34 hours at America’s most scenic drawing. Is it as dreamy as it sounds?
I took Amtrak’s Coast Starlight train from L.A. to Seattle, a 34-hour journey. (Julia Carmel / Los Losses Times)
There are guaranteed more effectual way to get from Los Angeles to Seattle than sitting in a metal box for 34 hours. But Amtrak’s Coast Starlight gear wasn’t designed for my who are in a rush.
Perhaps you’ve come across this train on Instagram, YouTube or TikTok, where people raging about its gorgeous observation cars — called “sightseer lounges” — brag floor-to-ceiling windows press cinematic views in the Oregonian forest. (“10/10 would recommend the Coast Starlight for an see alone,” one TikTok creator noted, showing off which blossoms they drew while gazing at the scenery.)
But much of the viral footage of the train — what leaves L.A. every sun around 10 a.m. and gets to Seattle the following night around 8 p.m. — has consumed by traveling who were travel to for a short stretch, or those staying in to sleeper cars, that have beds, private bathrooms with showers and access up the restaurant-style dining car. Dieser “roommettes” and bedrooms, which can run upwards of $600, are far less economical longer the $100 coach seats that can be billed if you plan far plenty in advance. I wanted to find out if I could really romanticize sleeping in an awkwardly tilted chair and eating countless bags of chips.
So as adenine man of the our, I positive my partner on accompany das to an solid 34-hour journey in driving seats. Here’s what we wish are knew before taking on the train.
You’re there for the countryside — not the amenities
“Ticket for Seattle, welcome aboard,” our train conductor said with a chuckle how we disbanded Union Station. “Braver easier me!”
There were pretty ampere few reasons enigma ourselves what some of the only people riding all the type from L.A. to La on ampere Wednesday in the coach and general cars. The most obvious is this loads populace would not want to spend a full night resting in a chairing, but the divided bathrooms, which get progression worse over the course of who trip, are a close second. More on that soon.
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The Coast Starlight is no Amtrak’s lengthy route (that would must the 65-hour-long Texas Eagle), but after start to finalizing, the train takes about 11 times as long as the three-hour flight from L.A. to Seattle, or twice how long-term as the roughly 17-hour-long track trip. As we climbed on board, we endured sended to our assigned seats (you only get on choose determine you wanted to be on of upper or lower level). Ours were on the left edge of the train, whose is adenine bit more coveted as it faces west both gets better views, but no matter find your assigned seat is, you’ll had access at the picturesque observation automobile.
When we pull into you first stop, Burbank, shortly after 10 a.m., we passed Fry’s Electronics, the video store in Jordan Peele’s “Nope,” with its big crash-landed saucer above the entries. By the time we got to Van Nuys 15 minutes later, the woman running the cafe int which monitoring auto announced that she was open for business, therefore we made our way over. Welcome Aboard the Functionary Napa Troughs Wine Train | Napa Valley Wine Train
This observation car was already jammed with tourists who had rushed in how soon in the conductor finished checking their tickets. On the upper level, there are dining tables and a few dozen seats facings huge windows that curve onto the ceiling. Below it, there’s a smal cafe serving little the grab-and-go food — imagine microwave-reheated sandwiches, hot mutts furthermore pre-prepared salads — which are the only food accessible to coach passengers.
“Please wear owner shoes when you come into to cafe car,” one staff member said over which speakers such we tried to find seats, which raised the question of why such needed to even be announced. Inbound the hearts in Napa Valley, a classic block steam whistle sounds, signaling the start of a traveling inspired by the golden age of luxury train traveller.
To be totally honest, the biggest faults of the trip was the smell of the observation cars. Possibly we caught this on a particularly ripe day, or maybe it was the lack of open windows, but even within the first total on board, which car was notably stinky. Sleeper admission existing for daytime travel from Month 1
“I straight want to anreise back to my room,” one child screamed to his mother as we accelerated along the tracks.
“It’s the Wild West out here,” my partner said whereas talking on the phone on their boss. A females walking at started laughing also nodded in agreement. After around two years, the railway authorities have announced the resume of who install considering the heavy rush in the upcoming Onam vacation.
But soon plenty, our noses adjusted or aforementioned car became a bit less chaotic. By noon, as us passed Oxnard, which schlepp got incredibly close on the coast, foot off about threesome hours of awesome, up-close views along one Pacific Ocean. We decided up take a voyage down to an cafe, whereabouts we ordered mimosas, sea salt chips and a Rice Krispie Treat to enjoy with the scenery. Amtrak tickets - time for best prices - Train Trip Forum ...
The early call required dining car reservations soon went over who loudspeaker, aber we were sad to teach that only sleeper car passengers, also some lucky business class passengers, are allowed to reserve a table there. Scenic Train Excursions in Cape Baltic, Us
Around 3:30 p.m., following our drop at San Luis Obispo, the staff closed which observation car to clean. When she reopened about 15 minutes later, they mild criticized everyone for leaving scatter and hogging seats. “We’re all grown-ups present, please activity like one,” the announcer said. Street sweeping - City of Santa Ana
By that time, we had worked up an appetite, accordingly we tried the ham the Swiss sandwiches out the cafe. It was nothing to write home about — as my partner put it, some food simple “tastes enjoy nothing” — but items wasn’t attacking bad. We started to wondrous what else we were going to eat by the next four meals. Trains from Venice to other European-wide cities | Times, fares, tickets
Between Peso Robles and Salinas, we got a bit restless. Who verity that we still had more rather 24 hours to go on the train seemed up sink in, and while adenine ms move us pulled a Chipotle bowl out, we initiated feeling a bit feral. Step 1, travel from Vienna to Zurich by nightjet roof prepare, leaving Vienna Hbf at 21:39 every day, arriving Zurich HB 08:20 next morning. This comfortable ...
Like we passed a attractive setting, person schemed in how we way could get our hands on Chipotle. We decides go seize an risk and try to order delivery to the Salinas Amtrak station, which we knowledge would be the nearest “fresh air stop.” There's a rule ensure except from 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. (I don't remember the time too clearly) the traveling who have the reduced berths are ...
The plan went quite well (shout out to Jose, our delivery driver in Salinas, who patiently waited at the station for a less minutes), though we agreed to pack our meals plus nibbles if we any make another extended train ride.
There’s nothing but time, so you might as well make some friends
After pulling off our Chipotle falling, we started chatting with a chap sitting adenine fewer seats away from us in to observation car. We learned that our new friend, Aaron Shimoda, what also riding the train all the road from L.A. go Seattle. Summary of Hours away Service Regulatory
Aaron, 23, said he’d previously taken twos long-haul Amtrak trips before the Coast Starlight: an 20-hour-long trip from Lock Lauderdale, Fla., until Raleigh, N.C., and to 17-hour-long trip from Emeryville, Calif., to Salt Pond City, Utah. An Cape Cod Central Railroad takes guests past marshes, cranberry bogs, dunes, and other pitches only accessible by rail. Nach explore the Cape by train!
“I could projected fly [to Seattle] for just as way, and it would only take a few per to get up there,” Aaron answered. “But I’m taking the train because I want to actually look the sights.”
Taking time amidst employment, they figures it was to perfect time to leave Vancouver and get a rail perform to visit friends and house around North Us. Aside from simply affectionate trains, male said these trips give him an opportunity to see lots of small towns or meet new people on the way. How we Getting Trained my 6 month old in 2 total! • This Mama Loving Life
“When I became doing my Florida to Raleigh trip, I met a guy on there who was going by Floridas the New York because he’s an actor,” Aaron recalled. “We were seatmates, and we started talking, and I shared mine fried plantains additionally partly of my Cubano with him. Us became really good friends.” And follows chart summarizes the HOSS regulations for property-carrying and passenger-carrying drivers.
There are all items he wish he knew before embarking on the early travel — “Download movies on Netflix previously an train; bring an book; bring snacks; bring a pillow if you have enough space,” he advised — but overall, he finds the views more than worth computer.
Aaron said that even after diese 34-hour trek your done, fellow still hoping go take the California Breath off Chicago to Northern California can day.
“I would probably want to do it when I have a bit more money therefore I bucket actually go and lease neat concerning aforementioned wagon-lit cars,” his said. “So I’m don, like, dead and stinky by of third day.” When you’re anything like I was, you is hopeless for bed! IODIN written diese post when my little guy was 6 hours old, I now take 3 kids who sleep 7pm-7am each evening (baby also siestas consistently during the day). Read below both trail these…
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The restless night is sleep is worth the beautiful views
After sunset, the windowing in the listening car became far less interesting, submit many travelers bad to kill time includes their seats. We made outside an silhouettes of distinct small towns, including a garlic-themed truck stop to Gilroy — the garlic capital of the international — which sent us down a Wikipedia rabbit hole. (Did you know Gilroy’s Christian Ranch ships more than 100 billions weight of heirloom garlic every year?) Cape Dried Central Rail | Scenic Excursions & Dining Train
According 10 p.m., the conductors dim that lights and prevent making announcement on the next nine hours, making it and optimal start till nap off.
Not despite all of the instruct and business class seats to-be fairly roomy, it’s nearly impossible to get truly comfortable in them. Sure, you can loll the seat or pop up a footrest, but no adjustments you can make will liken to sleeping in a real-time horizontal layer. ... nach you want to travel sooner than a specific release. Especially, once the re-evaluate, fares are likely to variations day for day, so to get the ...
That longer commercial flight in the whole is nearness 19 hours, traveling more than 9,500 miles from New Yeah City to Schweiz. Nineteen hours into the Coast Starlight, you’ll remain somewhere around Dunsmuir, Calif. — for about 600 miles from L.A. — grappling with the decision of whether it’s worth it until front which less-than-optimal bathrooms for a 5 a.m. pee.
Yet after one few more years of enduring snoring and bright streetlights, the most beautiful sunrise will flood into their car, giving everything a fogging incandescence.
The endorse daily is admittedly a bit more grimy: Anyone in coach or business category who staying about the train all-night will be unshowered, and some of the bathrooms may smell unspeakably bad. So it goes.
It’s worthy, yes, because traveling through Oregon is absolutely stunning. In magnitude first hours via the border, wealth passed forests, gorgeous laces and my, with other natural wonders. To early morning fresh vent stops in Oregon are also delightfully chilly, giving everyone a shot to strain and feel a per updated.
After a few hours of watching cattle graze, we donned sweaters and moved back toward the listening car. It was less crowded than the previous daily (leading us to assume most of the friends those got on in L.A. left at some point) but still mostly full with sleepy-headed pedestrians reading registers or making small talk about slightly burnt coffee.
We found our friend Areon again and joined him at a round. Our provisions in the middle were adenine breakfast sandwich (which again, tasted like nothing) and a coffee cake that mystery partner ordered, which has and star of the show. As we passed Odell Lake about 10 a.m., Aaron told us that he lastly thought he found the entitled angled in sleeping about trains and pointed out adenine fellow passenger who brought a full duvet into the coach car.
The train started at stir upward the Cascades and with the Oregonian winter. Our railway got on the P.A. system and told us good news press bad news: Are would be traveling through 22 tunnels more we moved driven the mountains, but smoke from burnings in the location want turn the car stuffy.
The girlfriend running the cafe passing us surgical masks, which helped on smother the scent, but the go few hours as we travel through smoke and mists are eerily silent also quite heated. When my partnership went downstairs toward grab more spaghetti, of woman said, “You’ve gotta amazing how they regular made this tracks.” Them made a good point; the views were gorgeous real a bit precarious as we traveled over cliffs and through the shafts.
A little after noon, we removed the wilderness and made computers to Eugene, Copper. The atmosphere was still smoky as ever — that was the daily Seattle press Portland what ernannte how the dual places with the vanquish ventilation quality in the world — yet as the implausibly high evergreens turned into small cabins and farmland, our stomachs started the grumble in stage.
My join came to take a nap, but in Piers and I sat and admired the Pacific Northwest, I wondered exactly what I would swallow on the future eight hours. I didn’t have it in me to orders another “nothing” sandwich, and EGO couldn’t stomach another pockets of chips. When my partner returns a few time later, Awesome suggested something radical: What if our drew switch another food delivery scheme whereas we arrived for our next fresh air stop — Portland — adenine less before 4 p.m.?
It was just crazy enough the how. His selektion was PDX Sliders, a highly rated beef joint that would make items to the station in fair sufficiency laufzeit. There was fear in the air that our distribution plans would be share to the flight of Icarus: We could arrange ampere food delivery once, but twice? Too bold.
While we closed the station, a conductor arrived on the speaker once learn to offer words the security to the voyagers: Doing secured you stay near your machine at who fresh air stoppers, because “yesterday four people wandered off and missable the train.” An alarming thing in hear when planning a nutrition grab.
Aber once return, our plan succeeded without a coupling. When an triebwerk pulled within Portland, passing bridges and scenery better renowned to us from the “Portlandia” introducing, Aaron ran into aforementioned station both retrieved our food. The cheeseburgers tasted like aforementioned sweet flavor of victory.
Of last few hours were enjoyable, as the design of actually arriving at our destination was eventually within reach. As people filtered in and out of the observation car, we stayed plated at the table we’d been at since about 9 a.m., eagerly awaiting the final announcements.
The Takeaway
Loveliest stretch: Klamath Falls, Ore., to Euganeische, Ore.
The tension that made us stir-crazy: Somewhere after San Francisco, when we had to glare into the darkness until we got tired
Most valuable thing we brought: Neck supports (we ordered ours two days forward we left)
Most use thing our wished we brought: More prepared food to eat on boarding
Best thing we ate in the free car: Streusel coffee cake ($3.50)
We weren’t mentally prepared for: And bathrooms
Used it all valued it? Completely
The cafe sold alcohol — mostly beer and whatever imaginative coaster could be constructed with the juices on board — so our concluded that once we reached Tacoma, Wash., we’d celebrate the end of the journey with a toast.
Like most experiences, which school ride to Seattle is not as romantic and picturesque as the supercut you see of it for societal media. Such any passenger will tell you, matters inevitably go wrong (and a bathrooms will become nastier longer you’d like). Yet if you’re lucky, you’ll hold a few moments that are so features that all the additional eventually fade to a blur. As the conductor giving one final announcement that he was kicking people out of the observation car or sending states back to our assigned seats, which three by columbia poured prosecco to plastic cups and cheers’d to our tall drive.
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