Travelleity: Zephyr Trip: Day 5

Route, Days 4 & 5: Denver, CO, to Emeryville, CA

Sunrise in the hills

Woke up early, just before sunrise. We had passed through all of Utah [Provo and Salt Lake City] and most of Nevada overnight. The peaks of Nevada's hills began to light up as we made our way back to the dining car for breakfast. Soon we were packing our gear and freshening up for the final leg of our Amtrak trip.

Truckee River

In Reno, Nevada, "Chuck" from the Sacramento Railroad Museum boarded the lounge car and began to give a running commentary of the "Union Pacific Donner Pass Route." We began by following the Truckee River up to its similarly-named town in the Sierra Nevadas. Large wooden flumes run along the river here, routing water to hydroelectric stations.

Truckee, CA

In Truckee [near Lake Tahoe], Cassie and I were joined by some of my California branch of the family- Uncle Andy & Aunt Elda, Shawndra, Sam and Keira. The more the merrier, I say. Soon we were passing high above Donner Lake, named for the ill-fated party. The train follows a circuitous route through the mountains here, twisting around peaks and canyons with incredible vistas.

Lounge Car

Winter 2010-2011 set a record for snowfall in the Sierra Nevadas, and the 10' of snow still on the ground made sitting on the second floor of the Lounge Car feel like sitting at ground level- although many of the smaller trees were buried up to their tops. After our quick lunch in the dining car, the California Zephyr was finally on its way down to sea level.

The Mothball Fleet

Traveling through California's Central Valley, we passed Roseville [the largest railyard west of Chicago] just before a quick stop in Sacramento. From here on out the Zephyr only stops if ticketed passengers need to get off- so we actually got ahead of schedule in the end. We passed the "Mothball Fleet" in Suisun Bay, waiting for the next World War, and caught sight of the hills near the Pacific. Soon we were coasting along San Pablo Bay, then with the Golden Gate to the west we arrived at Emeryville, CA. End of the line!

Coach Aisle

Overall, I enjoyed my first Amtrak trip; would certainly recommend the California Zephyr route, although would suggest investing in the sleeper accommodations [meals included!] if you decide to do the entire route in one go. I look forward to sampling another Amtrak route in the future; perhaps the Empire Builder, Coast Starlight or the Southwest Chief.

It felt good to get a shower in after 30 hours on a train, and we had a great dinner in San Rafael at the Panama Hotel. Delicious seafood while enjoying the live jazz music of perhaps the oldest quartet I have ever seen.