A train lesson. The ride to L.A.

Unbeknown to us SockMonkey stowed away inside my backpack. Once we got to the train station he wanted out. At that point it was too late to send him home so we took him on the trip.

One of the nice things about train travel is meeting new people. It's very easy to start conversations with, "Are you heading to Seattle?" if the train happens to be going in that direction. If going south something like, "Are you going to LA?" works just as well. You know the person is going somewhere along, or, to the end of the line. It's a great "ice-breaker."

You can't very well ask that of the person next to you on an airplane. By the way, I have no problem flying, it's all the getting on and off the plane I can't stand.

So, before any introductions are made you and other people on the train have something in common, your chosen mode of transportation.

Over the years I have been on three of the four east west routes from California to Detroit. The most beautiful ride is The California Zephyr that travels hundreds of miles along the Colorado River. It also goes through the Rockie Mountains to Denver. This trip was on the Coast Starlight. This train is a little different,  it's operated by Amtrak California.

The Starlight operates between Seattle, Washington and Los Angeles, California. The service and amenities are somewhat superior to the other Amtrak trains. I am always surprised at the people we meet that are not aware of the options when riding the train. In years past I have gone coach but now always travel First Class (at least on the train) 'cause that's the way I roll.

When Wanda and I booked our tickets the coach seats were around $50 dollars each. The sleeper compartment was $132 for both of us. As I said yesterday, the sleeper fee includes all meals as well as use of the Parlor Car which only operates on the Starlight route. This special car is a restored 1950's lounge car that has comfortable seating and private dining. Afternoons offer a free wine and cheese tasting. They had four varieties and it was well attended. The lower level has a big screen and theater seating for two movies each day. "The Smurfs" and "Cowboys and Aliens" were on the bill.

Upper Level Parlor Car

Lower Level Theater

If you want to travel light and inexpensively then buy a coach ticket. The seats are comfy and you can pack some food or buy snacks on board. They have microwave food, hot dogs, burgers and the like. But, we really enjoy the full dining car and that's why we always go with the sleeper. On the way down we had breakfast, lunch, and dinner on board. Breakfast for two is at least $15 or $20, lunch $30 and dinner as high as $55, more with beer or wine $5-7. It's easy to see why the sleeper is a nice way to go.

Now, to further confuse you on our Riding The Train lesson, there are several size sleepers. Of course, the larger the compartment the higher the price. We had a "Roomette" it sits and sleeps two and is all of 3'3" X 6'6", that's it. Go ahead and mark that out with a couple of chairs. It's comfortable enough but the older we get the smaller the space seems. The two seats fold together into a lower bed, the other drops down from the top. So, if this is your choice, someone has to climb. Historically it's been me. Bathrooms are down the hall with showers on the lower level.

The larger, and more expensive private sleeper is the Bedroom. It's 6'6" X 7'6". For day use this has a couch and a chair and a private toilet and shower. You can sit on the toilet while taking a shower if you have never done that before. Night use has a lower bed and an upper that requires a climb.

Which ever your choice of accommodations the ride is the same. Amtrak uses freight train tracks so delays are common as the freight goes first. The ride can also be rough. The trains west of Chicago are mostly Superliners, double deckers. The stairs and passageway's are narrow. However, there are some sleeper compartments on the lower level as well as a handicap room. Each sleeper car has an attendant who will convert the rooms for night or day use. They will also bring meals to you should moving around prove challenging.

Taking a train to your destination is a very relaxing, fun way to go. It is not without issues as I've mentioned above. Moving around can be difficult and your personnel space is limited. You just need to travel smart. You can stow your luggage on the lower level. Pack a small overnight bag and take that along with electronics to your compartment (sleeper). You can't lock the doors when you are away but I've never had a problem. You don't want to share your 18 to 42 square feet with a bunch of suitcases.

Some of the country you can see from a moving train is spectacular. On this trip we were running alongside the Pacific Ocean as the sun was setting. These were taken at 60 miles per hour through a window.

We could have saved a few bucks and driven down. It's easy for me to say that as Wanda does about 99% of the driving these days. We could have saved money and still taken the train, coach. It would have been a nice ride but at this time in my life I don't want to smell feet and pork rinds. The fun we had along with the time we were able to spend together talking, no phones, no cats, no distractions, was worth much more than the price of a ticket. Try it sometime, pick a few days, pick a nice place, take a train, and go. I promise, it will take you back to days long gone by. And, with the speed things are moving these days it'll be nice to slow down.

If you have any questions about the train or train travel in general please leave a comment here or on the Face Book page. Tomorrow I'll write about the days in Alhambra. Once again, thanks for listening.