When I took my first major train trip three years ago, I thought that it would be the only one. I wasn't sure what to expect. I was especially worried about sleeping in the chair and what the food would be like. When I found out that the seats on the distance trains are pertty comfortable, one road block was out of the way. And as I've said several times, the food in the dining cars is quite good. And given that we are a captive market, it's not all that expensive. So that led me to take another trip the next year and the year following that. So what I thought would be a one time occurrence has now become an annual event. I'm already thinking about where I want to go next year.
Even though I repeated my first trip, it was still pretty cool. I kind of had a better idea of what to expect and also when I wanted to have my camera ready and where I wanted to be on the train. I wish the weather were a little more cooperative though. Because of that I missed a few shots that I wish I could get again. Still, taking pictures from a train is difficult and there were times I wish we could stop.
Now that I've seen the Empire Builder twice and the Zephyr three times, I think I can make a comparison between the two. And honestly, they are close. I think the Zephyr wins because there is a little more different scenery but the Empire Builder has some good points. Glacier and passing through Washington are cool. I just wish it was lighter as we followed along the Mississippi but oh well, that would mess up timing elsewhere I think. I didn't see as many people mooning the Zephyr as last time but they were still there. If you were going to take one trip on the train, I would certainly recommend the Zephyr from Denver to Emeryville. If you didn't want to spend that much time on a train, you could catch it in Reno.
The staff on the train are pretty friendly and very helpful. I think the airlines could learn a few pointers from them. The seats are pretty comfortable as well.
I would certainly recommend train travel if you want to see the country. The country looks alot different from the ground than at 30,000 feet. And you get to see a slice of America that you can't see by car.
If I had one complaint, I kind of wish I would have stayed in San Francisco instead of Emeryville. I think I would have gotten out a little more and seen more of the city but I had a good time anyway. The hotel was very nice.
So I can't wait until next year. I'm thinking that the Empire Builder and Glacier are in order.
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