"You know you can also fly, right? That is much faster", is what one of my friends in San Francisco said when I told him about my plans. I laughed and said:"It's not about the destination...".
San Francisco
So it was about to start and I was super excited! Some time earlier I decided that after 2 years it was time to visit San Francisco again, the place that I love so much. I stayed there for a few days and met with my old friends before I left again. I was going to experience one of my bucket list items: The coast to coast Amtrak!
I might be a weirdo, but I just love being on trains. And to be clear, I don't mean the ones in the Netherlands. I love long distance trains. Sitting back and relaxing and watching the world pass by, feels a bit like meditation. And back then, I could really use some peace of mind!
I had no clue what to expect. You make a reservation without payment and it is totally fine that you pay the day before you leave. How can you be sure that reservation is still there? I saw myself get stuck in San Francisco because I did something wrong. But it was just like the lady of the Amtrak reservations said. I had my ticket for my private roomette that I didn't share with anyone. This was going to be awesome!
The first part of my trip was bringing me from San Francisco to Denver, which would take about 32 hours. We would cross the states of California, Nevada, Utah and Colorado. I settled in and explored the train. The bit that I was most curious about was the Amtrak observation car, a car with a lot of glass windows and seats that are directed at the views outside. Rumour has it that guides do give additional information to the views. However, I found it too busy and went straight back to my own roomette.
The Amtrak makes many stops on the way, but those only seemed popular with the smokers on board. The train stations weren't really photogenic and the stop was too short to go for a quick stroll. A fun fact that I learned during my 32 hour trip to Denver was that there are MANY people waving at the train when it passes...unbelievable!
The views from the train are amazing and are different in every state. I really liked the western part of the trip the most with the mountains and desert.
Nevada desert
Getting close to Denver
Look at me enjoying myself
The time has flown super fast. The food on board wasn't spectacular but good enough. And the other people on board were amazing. If you feel old, it is the perfect thing to do. The average age will be plus 65, I'd say. But these people take this trip because they now have the time. During every meal you will be seated with different people every time, so you make a lot of new friends!
Denver
I didn't like Denver that much. I joined a day tour to the Rocky Mountains to break the train pattern a bit. But even that was slightly disappointing somehow. It was just another trip to the mountains (what was I expecting?). So maybe I was just tired and ready to go back on the train, now headed to Chicago.
On my way to Chicago (19 hours) I realised that the timing of the Amtrak schedule is pretty good. During the boring scenery, it will be dark outside so you won't miss a thing. And during the day, everything is amazing!
Crossing the Mississippi River
Chicago
As disappointed as I was with Denver, how in LOVE I fell with Chicago!! Amazing architecture (check out the architecture canal tour), a lot of space, not super busy, super friendly happy people, a lot of green space (what did I miss?). I could have stayed in Millennium Park forever if I didn't have to catch the next train to New York.
The final part takes about 20 hours and is the most dull part. This could be the case because the earlier parts were so overwhelming that I was a bit overdosed with amazing views. Or it is just that the East coast doesn't have much going on but farm land, trees and rivers.
At night, you just put the 2 chairs together to form a pretty comfortable bed. From San Francisco to Chicago the toilet was shared with the whole car and was down the hall. From Chicago to New York, I had my own toilet, next to my chair. It takes some getting used to... pretty awkward feeling using it.
New York
Finally I was in New York!! The city that I hear so much about, but have never before visited. I didn't like Manhattan that much and would next time book a hotel in Brooklyn. But I will definitely return one day. If you are Dutch and ever get the chance, make sure that you do a Dutch history of New York tour!
So this Amtrak, would I do it again? Yes, absolutely! Not this particular route, but there are many other equally beautiful routes to check out. Expect more!