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  1. M

    Amtrak to the Beach

    Santa Barbara, California. Both the Surfliner and the Coast Starlight stop at the station, which is an easy two block walk from the very nice pier--along with restaurants and shops, there's a small but interesting aquarium on it-- and the beach. Santa Barbara is a great town for a weekend stay.
  2. M

    What time of year to travel cross country

    Hubby and I normally do two big trips a year, most of which include the train although occasionally they are entirely road trips. I plan one trip for May and one for September of each year. I find that generally wherever you go in the US the weather is pretty good during those times and neither...
  3. M

    How much of the Amtrak map has one covered?

    I've done the full routes of Southwest Chief, Lakeshore Ltd, and Coast Starlight. I've done large stretches of the Sunset Ltd, Texas Eagle, CA Zephyr, and Empire Builder. Also the full Downeaster short one station, and most of the Surfliner. I'm planning future trips to include the Crescent...
  4. M

    Beer in Roomette?

    My hubby has a nice hip flask purchased specifically for our long-distance Amtrak trips. (We are always in a sleeper.) Part of his preparation for each trip is deciding what's going to fill the flask, usually some sort of rye or whiskey. For beers, he relies on the one alcoholic beverage...
  5. M

    Coast Starlight or Sunset Limited for our next trip?

    I've done the full Coast Starlight route and the Sunset Ltd between Los Angeles and San Antonio several times. If you love dramatic Southwest desert and scenery, then the Sunset is your best bet. If you love riding by the ocean, through rolling hills and croplands, and through dramatic mountain...
  6. M

    Lake Shore Limited discussion

    Hubby and I were on that train in the Boston sleeper. Our first time on a Viewliner. Man, that was a bumpy ride all the way to Boston. I don't remember the specific consist, but do remember that once the NY cars were added, we walked through several coach cars to reach the cafe/diner, so I guess...
  7. M

    Positive comments about Amtrak?

    Hubby and I just got home a couple of days ago from a trip that included Southwest Chief from Los Angeles to Chicago, Lakeshore ltd from Chicago to Boston, Downeaster from Boston to Portland Maine. (We rented a car there and drove to Bar Harbor, the only part of the trip that was not Amtrak.) We...
  8. M

    Fare Buckets - and when do they increase/decrease?

    Hubby and I are leaving on a trip next week. Taking Southwest Chief from Los Angeles to Chicago, Lakeshore Ltd from Chicago to Boston, Downeaster from Boston to Portland Maine. Renting a car in Portland and driving to Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park. Then the whole thing in reverse. We are...
  9. M

    Long distance survey

    I guess they needed more middle-aged white women, because I completed it. I was admittedly a little confused by the multiple pages of layouts asking me which I would prefer for my trip, because they all looked pretty much the same to me.
  10. M

    Southwest Chief discussion

    It's only a couple hours drive from Flagstaff to Page, Arizona. In Page, you can do a tour of the unbelievable Antelope Canyon, a slot canyon that must be seen to be believed. Note that you need to book tours way in advance and they must be with a Navajo guide. Also near page is the Horseshoe...
  11. M

    Hotels convenient to Amtrak

    Hubby and I have a trip coming up in May: Southwest Chief from Los Angeles to Chicago, Lakeshore Ltd from Chicago to Boston, Downeaster from Boston to Portland ME where we will rent a car and drive to Bar Harbor. Then the entire trip in reverse. Not only did it cost me well over $5K for train...
  12. M

    Fires affecting the Coast Starlight in 2022

    Hubby and I were on that train. We held in Portland for around four hours. On the track right next to us was the full consist of the Empire Builder, not just the portion that usually leaves Portland. EB was waiting for passengers to be bussed down from Seattle, because there is a big fire...
  13. M

    Commuter rail to an Amtrak station

    When we take Amtrak out of Los Angeles Union Station, we ride the Metrolink from Santa Clarita to Union Station. Metrolink is commuter train throughout a great deal of Southern CA. It's quite convenient to get off the Metrolink and be right inside Union Station.
  14. M

    How much do departure and arrival times figure in your Amtrak trip planning?

    I assume you rented a car in Havre and drove to Yellowstone NP? How long of a drive was that? I've been to Yellowstone twice, both times driving from Los Angeles. That's more than 20 hours of driving time, so I'd love to let the train do most of the "driving" if I ever go there again.
  15. M

    How much do departure and arrival times figure in your Amtrak trip planning?

    I've been on the Sunset Ltd/Texas Eagle twice, and we were hours late coming home to Los Angeles Union Station. The first trip was five hours late and the second was nearly three hours late. I was happy to not arrive at the scheduled 5 AM, but can't really avoid it, as that's my home station...
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