kentuckian1977
Service Attendant
Took my mom on her "bucket list" trip around the west, from January 16-25 out of Memphis, all in roomettes, with the exception of a short section in business class on the Surfliner. Left Memphis on the CONO on Friday the 16th. VERY rough track to Fulton. Good breakfast with pleasant service in diner arrived about on time in Chicago. Cold and windy *imagine that!* during the layover in Chicago, so didn't venture far from the station. Enjoyed the Metropolitan Lounge as always. Had FANTASTIC, best ever, SCA Daryl on the CZ. This man loves his job and it shows!!! Entertaining, pleasant, efficient - can't say enough. And as he put it "I will make the coffee until they take it away" LOL.
As per the now-usual though, no ice in sleepers and just orange juice. All the noted scenery lived up to the hype. Our sleeper brought up the rear, so not only did I have the "railfan window," I had the new "bonus railfan window" too, as the Sightseer is at the front of the CZ consist for the winter (right behind the heritage bag) giving spectacular forward views ala the domes of old. Especially enjoyed the climb out of Denver around the loops replete with old hopper car windbreaks. Not much snow, other than right at the top near Moffat Tunnel, and then later at the top of the Sierras. Got to Davis early. Nice food and service in the diner for all meals, and interesting meal companions, including one Australian gentleman.
We spent the night at the Hallmark Inn in Davis, CA, a cute walkable college town. Would recommend this hotel for anyone wanting a relatively inexpensive and walkable alternative to Sacramento or Emeryville when doing an overnight between the CZ and CS southbound. Next morning boarded the CS on time. Breakfast and lunch were good. Sightseer afforded front view over the baggage car again. Ate lunch with a charming grandmother from South Dakota who was taking her grandson back to his parents' new home in Silicon Valley. Had Louis for a sleeper attendant, and he was another one who was very pleasant and efficient. He let mom and I (his idea and suggestion) sit in an unoccupied bedroom for the last stretch from Vandenburg AFB - Santa Barbara, so as to more comfortably enjoy a glorious sunset over the Pacific. We deboarded at Santa Barbara and the train had scarcely made it out of sight before mom realized with great panic that she had left her purse in the roomette seat. We checked into our hotel, and called Amtrak customer service and soon got a call back from the station agent at Santa Barbara. She was a very friendly blonde young lady whose name I wish I had gotten. She informed us that Louis had seen to it that the purse was placed onto the last northbound Surfliner of the day at Oxnard, and that it would be in Santa Barbara by 10:00pm. We stayed at the Hotel Indigo, a charming boutique style hotel across the tracks from the station which I had stayed in alone once before. We walked to Joe's Cafe, a great little diner and bar dating from 1929 and had dinner. After dinner, we picked up Mom's purse safe and sound. The next morning we took the 9:27 Surfliner into L.A. (more great views!) The business car attendant was a bit surly when I was confused as to where to put our luggage downstairs, but he later came around and was friendly and seemed excited to hear that we were doing such a big loop trip.
Visited the Metropolitan Lounge in L.A. for the first time, as it was not there the last time I was there. Friendly staff and our luggage was fine with everyone else's in the assigned area behind their desk at the front of the room. We took the Red Line to Hollywood and Highland and played tourist for the afternoon, then returned to relax in the lounge awhile before boarding. The Sunset/Texas Eagle 422 sleeper brought up the rear of the train, and leaving L.A. was the only segment of the whole trip where the now-verbotten sleeper ice was present. The waitress (I don't know or care if she was the LSA or not) in the diner between Tucson - San Antonio whose name I don't remember was about the most unpleasant person we encountered the whole trip - and even saying that she was terrible - just rather robotic and acted as if she'd rather be ANYWHERE but rolling through the desert feeding us Amfood. Our sleeper attendants before San Antonio was efficient but not particularly memorable, the one afterwards was just one rung up the ladder from the beforementioned diner dragon. I don't remember his name, but he was a surly Cuban-American man. And, he, too, seemed to resent having to actually DO anything, right down to announcing over the PA approaching Chicago for us to remove the pillowcases and headrest covers as he was coming around for them - I kid you not. (This after him making a snide comment about us each having two pillows - something that Mom rather bluntly reminded him we had requested - and gotten with a smile - from his predecessor since we both have acid reflux and one tiny Am-pillow don't cut it!)
Anyway, layover number two in Chicago was nicer, since the wind was calm and it was a balmy (for Chicago in January) 40. We rode the L to Macy's and killed the last bit of time in the lounge. Our attendant Chicago-Memphis, a young man named Kevin, was the second-nicest (only to Daryl) of the whole trip. I sincerely wished we had had him on the Sunset/Eagle stretch. We arrived about 15 minutes late to Memphis. Great trip overall.
As per the now-usual though, no ice in sleepers and just orange juice. All the noted scenery lived up to the hype. Our sleeper brought up the rear, so not only did I have the "railfan window," I had the new "bonus railfan window" too, as the Sightseer is at the front of the CZ consist for the winter (right behind the heritage bag) giving spectacular forward views ala the domes of old. Especially enjoyed the climb out of Denver around the loops replete with old hopper car windbreaks. Not much snow, other than right at the top near Moffat Tunnel, and then later at the top of the Sierras. Got to Davis early. Nice food and service in the diner for all meals, and interesting meal companions, including one Australian gentleman.
We spent the night at the Hallmark Inn in Davis, CA, a cute walkable college town. Would recommend this hotel for anyone wanting a relatively inexpensive and walkable alternative to Sacramento or Emeryville when doing an overnight between the CZ and CS southbound. Next morning boarded the CS on time. Breakfast and lunch were good. Sightseer afforded front view over the baggage car again. Ate lunch with a charming grandmother from South Dakota who was taking her grandson back to his parents' new home in Silicon Valley. Had Louis for a sleeper attendant, and he was another one who was very pleasant and efficient. He let mom and I (his idea and suggestion) sit in an unoccupied bedroom for the last stretch from Vandenburg AFB - Santa Barbara, so as to more comfortably enjoy a glorious sunset over the Pacific. We deboarded at Santa Barbara and the train had scarcely made it out of sight before mom realized with great panic that she had left her purse in the roomette seat. We checked into our hotel, and called Amtrak customer service and soon got a call back from the station agent at Santa Barbara. She was a very friendly blonde young lady whose name I wish I had gotten. She informed us that Louis had seen to it that the purse was placed onto the last northbound Surfliner of the day at Oxnard, and that it would be in Santa Barbara by 10:00pm. We stayed at the Hotel Indigo, a charming boutique style hotel across the tracks from the station which I had stayed in alone once before. We walked to Joe's Cafe, a great little diner and bar dating from 1929 and had dinner. After dinner, we picked up Mom's purse safe and sound. The next morning we took the 9:27 Surfliner into L.A. (more great views!) The business car attendant was a bit surly when I was confused as to where to put our luggage downstairs, but he later came around and was friendly and seemed excited to hear that we were doing such a big loop trip.
Visited the Metropolitan Lounge in L.A. for the first time, as it was not there the last time I was there. Friendly staff and our luggage was fine with everyone else's in the assigned area behind their desk at the front of the room. We took the Red Line to Hollywood and Highland and played tourist for the afternoon, then returned to relax in the lounge awhile before boarding. The Sunset/Texas Eagle 422 sleeper brought up the rear of the train, and leaving L.A. was the only segment of the whole trip where the now-verbotten sleeper ice was present. The waitress (I don't know or care if she was the LSA or not) in the diner between Tucson - San Antonio whose name I don't remember was about the most unpleasant person we encountered the whole trip - and even saying that she was terrible - just rather robotic and acted as if she'd rather be ANYWHERE but rolling through the desert feeding us Amfood. Our sleeper attendants before San Antonio was efficient but not particularly memorable, the one afterwards was just one rung up the ladder from the beforementioned diner dragon. I don't remember his name, but he was a surly Cuban-American man. And, he, too, seemed to resent having to actually DO anything, right down to announcing over the PA approaching Chicago for us to remove the pillowcases and headrest covers as he was coming around for them - I kid you not. (This after him making a snide comment about us each having two pillows - something that Mom rather bluntly reminded him we had requested - and gotten with a smile - from his predecessor since we both have acid reflux and one tiny Am-pillow don't cut it!)
Anyway, layover number two in Chicago was nicer, since the wind was calm and it was a balmy (for Chicago in January) 40. We rode the L to Macy's and killed the last bit of time in the lounge. Our attendant Chicago-Memphis, a young man named Kevin, was the second-nicest (only to Daryl) of the whole trip. I sincerely wished we had had him on the Sunset/Eagle stretch. We arrived about 15 minutes late to Memphis. Great trip overall.
