transit54
Conductor
Hello everyone,
I was hoping to get a bit of advice for an upcoming rail trip I'm planning in January. It's been months since I've been on a train anywhere, and I'm itching for another rail trip. I have a month off - December 14 to Jan 14 - from school, though I'm mostly working in between that period. However, I was able to get some free tickets to Macworld SF and figured it would be a good excuse to take to the rails.
Now I work for an airline, so the starting point of this trip is sort of irrelevant. Ultimately I'm trying to end up in the San Fransisco area on either January 13 or 14. What I'm really looking for is the most scenic and interesting route for mid-January, as well as a decent deal on a roomette (which doesn't seem to be an issue).
I've got a few options. I think CHI is the best starting point, as I've taken the LSL and the Cardinal, and I'll save myself ~$150 if I start from CHI. At that point, I could take:
Southwest Chief --> Coast Starlight
California Zephyr (which I've been on, but only to Ottumwa, IA, so I haven't seen most of the route)
Empire Builder --> Coast Starlight (most expensive option)
I could also fly to New Orleans and take the Sunset Limited to the Coast Starlight.
I'd ultimately be flying back, mostly due to time constraints.
Does one route stand out from all the others this time of year? Any recommendations?
I was hoping to get a bit of advice for an upcoming rail trip I'm planning in January. It's been months since I've been on a train anywhere, and I'm itching for another rail trip. I have a month off - December 14 to Jan 14 - from school, though I'm mostly working in between that period. However, I was able to get some free tickets to Macworld SF and figured it would be a good excuse to take to the rails.
Now I work for an airline, so the starting point of this trip is sort of irrelevant. Ultimately I'm trying to end up in the San Fransisco area on either January 13 or 14. What I'm really looking for is the most scenic and interesting route for mid-January, as well as a decent deal on a roomette (which doesn't seem to be an issue).
I've got a few options. I think CHI is the best starting point, as I've taken the LSL and the Cardinal, and I'll save myself ~$150 if I start from CHI. At that point, I could take:
Southwest Chief --> Coast Starlight
California Zephyr (which I've been on, but only to Ottumwa, IA, so I haven't seen most of the route)
Empire Builder --> Coast Starlight (most expensive option)
I could also fly to New Orleans and take the Sunset Limited to the Coast Starlight.
I'd ultimately be flying back, mostly due to time constraints.
Does one route stand out from all the others this time of year? Any recommendations?