Author: admin

The train meet of the Coast Starlight, at San Luis Obispo Station 2026. Photo taken by the author.

We don’t know what did it, or when we caught it, but when we returned from our 3-day trip to Oakland, CA, we immediately felt sick. This was our 2nd round trip on our 10-trip rail pass. We had two other trips already lined up, for the very end of the one-month window. So here we are, on the final weekend of our pass, not up for the extra exertion that a rail trip would ensue, and feeling just a bit sad about how this all shook out.
We took a day trip to Oxnard, to start the 30 days off. We were on the Coast Starlight going up, and the Pacific Surfliner, going back to LA. The trip took longer than we expected, because we had to pick-up a disabled train, on our way back to LA. It took an hour to hook it up, and then test it. Because of this delay, we decided to leave the train early, and catch a commuter (Metrolink) train, at Burbank, which we would have missed, if we went all the way to Los Angeles.
It made the trip about 2 hours longer, but we were happy that we got home in the light, and did not have to make the drive from Downtown. We did mask in all appropriate places, so we do not know if we picked up anything, but we seemed to get past that trip, without getting sick.
Our next trip was the 3-day fast trip up the California Coast on the Coast Starlight. It took about 11 hours in total, to do the first leg. So, we were with the same group of people for the most part. Were any sick? I have no idea, but we did mask the entire time, on board. Our hotel room in Oakland was big, and seemed to be very clean.
To get over to San Francisco, we took the BART. I will admit that it was very crowded both ways, but in good news, it did not take too long, at all. We were masked both ways.
In San Francisco, we took a ferry to Angel Island and Tiburon. The ferry was not very occupied, so we did feel safe, though we did mask.
We had dinner at a restaurant in the ferry building, that had no other diners, so though not masked, we felt safe.
The next day, we were back on the Amtrak Coast Starlight, for our 11-hour journey home. We were masked again, but I did notice that my Husband seemed to be coughing a bit. The next evening, I was coughing and feeling miserable. Yeah, that fast. We don’t know which trip got us, but it took 2 weeks to get better, and feel like we could leave our house again. I did not test, but it seemed to be viral, and our Doctor prescribed Zyrtec and cough medicine for us. I am 95% sure it was not COVID-19.
On a personal level, I felt like I failed, because I know better. Well, being seniors, we have a harder time to begin with, dealing with luggage, and getting around, but that will not stop us from occasionally traveling, moving forward.
As to the 10 Pass, would I buy one again? Probably not, mostly because if you don’t have lots of time to just get on and off the same train, it is tough doing the entire thing in 30 days. The minute you get home from a journey, you really don’t want to go right back out on another one.

The Coast Starlight arriving at Union Station (2026). Photo taken by the author.

We waited until the final 30 days, to begin using our Amtrak USA Rail Pass.

You can take up to 10 trips with it, within 30 days. We bought it in January, but did not want to travel that early in the year.

So here we are, taking a day trip to Oxnard, to have lunch with a former work colleague.

We thought it would be an easy trip, hey, we are pros.

Not so fast, train rider, we are going to put a few things in your way, on this trip.

We bought our unlimited day pass for Metrolink, and spent an incredible $7.50. A great deal.

We arrive at Union Station an hour ahead of our Coast Starlight trains departure. Great, so we use the restroom, and sit down to wait.

We then see there is an long line to check in for the train, so I finally get up and check it out. Yes, we needed to get our seat assignment.

We then walk up to the track, and wait for the train. Glad we found out that we had needed to do that, though it seemed that they would also check you in on the platform.

The trip was going well, when all of a sudden, we hear that there is a hold, due to a train in front of us.

We passed the train at Camarillo thinking that we would not be seeing it again, on our return trip. Wrong, Wrong, Wrong.

We ended up about 15 or so minutes late, but our friend picked us up at the station, and we had a lovely time catching up, and eating at Andrea’s Seafood in Ventura.

He brought us back to the station in plenty of time, and so we used their restroom, and looked around.

What a beautiful station it is. Murals depicting historic events in Oxnard. The train comes about 10 minutes late, no big deal to us, but then they announce that we will be hooking up the disabled train from earlier, when we get to Camarillo.

They say it should not take too long. Yeah, right. 1 hour later we are finally on the move again.

So we missed an early train, and instead, ended up on a rush-hour train.

No biggie, but it was a 6PM arrival at home. Total time: 11 hours for a trip to Oxnard, for lunch.

Sunset at the TWA Hotel, in Terminal 5, of JFK Airport. Photo taken by the author. (2026)

We woke up at the TWA Hotel, and decided to get some breakfast. A New York bagel with egg and bacon and cheese (never a bad decision, IMHO) was enjoyed, and then we took a quick trip up to the roof of the hotel, to see the pool. It is fabulous, if you want a small infinity pool with an interesting view of airplanes moving on the ground, and taking off and landing.

We headed out on the air train, for our trip to Penn Station, to contine our journey back to Chicago.

We got to the Metropolitan Lounge at Moynihan Train Hall in plenty of time, and picked up our lunch there.

I have said this before, but they have great food at the Metropolitan lounge, the best I have had, and this was no exception.

Finally our train was called, and we asked for a Red Cap. Just an FYI, the Red Cap just carries your bags, you still have to walk to the train platform. So you decide if it is worth it. I personally appreciated the man showing us which car we were getting on, and placing our bags up into the train, so he deserved his tip.

Checking out our digs for this fast overnight train trip, we had the bathroom in the car, and the sink. It is not my favorite way to travel, but since we had 2 Roomettes, we just kicked out our partner, when needed.

To start, we went up along the Hudson River. Our side of the train did not view it, but that was OK, I saw it last year.

The first fresh air break is Albany, where the train connects with the Boston segment of the Lakeshore Limited train.

This makes it a long fresh-air break and everyone, and I mean everyone, runs to the restroom first (I think it is so funny).

Then you can buy souvenirs, or get gourmet coffee, at a place called Grind and Brew. Definitely it breaks up the trip.

Then we get dinner on the train and the sun sets, on another day.

By morning, we were already in Toledo, so it was not too far to Chicago. We ate breakfast, took a few photos and got ourselves ready to detrain.

At a little after 10AM, were were back at Chicago Union Station, where we said goodbye to our Son, and took a taxi to O’Hare, for our airplane flight home.

It was a good journey, and family bonding time. A rarity now days.

As usual, mask if you need to.

The view from TRYP Hotel, looking toward the New Yorker Hotel. Photo taken by author. (2026)

We arrived in NYC at about 10:30PM, and walked about 2 blocks to our hotel. TRYP, by Wyndham.  It was an interesting hotel, that we spent very little time at. The rooms were small, but they upgraded us to 2 rooms, since we were three people, and that was fine for us. The shower was an “Interesting” experience, and the bed almost hit the wall on the bottom edge. Otherwise, it worked for us. I am not sure if I would stay there again.

Breakfast was at Jacob’s Pickles, on the Upper West Side, on Columbus Ave. We were meeting a friend of my son, who lives just north of the restaurant. We Ubered over to it, and it was not too expensive ($27), and since we had all our luggage with us, was better than taking the subway. My husband and I got French toast Challah, and it was excellent, with way too much food.

After we ate, our friend Ubered us to Jamicia Station, where we caught the Air Train to Kennedy. That got us our rental car, for the next 2 days.

Out to the Island we drove, stopping at the Cemetery where my Brother-in-law is buried, and my parents. That out of the way, I brought us to the laundromat, to wash our clothes. After that task was done, we drove to my brother’s house, and brought him to dinner. It was cool seeing his train set in person, since we normally only see it on Facebook.

After dropping him off, we set out for our hotel for the next night, Holiday Inn Express. It was less expensive than the ones near where I grew up (who knew). They gave us breakfast, which helped us with our costs on the trip, and with the leftovers from our dinner the night before, we did quite well.

We visited with my sister for several hours, and then, in the rain, we drove back to Kennedy Airport, to drop off our rental. After we did that, we rode the air train, to the TWA Hotel in Terminal 5. I had spent a night there back in November, and promised my husband I would take him there someday, and what a wonderful time we had.

After checking in, we  decided to go to the sunken lounge, that had excellent drinks and inexpensive selections for dinner. We got Mister Softee ice cream for dessert, and in the morning, checked out the pool, getting some interesting photos.

On Monday morning, off we went to Penn Station, to take the Lakeshore Limited, back to Chicago.

A fast trip in NYC, but we got lots done in that time.

The New River in West Virginia. Photo by Author (2026)

I have wanted to ride on the Cardinal for several years, but due to the fact that it only runs 3 times a week, it is a difficult one to ride. It also was extended from Washington, DC to NY Penn Station a year or so ago, so that brought it closer to what I need, to visit with family.
My son and I started looking at prices, and he found some that were particularly good around the Easter Vacation. For two of us (my husband and I), the Roomette was $817. We decided to book it from Chicago, to New York Penn Station. If I was going to do this trip again sometime, I think I would take the journey in reverse, from New York, to Chicago. Just a hint to people, that it might be even better that way.
As to our journey, we boarded the train at 5:55PM, so you did not get very far, before the night hit. They do this so that you are in the sun during the spectacular New River section of the Appalachians (photo up at the top). I have taken the California Zephyr and totally loved the trip through the Rockies, but I want you to know that this rivals that experience. You have the mountains on each side, and the New River running through, for over an hour. I am sure it will be even better in a few weeks, when spring hits (we took this journey the first week of April).
West Virginia, especially around the Capital City of Charleston, WV, is very beautiful, it has the Kanawha River running through it, and a really interesting waterfall. It is in the towns of Gauley Bridge and Glen Ferris. It is where the confluence of the New River and the Kanawha River meet.
Virginia horse country is also very beautiful. Then you head into Civil War Battlefields (Bull Run) at Manassas National Battlefield Park, before heading up into the Washington, DC area by crossing the Potomac River, around dinner. At the station, they change power for the train, for the final push to NY, on the Northeast Corridor. We arrived at around 10:30PM into NY Penn Station.
If you go this way, definitely try to get a hotel near the train station, since you are arriving late at night. Our hotel is right down the street, but there were lots of people smoking weed, and such. Not the safest part of Manhattan, but I had 2 other men with me, so I did not feel too bad about that.
All in all, it was a great trip, and well worth the money.

Downtown Cincinnati, and the mighty Ohio River. Photo taken by Author in 2023.

One month to go.

My son and I have both wanted to take the Cardinal, and I said to him, next year, let’s make it happen, and so we did.
Here is what Amtrak says about the Cardinal, (which is opposite of how we are taking it, we will be traveling east).

“The Cardinal operates between New York and Chicago, offering unforgettable views of the Southeast’s stunning natural beauty. You’ll see gently rolling horse country, the Blue Ridge and Allegheny Mountains, the Shenandoah Valley, and the wild white-water rivers of West Virginia as they can only be seen by train. Heading westward, the train rolls along the banks of the mighty Ohio River — from the quaint towns of Ashland and Maysville, to the skyline of Cincinnati. From there, your journey continues to Indianapolis, and then northward to Chicago.”

I am really excited to see White Sulphur Spring West Virginia, with the Greenbrier Resort. Unfortunately, we won’t have time to make a stop and see the Greenbrier Bunker, but I have watched a video of it. In case you do not know, it is where the US Government was expecting to go, if the White House became a target during The Cold War. It has been made into a tourist attraction now days.

My son checked prices for traveling from Chicago to NY City, around the time of his Easter break, and we booked it, with the agreement of my husband. We booked my train trip first, and then he did his. We ended up with one of the roomettes being right next to the other, but the second trip, did not. So, I urged him to call the Amtrak Guest Rewards number, and get them to move him closer, which they did. By the way, our return trip to Chicago is on the Lakeshore Limited, which my husband and I have taken many times in the past, though this will be the first time my son has taken it.
I am really getting excited about it, and as always, mask, if you don’t feel safe.

If you were thinking of purchasing the USA Rail Pass, Tuesday 1/20/26 is the final day to do so. I purchased my first pass on Monday, and I hope I can make it work out for my husband and I. I don’t have to think about it for a few months, since it is good until May 18th. Don’t forget that you need to use the pass within 30 days of first use, so for me, no later than April 18th, to begin my travels.

One thing I learned from the booking process is that if you have a voucher from Amtrak, it does not turn up on your Guest Reward account. You have to add it in, when you reach the payment screen. It is not easy to see, and easily missed. So if you have any that are still active, definitely hit the voucher link, and add the number given on the voucher. I saved $50 on my pass, even better! Have a great bunch of trips, if you buy it.

The heartland of America, Illinois. Photo taken by author.

Here it is! The Amtrak USA Rail Pass, is on sale, but the sale runs out on 1/20/26.
The pass costs $250 this year, in honor of the 250th anniversary of the United States. The pass expires in 4 months, so you need to make your plans, within that time period. Once you begin traveling, you have exactly 30 days to complete the 10 trips. If you don’t take all 10 trips, you lose the remainder. It is also only good for a coach fare, no upgrades to Roomettes or Bedrooms, but if those things don’t bother you, you should definitely look into it. As usual, in situations like the Coach car, be prepared to wear a mask, if you feel there is illness around you.

https://www.amtrak.com/tickets/departure-rail-pass.html

Amtrak train arriving at Fort Madison in September of 2023. Photo by the author.

This Thanksgiving weekend, I have been asked several times, “What is my favorite trip on Amtrak?”
It is amazing to me that younger people are asking this question. I have heard that Amtrak has seen an increase in ridership this year, due to the current political climate, and using Amtrak helps keep you away from the extra security that you find at airports. You do know that they use facial recognition at the TSA check-in, right?
Back to my main subject, what is my favorite Amtrak Long Distance trip?

I must admit that one of my favorite journeys, is the iconic Southwest Chief. Built by the Santa Fe Railroad in the late 1800’s, it was designed to bring the people from the East Coast to the Grand Canyon. It runs along most of old Route 66, and you visit some of the cities in the song by Bobby Troup.
“If you ever plan to motor West. Travel my way take the highway, that’s the best
Get your kicks on Route Sixty Six
It winds from Chicago to L.A
More than two thousand miles all the way
Get your kicks on Route Sixty Six
Now you go through Saint Looey
And Joplin, Missouri
And Oklahoma City looks mighty pretty
You’ll see Amarillo
Gallup, New Mexico
Flagstaff, Arizona
Don’t forget Winona
Kingman, Barstow
San Bernandino “
This was the route that caught my attention in my late 40’s, (each evening at Union Station, they would call all the stops the train made and I would hear it), and it started my love affair with train travel. The land is ever-changing, and interesting. Oh, and you can stop at Flagstaff, and still get a connection to the Grand Canyon. Win!

The Coast Starlight
I have done it several times, and I enjoy the journey from LA to San Francisco (actually Emeryville). As it rolls through the Central Valley of California, it gets a bit boring, but the times it is running along the coast, from San Luis Obispo to Ventura, is excellent, as is the Seattle section, that rides by Puget Sound.

The Empire Builder
I did this journey from Portland to Chicago, so I can only speak for that. You have the option to ride from Seattle, also. The train splits or connects in Spokane, Washington, for the long journey across the highest states in the US. It was incredible along the Columbia River, Glacier National Park is stunning, but the long miles in Montana and North Dakota, get a bit boring. I always hear that riding it from West to East gets you the best views of Glacier National Park, and summer gets you the most sunlight. Avoid winter if you can help it, since there are more times that the train must hold for hours, due to extreme weather situations.

The Sunset Limited
I have done this journey full-on twice, riding both from the West and from the East. You see quite an interesting amount of what makes Louisiana so special, as you run through the bayou. Texas, is Texas, and minus the cities, it is basically flat. New Mexico and Arizona are similar, though there are some of the interesting rock formations, that make the Southwest Chief so special. Oh, and you arrive in LA at about 3 in the morning. LOL

The California Zephyr
This journey is the diamond of the long-distance runs, especially from Denver to Grand Junction, Colorado. It is extremely beautiful traveling along the Colorado River, for hours and hours. Not a bad view the entire way. You then sleep and when you wake-up, the train arrives in the Donner Pass area of the Sierra’s, that catch your attention for more hours of beautiful scenery. You end up in Emeryville, outside San Francisco (where my heart always lives). A truly stunning journey, and my only complaint is that the train has to go extremely slow, getting through those mountain areas, whereas it would take a half day less if we could get up to speed. A worthy trade off, for the beautiful views you experience.
So, which is it? What is my favorite Amtrak long distance journey?

Drum Roll please…

The Southwest Chief wins for interesting cities, history, and Bobby Troup. Fast train speeds also help, especially if you need to get to Chicago in a hurry. It is the most used route, by my family.

The California Zephyr is great for a vacation journey, and expect a lot of people to crowd your train (especially in the Denver to Grand Junction section).

The Coast Starlight is wonderful, and I highly recommend it for a first journey. If only going to San Francisco, you do not have to sleep on the train, so the price is less than the others.

The Empire Builder has the hardest time keeping close to an on-time rate, and equipment fails the most on that run. Definitely try not to book during the winter.

The Sunset Limited only runs 3 days a week, and that definitely makes it difficult to book. Along with some of the flat land you cross, it is my least favorite, yet I love it anyway.

I suggest you read other articles under Safe Travel https://traintravelhelp.com/category/safe-travel/ to learn more of my tips for riding Amtrak.

Amtrak Station In Merced, California. Photo by the author, in 2025.

Amtrak Has A Sale!

It has been going on for the past week, and the sale is good until November 1, 2025.

Book a Roomette, and you can bring a companion, free.

A companion normally is not expensive, maybe a couple of hundred dollars, but any discount is welcome in this economy. All companions also get to eat in the Dining Car, and get treated as a full fare passenger.

I am not sure how you get this discount. You may need to call in and talk to an Amtrak representative, due to special booking, but it is definitely worth your time. if you have always wanted to try upgrading to the sleeper cars, this is you’re moment. It is an unforgettable experience, that you will never forget.

Check out Amtrak.com, for more.