Going Cross-Country on One of Amtrak's Most Scenic Trains
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By GERRY and PAMELA BARKER
North Palm Beach Life Published April, 2020 We've taken many trips on Amtrak -- the Coast Starlight, the Empire Builder, the Southwest Chief, Texas Eagle, the Silver Star and Silver Meteor --- but one we've always wanted to experience is the California Zephyr, which runs daily both ways from Chicago to San Francisco. Last October, we got that opportunity. Our adventure started in Los Angeles, where we took the Coast Starlight to Emeryville, just outside San Francisco. For the better part of the next week, we would be on Amtrak trains, starting with the Zephyr to Chicago, and continuing on to Washington DC and then back home to Palm Beach. If you love amazing scenery and spectacular views, this is the trip for you. Join us as we make the two-day journey across the Rockies. |
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Our trip started from Emeryville ...
This is Bob, a docent from the California Railroad Museum who joined the trip to tell passengers about the history and points of interest along the route. It's provided through the AMTRAK Interpretive Program, an outreach
of the museum and Amtrak. What a great idea. |
Our route took us northeast through Sacramento and up to Colfax on our way to Reno, Nevada. As we went along, the scenery became more mountainous, passing through pine forests. Reno is less than 100 miles, where we are scheduled to arrive around 7 pm.
The Amtrak station in Colfax
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The Zephyr features a great observation car, where -- as Pam demonstrates -- you can relax, listen to music and enjoy the view. Since the trip extends over two nights, we also arranged
to have a sleeper. Photos/Video by North Palm Beach Life |
From Colfax to Reno, Nevada...
We arrived in Truckee, California in the late afternoon, our last station before leaving the state. Founded in 1867, it was renamed Truckee after a Paiute chief, according to Wikipedia, "whose assumed Paiute name was Tru-ki-zo. He was the father of Chief Winnemucca and grandfather of Sarah Winnemucca. The first Europeans who came to cross the Sierra Nevada encountered his tribe. The friendly chief rode toward them yelling, 'Tro-kay!', which is Paiute for 'Everything is all right'. The unaware travelers assumed he was yelling his name. Chief Truckee later served as a guide for John C. Frémont."
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The fall foliage added to the
beauty of the passing landscape. 
We passed Donner Lake as we got into
the High Sierras. So much history! 
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On the right is the Amtrak Route Guide for the Zephyr. It provides detailed information on all the cities, landmarks and scenic wonders you'll see along the way.
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The beautiful vistas of Northern California ...
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It was almost 8 pm when we rolled into Winnemucca,
Nevada. Time to settle into our sleeper and rest. |
