My longest trip in Coach was in 1994: Amtrak 1, "The Sunset Limited", Miami to Los Angeles, via Orlando, Jacksonville, Pensacola, New Orleans, Houston, San Antonio, El Paso, Phoenix, and Palm Springs. We left Miami in the morning (a Friday) and arrived Monday afternoon after a slight delay.
It was a beautiful trip and one which I shall never forget! The scenery was absolutely beautiful the entire route. On our approach into Pensacola very early on the second morning of the trip, the train stopped on the railroad viaduct in the middle of Escambia Bay which lies directly east of the P'cola station. It was dark when we stopped and as the darkness turned to daybreak, people began to wake up and notice that we were right out over a very large body of water.
Due to the misty morning, the shore could not be seen, and as they awoke some people were quiet frightened and a few ladies screamed! Then the whole car was wide awake and people wondering if we were in "The Twilight Zone" or if we became an "Am Boat" overnight. It was quite a sight and as the Sun came up through the mist it all looked so surreal being parked out on that bridge! The southern US is beautiful by train and I've always hoped that someday I would be able to take the same journey again.
Speaking of surreal, on another trip from Seattle to Los Angeles on "The Coast Starlight", in 1990, on a very rainy day, we climbed up into the mountains on the track just south of Eugene, Oregon and came out and above a layer of clouds to see a large full moon on the left side of the train and the sunset on the right side of the train. It was absolutely beautiful and seemed as if we were flying! Until then, I had never rode "above the clouds" on an Amtrak train.
My first Amtrak trip was Chicago to Boston on Amtrak 449, "The Lake Shore Limited" on September 6, 1985.
I have traveled on every current Amtrak Long Distance Train except the Adirondack, Crescent and Heartland Express, all of which I hope to do when I retire. Before they were cancelled, I frequently rode "The Broadway Limited" to and from New York City and occasionally "The Desert Wind" from/to Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Chicago.
Go Amtrak!