I headed back to the lounge car to watch as we made our way over the Columbia River before continuing into Portland. While I found the scenery entertaining, a young boy sitting nearby was not so impressed.

“How much longer until we get to Sacramento?” he mewled. “Not until tomorrow morning.” replied his mom. This elicited a grimace followed by a lengthy pout as the kid tried to come to grips with the reality of sixteen more hours on the train. Six years old and already he’s in a hurry. Kids these days – I tell ya…

Honestly though, not everybody is comfortable with the pace of train travel. In this fast paced modern world we live in, most people – including kids – just want to get to their destination as quickly as they can. It takes thirty-five hours to ride the Coast Starlight 1,380 miles from Seattle down to LA whereas an airplane will cover the distance in just two and half hours and 950 miles. When you factor in the cost of meals, snacks and drinks on board the train, flying is often more economical as well.

In an age of exceedingly affordable air travel, I think that most people who choose to ride trains are railfans to some extent. Many of us simply enjoy the leisurely pace of a train ride. Others are full blown railroading fanatics who can quote chapter and verse the pre-Amtrak history of Southern Pacific’s Daylight trains through California or the gear ratios on GE’s new Genesis Class locomotives. I consider myself a railfan but aside from having ridden trains on every continent except Antarctica, I can’t keep up with most of the history and technical buffs. The one thing we all share in common is the sheer enjoyment of going somewhere on a train and since that’s exactly what we were all doing at the moment, we were all having a fine time. Well, most of us at least.

At a little after 5:00pm, we rolled into Eugene, Oregon. The Conductor advised that we’d have about a ten minute stop – more than enough time to step off the train for a bit of fresh air or, conversely, a cigarette. I get a kick out of watching the smokers during these longer stops. Some of them are like sprinters on the blocks – primed and ready to go as soon as that door opens. Ah, to be in the throes of a nicotine addiction…

From Eugene, the Coast Starlight heads east, passing through twenty-two tunnels as it makes its way over Willamette Pass and into the Cascade Mountains. I’d made a dinner reservation for the 6:30pm seating and the call now rang out over the PA for those of us so reserved to present ourselves in the diner. Here’s the menu:


DINNER

All dinner entrees include a mixed green salad with dressing, a dinner roll, and coffee, tea or milk

BEEF RAGOUT
Moist, tender beef and vegetables slowly simmered with pan gravy $19.00

LAMB SHANK
Braised in its own natural juices and delicately seasoned with honey and lemon $18.50

SEARED CATFISH
Seared farm raised catfish fillet $16.50

ROAST CHICKEN
Generous portion of a perfectly seasoned rotisserie-style half chicken $14.50

CHEESE RAVIOLI
Cheese filled ravioli with a tomato and herb sauce,
served with your choice of vegetable $11.00

THIS EVENING’S SPECIAL
Please ask your server to describe tonight’s special $12.50

ANGUS BEEF BURGER
Flame broiled all beef Angus burger on a soft bakery bun, with or without cheddar cheese, served with lettuce, tomato, potato chips and a pickle spear $8.25

STONE FIRED ROASTED CHICKEN PIZZA
Freshly baked individual size stone fired crust pizza topped with roasted chicken, fragrant parsley sauce and glazed sweet red onions, served with a tossed salad $9.00

Please choose two of the following to accompany your entrée: baked potato, whipped mashed potatoes, rice pilaf, broccoli or tonight’s vegetable


DESSERTS

MISSISSIPPI MUD CAKE
Coffee bathed chunks of chocolate cake and rich chocolate ganache drizzled with rivers of milk and dark chocolate $5.00

NEW YORK STYLE CHEESECAKE
Topped with strawberry compote $3.75

FRUIT
Refreshing mix of cantaloupe, honeydew, orange, pineapple and seedless red grapes $3.50



Meals are included in the First Class fare, so there was no hemming and hawing over what my budget would reasonably allow. I opted for the lamb shank and was presented with, well – a big shank of lamb. Really, it was quite an impressive cut made all the more enjoyable by the moist flavorful meat that practically fell off the bone. Well done, Amtrak!

Seated across from me were two young guys from way up in northern Alberta who’d flown in that morning from Calgary and were just starting a two-week trip around western America. Neither of them had ever been south of Montana and the only plans they’d made for this trip was to spend a couple of days in San Francisco before heading down the coast. Well if you’ve got any questions about places to see in the west, especially if you’re driving, I’m a good guy to talk to. I just happened to have a road atlas with me which we could check out after dinner. In the meantime, they both ordered tonight’s special – a chicken fried steak, and professed it to be pretty darned good.

An announcement was made alerting us that tonight’s movie in the lounge car would be “Click” with Adam Sandler. Put your brain in neutral and go have a good time. None of us had much interest in the movie but a couple of cold beers sounded pretty good. I went back and fetched the atlas. Two beers turned into three, then four while the clock went from eight to half past eleven. I ended up giving them some pretty good ideas on a couple of different loops around the southwest and threw in the atlas as well. They’re only $5.00 at Wal-Mart, same as a bottle of Sam Adams on Amtrak. Unfortunately the Sam Adams ran out and with the bar closing soon anyway, we decided to call it a night.

Thomas had already set up my bed (Just like on Singapore Airlines!) and replenished my water so all I had to do was hang up my clothing and call it a night. I generally sleep pretty well on trains. Provided the tracks aren’t too rough, the otherwise gentle motion of the train is quite comforting. I should note however that I’m not overly fond of the rather tight sheet and blanket arrangement on Amtrak’s mattresses. I’m much more partial to ViaRail’s duvets and the closest thing I had to one was just around the corner in my backpack. I unfurled my unzipped sleeping bag, placed it over me and was asleep within minutes.

The next morning I awoke to the announcement that we’d soon be arriving in Sacramento. It was 7:15 and a beautiful sunny day, made all that much nicer by the knowledge that we were only forty minutes late. Over the last couple of years, track construction and bullying by the host railroad have resulted in much greater delays.

A single shower is located in the downstairs portion of each sleeper car. The water flow was more than adequate and although I wasn’t in the shower very long, there was no shortage of hot water. Twenty minutes later I presented myself in the diner for breakfast. Here’s the menu:


BREAKFAST

All breakfast entrees include juice and coffee, tea or milk

SOUTHWESTERN OMELET
Omelet draped with jack cheese, then topped with black beans, corn, tomato and onion, served with breakfast potatoes $9.00

THREE CHEESE QUICHE
Classic rich quiche in a flaky crust, served with breakfast potatoes $9.00

RAILROAD FRENCH TOAST
Traditional thick slices of egg-dipped French toast grilled to a golden brown,
served with syrup $7.00

Bob Evans BREAKFAST SCRAMBLE
A savory blend of scrambled eggs, pork sausage and cheddar cheese, served with a half order of French toast and cut fruit $8.00

CONTINENTAL
The lighter alternative: your choice of cold cereal or oatmeal. Served with cut fruit, a croissant and yogurt $6.75

ON THE SIDE

PORK OF TURKEY SAUSAGE
Your choice of either pork sausage patties or turkey sausage links $3.00


I ordered the Southwestern Omelet and although I found it to be pretty good, I thought the Bob Evans Breakfast Scramble with its accompanying French toast and fruit looked a lot better. I was particularly impressed by the dining car staff’s ability to deliver large trays of food and beverages without spilling or dropping any of them. It’s hard enough just walking through a train without grabbing the occasional seat or wall for balance. That our wait staff was able to do so with both hands occupied was nothing short of amazing.

From Sacramento, the Coast Starlight heads west to Davis and on to Martinez, the birthplace of Joe DiMaggio. Passengers traveling to Fresno and Bakersfield connect in Martinez to the southbound San Joaquin. Upon departing Martinez, those of us on the left hand side of the train enjoyed some pretty views as we followed the shore along San Francisco Bay.

In Oakland, we stopped at the new station located down by Jack London Square. The old Oakland train station was a cavernous, dimly lit facility located in a dangerous neighborhood. The crew used to warn passengers not to go walking around outside this station, day or night. This new area looked much nicer and, as an added bonus, I was able to pick up wireless Internet while we sat in the station.

As we continued south towards San Jose and Salinas, the Passenger Service Director supplied us with all manner of interesting facts about the South Bay area. I never knew, for example, that San Jose was the original state capitol of the Republic of California. Gilroy is the “Garlic Capitol of the World” while Castroville is the “Artichoke Capitol of the World”. Armed with such esoterica, I just might win big someday on Jeopardy. I’ll take California Vegetables for $500.00, Alex. For the next hour we rolled past field after field full of various greens and veggies, many of them being harvested by crews of migrant workers.

Later that afternoon we made our way around two sweeping horseshoe curves that made it possible to see both ends of the train at once. Below the second curve was a huge, walled in penitentiary known as the California Men’s Colony. Our PSD informed us that its most famous escapee was Timothy Leary. We arrived in San Luis Obispo shortly afterwards. Joining us between San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara were two historians from Amtrak’s Rails & Trails crew. They’d be providing additional commentary during the two hour journey down to Santa Barbara. The conductor then informed us that we’d made good time through the Bay Area and by the time we pulled out of SLO ten minutes later, we were back on schedule.

Just south of San Luis Obispo in Pismo Beach was where we got our first views of the Pacific Ocean. The tracks follow the coastline for the next 104 miles. At this point I relocated to the lounge car where a comfortable seat along with a couple of ice cold beers was an excellent way to enjoy the views. It was a beautiful day and the deep blue Pacific sparkled white and silver in the late afternoon sunshine.

As nice as the ocean scenery was, many passengers took equal interest in the collection of rocket and missile launch facilities scattered along our route. The train passes right through the Strategic Air Command’s Western Missile Test Range located on Vandenberg Air Force Base. For better or worse, no missiles were being test launched as we passed through. There was however a brief uproar as some dolphins were spotted frolicking off the coast.

At a little after 5:30pm, we pulled into Santa Barbara. Amazingly, we were forty minutes early so the train was forced to sit in the station until its scheduled departure time of 6:17pm. I could have eaten dinner for free on board but I was looking forward to a nice evening on State Street, which offers an excellent selection of restaurants and bars. Gathering my gear, I bade farewell to Car Attendant Thomas, handed him a generous tip and thanked him for a job well done. It’s nice to encounter people who not only do their jobs well but also appear to genuinely enjoy them. This assessment really applied to the entire crew and made this journey aboard the Coast Starlight a real pleasure.

Just across the tracks from the train station is my home for the next two nights, the Santa Barbara Tourist Hostel. At $23.00 per night for a bunk bed, it represents far more affordable lodging than any other place in town. This is especially true on the weekends when lots of people pay top dollar to escape the smog and congestion of the Los Angeles basin for the sunshine and tranquility of Santa Barbara.