My trip to Tucson and Galveston for birdwatching started out with a new experience for me: an overnight journey by train. Amtrak’s Coast Starlight train from Seattle to Los Angeles departed at 9:45 a.m. on Monday, March 28, with me aboard. After a bus ride with luggage from Issaquah to the train station, I boarded the train and was greeted by my train car’s attendant, Cindy. She directed me upstairs to roomette 2 on the left (eastern) side of the car, where I settled in.
Cindy provided me with all the informed I needed as a first time overnighter on Amtrak and was friendly and talkative. During the 35-hour ride, she supplied me with bottled water whenever I ran low, got my bed ready at night and put it away in the morning, and was fun to talk with.
I had 5 meals in the dining car, just one car away from mine. Unfortunately, due to COVID protocols, everyone could eat only with their own family/party, so I dined alone. It also meant eating on plastic dishes with plastic utensils. Passengers could choose whether to be served in their room or in the dining car, and many chose their rooms, so the dining car was never very full. The food was good, with some decadent desserts including a wonderful flourless chocolate torte, and even free alcoholic beverages. Sitting in the dining and lounge cars gave me the opportunity to see the view on the other side of the train from my roomette.
The first day in Washington and Oregon was cloudy and showery. The train was in southern Oregon when I went to bed Monday night, stopping in Klamath Falls as I tried to fall asleep. Although the motion of the train was comfortable rocking, I found it difficult to sleep with the various noises of passing freight trains and the hard bed. I finally drifted off, getting a few hours of solid sleep.
When I woke up Tuesday morning, we were in California and it was sunny through some fog. The sun continued as we passed through Sacramento, Gilroy, Salinas, Paso Robles, San Luis Obispo, and then along the coast. My roomette wasn’t on the ocean side of the train, but as I ate and early dinner at 5:00 in the dining car, I enjoyed the view of the coast.
The train arrived in Los Angeles about 8:45 p.m., the last stop on the route. I “detrained” and found my way to the front of Union Station, where I summoned an Uber ride for the 5-minute drive to my hotel, the Doubletree on South Los Angeles Street. My 10th floor room gave me a view over the city. I was happy to have a more comfortable bed than on the train and fell asleep quickly.
Lori's Travels 