Author: admin

Tunnel View at Yosemite National Park. Photo by the author, in 2025.

Recently, my husband and I decided to make a journey to Yosemite National Park.
Back in May, I had found that just 1 day had rooms still available, late in August. I asked if that was OK to book, and my husband agreed. We spent our money getting this accommodation ($375), and like our journey to the Grand Canyon, I felt it was worth the extra cost, to be near everything. We stayed at the Yosemite Valley Lodge, which had food across the roadway, a pool (which we did not see or use), and a stop on the shuttle bus that brings you to other areas around the park, and is also a stop on the YARTS bus route (more about that later on). You can see some of these things on this video from Greener Grass’s website. https://youtu.be/XOHUcbouOaY We actually ended up seeing this couple at the hotel check-in, so they were there at exactly the same time, as we were.
Our journey differed from theirs, due to the fact that we came from the south, and they from the north. Busses and trains were the mode of transportation for both sets of travelers. Our journey began at Newhall Station, where the Amtrak Thruway bus picked us up about 4 miles from our home. It was early (just before 6AM) but we scheduled an Uber, since there was no overnight parking at the station (a real bummer, in my humble opinion). The cost was around $30 each way, with tip. The bus is booked in tandem with the San Joaquin train at Bakersfield. The train and bus is a guaranteed connection, so no problem should normally occur, if your bus is late to the station. Obviously, if the road is totally closed, you are out of luck. We had Amtrak points so the transportation segments were basically free for us. For the most part, they were not huge amounts of money, but any money saved went towards that super expensive night at Yosemite. We arrived at Merced Station, and after some initial signage problems as to where the YARTS (Yosemite Area Regional Transportation System) pick-up was, we boarded the bus to Yosemite. A word to the wise, use the restrooms at the train station, before boarding the bus. The trip up to Yosemite is beautiful, and I was so glad that I was not driving those mountain roads. Being on the bus means that you do not have to pay the $39 Park fee, so that is a plus, too. The bus did drop us off right at the Yosemite Valley Lodge, which had the same décor as our accommodations at the Grand Canyon. We appreciated being right across the roadway from the registration desk, and the Base Camp Eatery food hall. I was less than impressed with the food choices, but it was convenient.
Being we were only there for 1 night, we decided it was worth purchasing the Yosemite Floor tram tour. It cost $42 a person, and takes 2 hours of your life, but the guides were wonderful and they kept you hydrated at some of the stops, and even offered a bathroom break at one point. The highlights were: El Captain, Half Dome, Bridalveil Falls, Tunnel View, Yosemite Falls…and so much more. The driver even took photos of us on the tram, which we appreciated. They definitely go above and beyond, with their service. That left us the remainder of the early afternoon to enjoy nature, around our hotel area.
Our YARTS bus arrived during a thunderstorm at 4PM, and we were on our way back, in reverse. I am normally not good in thunder storms, but being we were surrounded by granite cliffs, I felt no fear at all. It also had the added benefit of bringing water to the many falls in Yosemite, which was definitely a highlight of our day. So, bring on the storms!
I had decided that we did not want to go all the way back to Santa Clarita in one day, so we got onto our train at Merced, but only rode it to Fresno. My husband grew up there, and we had hoped to catch up with some childhood friends of his, but it did not work out for us. The hotel we booked was 2 blocks from the station, and we walked to it. Not the best neighborhood, but not terrible, either. Our train was due in the mid-afternoon, so we headed out for a Mediterranean lunch across the street from the hotel, which was quite good, and then walked the two blocks back to the train station. Unfortunately for us, the train was running several hours late, which meant we had to come up with something for dinner. There was a Grocery Outlet we passed on the way, so I back-tracked over to it, and got some sandwiches and drinks for us. It worked out well, and the train finally arrived. All connections were made, and we ended up in Newhall, for our Uber back home at around 10PM. 3 days of travel with a stop at Yosemite, along the way. It was stunning, and totally worth the effort to get there. As always, mask if appropriate.

If you can make it happen, visit Yosemite.

I just returned from a trip to NYC and back.
Covid-19 has a new variant called “Stratus”. It follows the “Nimbus” variant from earlier this summer (2025). Both are known for giving the person suffering from the illness, a “Razor Blade Throat”. No matter what, there are variants going around that could get you sick, and so as I traveled on different forms of transportation, I masked. What I immediately noticed is that almost nobody else did.
Being my Masters Degree was about dealing with Covid-19 and the aftermath of the Pandemic, I am a more knowledgeable person, in regard to how masking helps keep you safer. For the most part, I use a cloth mask, and I know it is not the best one, but it does a few things. People avoid me (which is so good), and in addition, I tend to hold my breath when someone coughs near me, or I pass the showers at the gym, when people are using it. Little things that help keep me safe.
On this particular trip, I traveled multiple places via public transportation, some of which were trains. A bus (Van Nuys Flyaway), an airport (LAX), another airport (EWR), an air train (Newark), a train (NJ Transit), a train (LIRR), an air train (JFK), and finally, a rental car. Then I did it all in reverse, when I departed NYC area. It was brutal, and took several hours to accomplish. It looks like I might have managed to make it through the entire experience, Covid-19 free (currently 5 days post trip, without symptoms).
I have not been vaccinated since last December, so I am due for a shot, but since it has been delayed until October, I traveled without a current one. On top of this trip, I have another trip coming up, and will do the same. May my Husband and I, make it through safely.

Glenwood Springs, Colorado, Station, (2024). (Photo taken by the author)

The California Zephyr – Chicago to Emeryville, California

The train leaves from Chicago, On our trip, we picked this train up in Galesburg, Illinois. As I mentioned before in the Southwest Chief post (Part 1), we spent most of the day at this station, and walked to their downtown, which was right there. All you get is a quick stop, and maybe a smoke-break.
Omaha, Nebraska is a 16-minute smoke-break, though it is almost bed time. I did get out, when we visited, but I suggest you don’t leave the area.
Lincoln, Nebraska is a 10-minute stop, but it is after midnight, so chances of knowing it is happening, are slim.
Denver, Colorado comes along around 8AM, so it is a refueling stop, that takes about 50 minutes. The car attendant can tell you how long you can be away. You can visit Historic Denver Union Station, if you like.
Fraser-Winter Park, Colorado is in the rocky mountains. Lots of interesting homes in the town, that you can see from the station. You only get 5-minutes, so stay by your car.
Glenwood Springs, Colorado is on the west side of the rocky mountains. It is a 7-minute smoke break, so get out and look at the station area.
Grand Junction, Colorado is a 13-minute break, and where many people get off to head to National parks. Some people get out and go to the store on the platform, for an ice cream or drink.
Salt Lake City, Utah is around 11PM stop, so it is not announced. It is a 25-minute stop, so if you are up, you can probably check it out.
Reno, Nevada is around 8 AM in the morning, so you can get out of the car for this 11-minute smoke-break. Unfortunately, the station is in a trench, so you can’t see much of anything.
The final stop, is in California. No getting out until Emeryville, which is near Berkeley, and Oakland California. Public transportation can get you to Downtown San Francisco, easily. Enjoy.

The Columbia River, between Oregon and Washington State, (2012). (Photo taken by the author)

The Empire Builder Chicago to either Seattle, Washington, or Portland, Oregon

The first thing I have to say about this journey is that its destination is actually 2 destinations. Either Portland, Oregon (27), or Seattle, Washington (7). The train splits in Spokane, Washington (in the middle of the night). It is not exactly the best place to walk around.
The first stop of any length is Milwaukee, Wisconsin, which gets you a fresh-air break of 10 minutes.
Winona, Minnesota is only 6 minutes, so if they let you out, stay by the door.
St. Paul/Minneapolis, Minnesota is a 17-minute stop, so you can get out and look around at the train and maybe the station. Talk to your car attendant, for the time you need to be back. On our trip, we spent 3 days in that beautiful city, and it is well worth the time to visit.
Havre, Montana is a refueling stop, so you have 21-minutes, if on time. Check with your car attendant, for your return time. There are some static displays, including a statue of James J. Hill the builder of the Great Northern Railway, to visit, if you want.
Shelby, Montana has an 8-minute stop, so you can take a quick fresh-air break, if you need one.
Whitefish Montana is in Glacier National Park, if you can take a few minutes to leave the train and get a few photos of the area, though it might be after dark. You could have up to 16-minutes.
Spokane, Washington is where the train either comes together, or is taken apart, as I mentioned earlier. Unfortunately, it is either after Midnight or 2AM, according to which direction you are going. If you want to, you can leave the car, just ask when you need to be back. You can watch the train crew going through their motions, if that is your thing.
For the Seattle passengers, Wenatchee, Washington is a 10-minute fresh-air break, but it is still night, so you probably won’t know about it.
Welcome to Seattle (or Portland). Have a great time visiting either city.

The Lake Shore Limited Train stopped at Albany, New York, (2025). (Photo taken by the Author)

Lake Shore Limited Chicago to New York Penn Station

We have taken the Lake Shore Limited many times, but just as far as Syracuse, NY. This time we took it the whole way, and learned much more about the journey. Here are some highlights.
You leave Chicago at 10PM, so Fresh-air breaks for smokers, are few and far between, unless you plan for them.
Erie, Pennsylvania is the first one after the overnight and it only lasts 6 minutes. If you are allowed to leave the train, stay right by the door.
Buffalo, New York is a longer stop, so you can manage to get out of the train, if you need to. If you ever decide to make Buffalo your stop, Niagara Falls is about 30 minutes away, and the Anchor Bar (where Buffalo wings were invented), is still there.
Rochester, New York is only 6 minutes, so if you are allowed to leave the train, stay right by the door. A real shame, because their station is right over the Genesee River high falls, which is spectacular to see in person. Over on the right is the Genesee Beer plant.
Syracuse, New York is a longer stop. You have almost 15 minutes, so if you want, get out and look around. You are on an elevated area, so you can’t go far, like into the station or anything. A similar situation to Kansas City, on the Southwest Chief, which I highlighted in Part 1 of this series.
Utica, New York is a short stop. It looks really nice, in the downtown area, but the 5 minutes they give you, won’t get you far, so stay by the door, if they let you out.
Schenectady, New York is a 6-minute stop, so again, stay by the door, if they let you out.
Albany, New York is where the Lake Shore Limited adds the passengers from the Boston area, so, it takes a bit of time. Chances are you can go into the station and take a look around. Check with your car attendant, for when you need to be back on the train.
That’s it, until you get to Moynihan Train Hall, Penn Station, New York City.

Amtrak #3 The Southwest Chief at Raton, New Mexico, (2025). (Photo taken by the Author)

Traveling by train brings you to places you would never fly to.
A long-distance Amtrak Train generally stops each hour along the journey, So when you book travel, from the beginning of the journey (most times Chicago), and the far end destination, you pass through towns and cities along the way. Some of them are small, and you are not allowed to leave the train at all, but others are places where the train crew change, and so they give the passengers a fresh-air break. A few places, they have to refuel the train, and in that case, you may get a half-hour or more, to get out, stretch your legs, and maybe explore the area nearby. An unexpected perk of travel. Always remember that the train will leave without you, so ask your car attendant what time you need to be back on the train.
Here are a few unplanned travel destinations that I have been glad to experience, along the way.

The Southwest Chief: Chicago to Los Angeles
Galesburg, Illinois is a quick smoke break sometimes. We usually can get off the train, and as long as we stay right by the door, we can take a few photos. We actually used this stop on a journey to California, leaving our original train, to then hop onto the California Zephyr, later in the afternoon. It’s a nice area, and the restaurants in the downtown area are just a quarter mile or so from the station. Glad I knew this area, and saved money, and hours more on the trains, for that one trip.
Fort Madison, Iowa is definitely a fresh-air break, though if you are running late, they may shorten it. Being we spent so many breaks in their town, we actually used it as a destination, and booked a room for 3 days, on one journey. They have taxi service, if you need it, and you can walk the riverfront area, if you decide to stay to visit.
Kansas City, Missouri is a main transfer point to the Missouri River Runner train to St. Louis, so the train stops there and it is definitely a fresh-air break. If the connecting train is late, you may be there for a bit of time, but I am unsure if I would want to try to get into the station, since it is at a much higher level, than trackside. Ask your train attendant, in regard to that. One time we spent several hours in that station, and it is quite beautiful inside. The neighborhood…not so much.
La Junta, Colorado is where a crew change happens, so we get a fresh-air break there. They warn you that you should not attempt to get some food across the street, because you won’t make it back in time (so buyer beware). Otherwise, step out and look at the train.
Raton, New Mexico just after the Raton pass, is a high elevation fresh-air break, where a crew change happens. The town is right by the station, so technically you could walk over, but that is definitely not recommended.
Albuquerque, New Mexico is a refueling stop, so the train gets serviced, and you can walk off and go into the town. The platform has venders who sell interesting wares, so you might want to check it out. You can then spend some time looking at their station. It is quite nice, and the bathrooms are good, too. There are two stores within walking distance, though I have never had a need to visit them.
Gallup, New Mexico is a quick fresh-air break, and if you have the time, it is worth getting out, for a look. The downtown route 66 road, is right there.
Flagstaff, Arizona is usually busy, so it is about a 10-minute fresh-air stop. We spent several days there, and being it is the gateway to the Grand Canyon, we rented a car, and drove up to see it. The only problem with it, is the high elevation. Just a warning if you are sensitive to that.
Barstow, California is a fresh-air break, if you want to get out, stay right by the door to your car.
Fullerton, California is the last fresh-air break, but again, don’t stray far from your door.
There are others, Dodge City, Kansas (Crew Change), Kingman, Arizona (Crew Change), Needles, California (Crew Change). But those are in the middle of the night, most times, so they don’t count. Middle of the night station stops are not announced, and chances are you are asleep, and have no idea where you are, if you wake up.
As you can see, the train gives you so much more than flying does.
Next up, The Lake Shore Limited.

Moynihan Metropolitan Lounge, New York City (2025). Photo by the author.

We recently spent a few hours in the brand-new Moynihan Metropolitan Lounge in Penn Station. Of all the Metropolitan Lounges we have visited over the years, this one is far ahead of the others. Spacing between passengers is very good, and we felt safe, while sitting there.

As to the food, I got a berry scone that was huge, with an iced tea. My Husband got a panini with a bottle of soda. We both enjoyed our lunch. As you can see, the chairs are super comfortable, and there are multiple boards letting you know the status of your train. I highly recommend visiting this lounge, if you are a non-coach passenger, on one of the long distance trains.

The food for the passengers. Photo by the author.

The drinks available. Photo by the author.

The shower area of the Metropolitan Lounge. Photos by author, in 2025.

My Husband and I had booked a journey across the Country, via Amtrak.

Even though we showered half-way through the 2-day trip, we wanted a shower before boarding the Lake Shore Limited. So, we asked the man at the counter, who logged us into the Metropolitan Lounge, how we go about booking a shower. We were asked for our Driver’s License, and in return, we were given the key card to access the shower. It is in the restrooms.

After opening the door, you are given two choices, room 1 or room 2. Mine was room 2, and that is what I used. It has an area with a bench and hangers, to get undressed, and then the shower area, that has a hand-held shower head, and a chair to sit on, if needed. Perfect!

There is also shampoo on the wall, as is the custom today, and towels on the outside bench. They ask you to find the laundry shoot, to discard your used towels (it is in that outer area as you first enter). That’s it!

The photos show that it is very clean and wonderful. As a matter of fact, we used it twice, once going to the East, and once on the return trip West.

Thank you Amtrak, for making a long journey, more manageable.

I needed to get to my family in New York.
I had almost booked a trip by plane, back in January. Then I saw the advanced weather for Los Angeles…70 to 80 mph winds were forecast for the time I was going to be away from my home. I immediately canceled my plans and stayed home, to defend our property from potential fire. It was so bad; we actually packed a “go bag”. A first for me. By the time the whole thing played out, it was deep into Winter, and there was no way I was going to make a journey to the East Coast. So, I sat and waited for Spring, and it did, eventually arrive, as Spring does.
On April 2nd, while our President announced tariffs, I booked a trip to the East, on Amtrak. I figured, if I had to go, there would be no better time, since who knows what will disappear due to the fallout from all the tariff wars. First off, it was not cheap. I spent a large amount of money, purchasing Roomettes on 4 trains, and coach on the Wolverine, between Chicago, and Ann Arbor. We both had points in our AGR (Amtrak Guest Rewards) accounts, and I used all of them, figuring that who knows how Amtrak will survive the next few years. It brought the price of two of our trips down a couple of hundred dollars, which I appreciated. All told, I spent in the neighborhood of $4 thousand dollars, for the railroad part of the journey. 2 hotels and a rental car, brought it up to about $4.5 thousand. It was not a cheap trip, by any means. Almost all the food was paid for, minus a few days visiting with members of my family. It took 12 days, in total, which is an almost 2-week journey. It was also the hardest trip for us. 3 days on the train, to get to the East coast, was brutal. We ended up taking a shower at Chicago Union Station, between train journeys. We had about 6 hours, from when our Southwest Chief train arrived, and when our Lakeshore Limited train departed. It worked out very well for us, a very clean, and well-designed shower area. Talk to the person who checks you into the Metropolitan Lounge, for more details on how to schedule one.
If I was ever going to go across the entire United States again, I would never take back-to-back trips. It is worth it for your body and health, to break the journey up a bit. The only other time we went from New York to Los Angeles, we spent a day in New Orleans (we had no choice in the matter, since the Sunset Limited only runs 3 times a week). That did help with acclimating back to land. The times I am constantly riding on a train, I find that for a few days, my body acts like it is still on the train. It is a very strange experience, and I wonder how people who work on the trains for a living, handle it.
All in all, I am glad I went, but I am very happy to be home again.

Fraser, Colorado, a stop on the California Zephyr. Photo taken in 2024, by the author.

You have decided to book your trip via Amtrak.
One of the things that come up in the booking process, is whether you would like to purchase trip interruption insurance from Allianz.
As seniors, my Husband and I default to this purchase, because you just never know how your health is going to be, several months in the future.
For the rest of you, I want to go through our recent experience with Allianz Claims.
We are waiting for our second claim, but one of the two claims we submitted after our 3 train trips, has been received already.
We put in a refund for an Uber ride from Van Nuys Station, to Burbank Airport, where our car was. It cost us $32.90, plus a 20% tip, which we did not claim on the Allianz refund request.
When the check was deposited directly into my account, it was for $250. They explained that each passenger received $125 each, for not only the charge we paid, but for the inconvenience we experienced. Without even having our original 12-hour delay claim paid to us, yet, we are already serious money ahead.
It took them around a week or so to process it. They mention that they are behind due to the two hurricane claims (Helene and Milton) coming through their office right now.
The amount charged to each leg of our trip was a very affordable amount of money, around $25. In our case, this was money well spent, and I would do it again, in a heartbeat.

Update: we received the second check, and it is for $200. Not bad at all, for a 12 hour delay, and an expense of $64.40.

Thank you Allianz for the peace of mind you give your travelers.