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california zephyr
emeryville to chicago

Going Cross-Country on One of Amtrak's Most Scenic Trains

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 ...

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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.
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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.
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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...

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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.
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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.

The beautiful vistas of Northern California ...

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It was late in the afternoon when we got to Reno.
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It was almost 8 pm when we rolled into Winnemucca,
​Nevada. Time to settle into our sleeper and rest.

Click Here for the second part of the Zephyr trip

NORTH PALM BEACH LIFE

Contact us: northpalmlife@gmail.com

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  • Home
    • Weather >
      • Hurricane Readiness
  • Cruise News
    • Cruise Reviews and Stories
    • Cruise Compete
    • Nieuw Statendam
  • Gigi in the 561
    • Gigi in the 561 Interviews
    • Cora
    • My Father's Tales >
      • My Father's Tales - Photo Album
  • Blogs
    • Gerry Pronounced Gary
    • Rock and Roll Rewind
    • Susan Goldfein -- Blog >
      • Susan Goldfein
  • Video
  • Travel
    • Snaps >
      • Snaps - Page 2
    • Island Destinations
    • October Odyssey >
      • Cartagena, Columbia
      • Panama Canal
      • Antigua, Guatemala
      • Cabo San Lucas
      • Birds and Bees Speakeasy in Los Angeles
      • We Love LA
      • Coast Starlight
      • Napa Wine Tour
      • California Zephyr
      • California Zephyr Part Two
      • Chicago
      • Amtrak Capitol Limited
      • Washington DC
    • Pam - Traveling in Style
    • Road Trip! >
      • Road Trip! -- Tucumcari, New Mexico
      • Road Trip! -- The Painted Desert
      • Road Trip! - Sedona, Arizona
      • Road Trip! - Sedona Wineries
      • Road Trip! Tonto Natural Bridge State Park
      • Road Trip! - Mogollon Rim
      • Road Trip! - Verde Canyon Railroad
      • Road Trip! - Jerome, Arizona
      • Road Trip! - California
      • Road Trip! - Palm Springs Celebrity Tour
      • Road Trip! - Palm Springs Aerial Tramway
      • Road Trip! - Festival in Palm Springs
      • Road Trip! - Willcox, Arizona and Apple Annie's Orchard
      • Road Trip! Willcox Wineries
      • Road Trip! Chiricahua National Monument
      • Road Trip! Tombstone, Arizona
      • Tombstone, Part Two
      • Road Trip! - Epilogue
    • Traveling With Joe >
      • Beartooth Highway
      • North Cascades National Park
      • A Visit to the Philippines
      • Grand Canyon National Park
      • Glacier National Park
      • Yellowstone National Park
      • Hiking in Bear Country
      • Crater Lake National Park
      • Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta
      • The Kerrville Folk Festival
      • Building Hope in the Rio Grande Valley
    • Unknown Yellowstone >
      • Unknown Yellowstone - Heart Lake
      • Unknown Yellowstone - Summit Lake
      • Unknown Yellowstone - Shoshone Lake
      • Unknown Yellowstone - Grizzly Lake
      • Unknown Yellowstone - Riddle Lake
      • Unknown Yellowstone - Pelican Cone
      • Unknown Yellowstone - Mt. Washburn
      • Unknown Yellowstone - Specimen Ridge
      • Unknown Yellowstone - Avalanche Peak
      • Unknown Yellowstone - Divide Creek
  • Contact
    • Pamela Barker - Author
    • The Story of StarText
  • Search