Winter Amtrak Trip, Day Two: Across Iowa and Illinois

 After the first day of our winter Amtrak train trip, crossing Utah, and Colorado, we fell asleep. We didn't have a sleeping compartments, but instead slept in the reclining chairs. The kids slept fine, but my husband and I didn't get great sleep. I didn't get great sleep in the sleeping compartment across Nevada either, I just don't think I sleep that well on trains.

I woke up very early in the morning when we stopped in Omaha, Nebraska to resupply. I quietly asked Desert Boy if he'd like to get out of the train and touch the ground, as our rule to add a new state to your list is that you have to touch the ground. He kept sleeping, and I figured it would be better to wait until he had seen more of it.

 However, when we had a stop in Iowa, we did jump out and touch the ground. Quite a bit of snow had fallen in Iowa and they had only shoveled the wrong platform, not the one the train actually used, so we all got a bit wet.

 As we crossed snowy Iowa, Desert Boy made new friends and played various games. It was fun to see the kids interact, and all the parents seemed glad to have a little free time to themselves!

 Iowa was more interesting than I thought, with rolling hills and farms interspersed with woodlands next to creeks. We were quite happy to be moving along steadily on the train, especially when we saw so many snow plows out and so many roads still to be plowed.

 We paid special attention as we crossed the Mississippi River on an impressive railroad bridge. Part of the river was frozen over, and bald eagles were everywhere.

 As we continued across Illinois, we moved around and did different activities. Desert Boy traced our route on the Illinois state map. Illinois really promotes Amtrak travel, and we were impressed with the numerous routes through the state.

 I had thought the second day of the train trip would be really tough, with everyone bored and crabby. However, it went well, and faster than I thought it would. We were blessed to have been able to make up time and even arrived at Union Station in Chicago a few minutes early. Pulling into the underground station was a bit dark and dreary and it was so noisy!

If you ever go to Union Station in Chicago, be sure to check out the Main Hall. It is so impressive!

Overall, we had a great time on the train. We won't travel that way all the time, but I'm certainly looking forward to another train adventure. It's a relaxing way to travel and the atmosphere is very different from car or plane travel.

Winter Views from the Train: Provo, Utah to the Rocky Mountains, Colorado

 Keeping with our travel theme, in this post I'll share some recent photos from a train trip we took. We departed Provo, Utah very early in the morning and arrived in Chicago, Illinois about 32 hours later. This post will cover just the first day.

The train was scheduled to arrive in Provo at 4:30 am, so we set our hotel alarm for 3:30 am. Upon waking, the first thing I did was to check Amtrak's website, which said the train was running 45 minutes late, so we went back to sleep. When we reawakened, the train was reported as on time, so we got ready and headed out on the slippery streets to the small one-room station. A number of other people were also waiting. The station had some heat lights, but as we kept waiting and waiting, we decided to take refuge in the van to stay warm. Apparently there was another delay, and eventually one of the folks waiting with us called and found out it was another 45 minute delay.

 The snow was falling heavily by the time the train arrived, and we sure were glad to get on! About 15 people boarded the train.

The conductor said the train was full, but had saved us four seats all near each other. We put our suitcases in the luggage bins, and went to our seats, where we dozed off till it got light. Then we headed to the observation car to eat the breakfast we had brought and where we could be a bit louder.

 The observation car is on top of the cafe, where you can buy a variety of drinks and food. The observation car has lots of windows, so it's a great way to see the terrain. The assistant conductor hung out there, sharing his vast knowledge of the countryside we were passing.

 And my, it sure was beautiful! The early morning sun lit up the Utah desert. At one point, far off in the distance, we could even see an arch from Arches National Park!

 The kids didn't seem particularly interested in viewing the surroundings, but they were eager to work on their activities. We had packed a number of them for the trip.

 "You are here"--I just loved it.

 The frozen Green River.

 As we entered this canyon past Green River, the conductor told us to look for the steps American Indians had carved into the sandstone cliff. The snow highlighted them nicely, and we all wondered how they had traversed such a steep place.

The Colorado River was amazing. I had done this section of train trip in June, with a swollen river roiling over its banks. I figured the river in winter would be serene. I certainly didn't expect the jumble of ice on the river, piling up in places, cracked, buckled, and floating in pieces only to jam up again. The ice was mesmerizing, and I spent hours watching it.

 When we reached Grand Junction we got off the train to stretch our legs. I think I appreciated it more than the kids! We checked out the station and the gift store and almost missed the train! Yikes, with just one California Zephyr running a day, it would have been a long wait for the next train!

 Just past Glenwood Springs we entered Glenwood Canyon, a steep section of canyon with the Interstate engineered to cross the Colorado River repeatedly, go through tunnels, and even be double decker for a short while. It's some of the most expensive Interstate Highway in the country.

 At Dotsero, the tracks left the Interstate and headed north, following the Colorado River. In places the river looked more serene, without so much ice buildup.

 Desert Girl chilling out.

 Since it was Christmas break, there were lots of kids on the train, and Desert Boy quickly made friends.

 I kept watching the ice on the river, which was forming huge blocks, breaking apart, floating downstream, and getting mixed up.

 It was a fairly cloudy day so we couldn't see any distant peaks, but just seeing the canyon made the trip amazingly beautiful. The scenery surpassed my expectations.

Later we retired to our seats for a nap. Then the kids watched a movie while my husband and I read, waiting for our dinner reservation. Finally it was time to eat, and then to sleep, dreaming while we were gently rocked to and fro, speeding along in the darkness.

...to be continued...

A Day in Sacramento

Back in October, Desert Girl and I took Amtrak from Salt Lake City to Sacramento, a 13-hour journey. Then we spent two nights in Sacramento before returning. Here are some of the things we saw and did during our stay in Sacramento; hopefully they'll get you started on trip planning if you decide to visit this beautiful city!

 We had passed these whimsical statues the day before when we got off the train, but on Thursday we really had a chance to enjoy them. Desert Girl liked that they were just her height. And where can you find them?

 The U.S. Courthouse! They were definitely unexpected, and I'm sure there's quite a story behind them. (Here's a bit of the story.)

We passed the Amtrak Station and headed south to the California State Railroad Museum. We had been fortunate enough to see the Utah State Railroad Museum earlier in the year, and we wanted to see what California had to offer.


The museum was impressive, with lots of trains and explanations. We walked through a sleeper car, where the volunteer graciously took our photo. It was interesting seeing the old-fashioned sleeper car and comparing it to the modern Amtrak sleeper we had just been on the day before.

Then we headed over to the dining car, with a peek in the kitchen and then the elegant seating area.

A volunteer conductor let Desert Girl ring the dinner bell.

Despite all the cool exhibits, interactive demonstrations, and amazing information, Desert Girl's favorite spot was the play area, with eight train tables available.

As we were leaving, I couldn't resist snapping a photo of the celebration of the meeting of the Transcontinental Railroad. We had visited Golden Spike National Historic Site earlier in the year, and seeing references to it made me remember that fun trip! It was also interesting learning about how the railroad progressed from California to the East Coast, and the idea-men and stakeholders needed to do that.

We spent about 2.5 hours in the museum and easily could have spent more time if I had let Desert Girl play longer or if she would have let me read more exhibits! I suspect we'll be back sometime when she's older.

Right outside the museum we found Old Sacramento State Historic Park. We wandered over to the river to take a look and then started meandering through the historic district. We ate some lunch and enjoyed people watching.

We also checked out the River Walk on the other side of the river.

To get there, we crossed the big gold bridge, called the Tower Bridge. It was really neat. If I had dared to run out in the middle of the highway, I would have spotted the Capitol building framed by the bridge. But I used common sense and stayed on the sidewalk with Desert Girl.

We wanted to get an even closer view of the river. Also, I figured it might be good to take a little break from walking. So we signed up for an hour long river cruise. (In some ways traveling with a child can be a little challenging, but then there are bonuses like free admission for young children.) We didn't see any sea lions on the dock, but I did appreciate the sign.

Before long we were on the Sacramento River. It was a beautiful day, and it was so nice to learn a little more about the history of the area.

The city's water pumps are housed in this interesting-looking building. On the side are water depth markings. The Sacramento River fluctuates a couple feet a day at Sacramento due to the tides. The river has also been known to flood, at times quite severely.

Here's a view of the Tower Bridge from the water. It sure looks bright! We didn't see any big ships on the river, but Sacramento is considered a deep water port, and the bridges open or raise in various ways to permit huge ships to pass by.

After our boat ride I had one other thing I wanted to see in Old Sacramento: the Pony Express Monument. The Pony Express trail is near our area, and it was neat seeing the ending place for the mail. Someday we'll have to check out the other end!

From Old Sacramento, we wandered a bit and got some ice cream, and then we headed to the State Capitol. We had explored the grounds the night before, and today we had more time to explore.

Except that Desert Girl fell asleep, so I hung out in the little movie theatre for half an hour to let her get some sleep! Then we were up and walking again, checking out some sculptures.

As we walked along, we saw so many fountains. At each and every one, Desert Girl said the water was warm. It wasn't really warm, but she said it was warm. Why? She wanted to swim. In every fountain. It was funny, but I did resist letting her strip down and swim. Sometimes we country hicks can have a little class! (Even though it really would have been fun to swim!)

One of the ugliest fountains I have ever seen.

So as we were nearing the end of our 4.5 mile walk (I didn't know it was that long till I got back and mapped it!), we stopped to get a pedicure. It was the perfect ending for a long day.

Desert Girl knows how to have a good time. She stopped and smelled the flowers all day long, and insisted that I did too.

Sacramento's a great place to visit! We found that the weather was terrific in October, and we easily made our way around by walking. I was impressed with how polite traffic was--the pedestrians always had the right of way. I feel like we just scratched the surface of things to do.

An Amtrak Trip over the Sierra Nevadas

Back in October I had some expected free time, so I decided to take a little adventure with Desert Girl. We headed to Salt Lake City and got on an Amtrak train, the California Zephyr, headed to Sacramento, California. Our goals? Enjoy the train ride and soak up some warm temperatures.

The train is supposed to arrive at 11 pm in Salt Lake City, but due to the severe flooding in Colorado earlier, the trains had been rerouted across Wyoming, and when we arrived at 10 pm the train was already there and so we got to board right away.

We had splurged on a sleeping compartment, as I wanted to see what they were like and I also thought it might work out really well for traveling with a child. I had been forewarned that the sleeping compartments were compact, but I still did a double take when the attendant showed us ours. Wow, very small. Like sleeping bag width. The top bunk was a little smaller than the bottom bunk and didn't have a window, so I decided I would sleep in the bottom bunk. Desert Girl quickly decided the same thing. So that meant the small lower bunk got a little squishier with both of us wedged into it. It's good we've done a lot of camping this year!

Desert Girl slept fine, but the roll of the train and my excitement of traveling and wanting to see the terrain kept me from a good night's sleep. I kept peeking out the window, wondering where we were. The Great Salt Lake was a dark abyss out the window, and the Great Salt Desert was nearly the same. Then came the blazing lights as we entered Nevada at Wendover, but that wasn't a stop. Our first stop was Elko, Nevada, and it didn't feel long. 

I really started waking up about Winnemucca, and then we reached Reno, Nevada, for a longer stop, we got out of the train to stretch our legs.

 Reno got tired of trains disrupting traffic on surface streets, especially since the train tracks run right through the middle of town, so they made a "canyon." The streets cross overhead, and now cars don't have to stop for the trains.

 There wasn't much sightseeing in the concrete canyon, but the sewer covers are nice.

 We had enough time to walk all the way to the front of the train to take a photo, although Desert Girl didn't like the noisy diesel engines!

Our train consisted of two diesel engines, a baggage car, a sleeping car (for Amtrak staff), three coach cars, an observation/cafe car, a dining car, and two sleeping cars.

 We had followed the Humboldt River across much of Nevada, but as we headed up out of Reno, we followed the Truckee River. We went to the observation car to listen from volunteers from the California State Train Museum narrate the trip. They pointed out the flumes along part of the river, used to carry water to mining areas.

 We stopped in Truckee briefly. On the rainy fall day, it looked pleasant enough.

 Then we continued on. We really liked the observation car, as we could talk to people and move around and have lots of windows. We visited with some Amish, who were traveling from New York to San Diego via train. They were getting a little train weary, but like us, kept notes as we traveled upwards into the mountains.

 Before long we got to Donner Lake, site of the infamous unintended camping spot of the Donner Party. The ill-prepared sojourners resorted to cannibalism to survive deep snow and cold temperatures for much of a winter. I was surprised by how big the lake is and how many homes dot the shores.

 Soon after we began going through a series of tunnels and snow sheds, like above. Snow sheds used to be made of wood and had rounded roofs, but the train companies found this concrete version is stronger to withstand avalanches.

 After a very pleasant lunch in the dining car, we went to our sleeping car room, where instead of two beds, we now had two seats facing each other. Desert Girl was getting a bit sleepy.

 I enjoyed the views, now much sunnier once we had crossed over into California. The massive granite made me want to go out and hike. Yellow aspens dotted the conifer-covered landscape.

 Desert Girl needed a break from it all and took a nap.

 In mid-afternoon, the skyscrapers of Sacramento came into view.

 We bid adieu to the train and our sleeping car attendant, which were headed to Emeryville before turning around and making the return trip to Chicago.

We spent the next two nights in Sacramento with various adventures to be posted at a later date.

Then, on the morning of our next-to-last day, we returned to the Sacramento train station, waited for the California Zephyr, and happily boarded. Train travel is so much easier than plane travel, and so much less stressful. Folks on board are more relaxed, there are no seat belts, and people are generally happy to share stories and just enjoy the journey.

 One of our favorite places was the dining car. When you buy a sleeping compartment ticket, all your meals are included. The meals are comparable to a nice restaurant. Dinner is by far the most expensive (but our compartment fee was the same in each direction, even though one included a breakfast and a lunch and the other a lunch and dinner), with entrees between $16 and $26.

We sat with different people for all our meals and so much enjoyed hearing why they were on the train and talking about an assortment of subjects.

 Here are scenes from other parts of the train:

A bathroom (bigger than an airplane toilet). Sleeping cars also have a shower, but we didn't bother using it as the train ride was just 13 hours.

 The coach car. Seats are much, much roomier than airplane seats. They have tray tables, foot rests, recline a bunch, and the best part: an outlet next to each one, so you can keep your electronics charged.

 Desert Girl got a lot of attention in the observation car. This really makes it a great place for parents who want to take a little break! The tables make a great place for playing cards and games and meeting other folks. The other end has chairs, some that swivel. Downstairs is the cafe car, open from about 6 am to midnight.

 I took well over a hundred photos of scenery, but they tend to blend together now when I look at them! I do have to say that the scenery was gorgeous crossing the Sierras. Crossing the Rockies is a very different experience. (For an account of our Salt Lake City to Denver train trip, see here and here.) Both are totally worth it.

 One of the things that surprised me on the trip was just how many freight trains we saw. Amtrak uses rails maintained by freight companies, so I knew we would see some freight trains. However, for crossing the Sierras, there are two tracks most of the way because there is so much traffic.

 It won't be long until the snow plow trains are needed!

 It was really relaxing watching the scenery roll by as we continued along.

 Desert Girl was so relaxed she fell asleep. I decided to just let her snooze on the floor.

 The skies were much sunnier on the downriver trip as we followed the Truckee River towards Reno.

 The light was fantastic as we left Reno and started heading across Nevada. The Great Basin is such a vast area, and it must have been so daunting for the first travelers across it.

 Every once in awhile we saw surprises in the desert, like these colorful wetlands.

Evening fell and we went to the first dinner seating (there were four). Then we went to the observation car for a bit, which was not as entertaining in darkness, then to our compartment.

 We stepped outside at the Elko, Nevada stop, then we did our best to sleep until the train reached Salt Lake City at 3 am.

It was a great trip, and I'm already looking forward to getting on a train again!