Trip Report: October 8 - 28, 2000
by Ted & Sylvia Blishak
ONBOARD AMTRAK
WITH TED AND SYLVIA BLISHAK
October 8, 2000: Klamath Falls, Oregon.
Although we often take the Coast Starlight for western trips, it has been three years since we've experienced a long-distance Amtrak excursion. As we advise our customers to do, we call Amtrak for an estimated arrival time. We learn that Coast Starlight #11 is, not surprisingly, running late. This gives us an extra hour to relax at home before being driven to the station.
The Klamath Falls station is undergoing a much-needed renovation, and is very much a construction zone tonight, with plastic sheeting instead of a wall between the ticket office and the waiting room and the restrooms temporarily replaced with portable toilets. Sleepy passengers are sitting in the darkened waiting room (station manager Brian Lewis explains that new lights are on order, but delayed).
The Superliner pulls in just before midnight. Since we checked our heavy luggage to Pittsburgh a day before our departure, we are carrying only enough carry-on luggage for our four-night journey.
TRAVEL TIP: Not all stations provide redcaps, and luggage carts are sometimes in short supply. Since you'll have to handle your own luggage at times, don't bring more than you can carry comfortably. We should have brought less won't we ever learn?
Our sleeping-car attendant has the bed in our deluxe bedroom made up, with a Ghirardelli chocolate on each pillow, and we are soon rocked to sleep by the rhythm of the rails.
October 9: Sacramento, California. Due to our late running schedule, all passengers connecting to the California Zephyr are advised over the intercom to detrain in Sacramento rather than making the connection in Emeryville or Martinez. The announcement mentions that Sacramento is the next stop, but fails to mention the expected time of arrival there. However, our car attendant later gives us a call to let us know we will be there in thirty minutes. As we are ticketed to Emeryville, we are concerned about being no shows there, but our attendant assures us that when a train is running late, the manifest of connecting passengers is communicated to the next train, so there is nothing to worry about.
We are not advised as to when the CZ is due to arrive in Sacramento. Since we've not brought a national timetable along (the Summer edition is now obsolete, and we were hoping the Fall edition might be available at the station) we ask the train chief. He pulls out a copy of the Winter 1999 timetable which says the CZ departs Sacramento at 11:50 AM. This turns out to be incorrect; as we later learn that Train #6 departs earlier, at 11:35.
TRAVEL TIP: Bring your own timetable.
We elect to buy breakfast ashore in Sacramento, so hail a cab which deposits us at the nearby Holiday Inn. The bellman there keeps our luggage; we have time for a stroll around the adjacent mall and notice that there is a big improvement a new entrance, via pedestrian tunnel, to Old Town and the State Railway Museum; formerly walkable from the Holiday Inn by only by crossing a rather dangerous intersection.
TRAVEL TIP: Carry a cell phone.
We call Amtrak for an ETA on Train #6, and now learn that it is due to arrive at 11:35. Our cab driver had arranged to meet us in front of the Holiday Inn at 11:30, so we call him and request an 11 AM pickup instead. The CZ arrives, with a large crowd waiting to board, at 11:35. We were unable to confirm a Deluxe Bedroom on this leg of the trip, so we are ticketed for the Family Bedroom in the 633 car. Our attendant is surprised to see us; he had noted us as no-shows at Emeryville. The manifest of late connecting passengers had not been communicated after all. Fortunately, he had not sold the room to anyone else. However, he had used it for storing bags of linens and bottles of water, so he removes it all before we can move in. Just as we board, lunch is announced, so we head for the dining car while he rearranges his supplies.
We are pleased that Amtrak is now carrying three sleepers on this popular train, which in years past had only one or two and was therefore difficult to confirm for first-class passengers.
The dining car clientele is mostly of the 50+ age group this time of year. We pull out of Sacramento under cloudy skies. Our maitre 'd is nattily dressed in a dark blue suit and runs the dining car with almost military efficiency. Luncheon portions are small; a Caesar Salad billed as an entrée contains a generous helping of sliced chicken, but is a dinner-salad sized amount of food. The vegetarian pasta, too, is of the size that would be served before the entrée in an Italian restaurant.
Travel Tip: Carry high-protein snacks, such as M & M's with peanuts or granola bars, in case of delayed meals caused by late connections, small portions -- or to keep your energy up if needed.
Back in car 633, we discover that our attendant has set up a serve-yourself ice bucket and fruit juice and coffee are available, too.
Soon we are climbing into the Sierras. This route over Donner Pass provides views of pine trees, golden-glowing aspens, Donner Lake, and the Truckee river. A crew-change stop in Sparks, Nevada gives us an opportunity to walk on the platform. Our 633 sleeper is trailed by five "material handling cars", otherwise known as freight cars, and we realize that this is giving us a more solid ride without fishtailing movements -- than if we were actually bringing up the rear of the train.
Our maitre 'd comes through the sleeping cars first, giving us first choice at dinner reservations. The Family Bedroom we occupy has no plumbing, but is only a few steps away from three restrooms and a shower room with an adjacent dressing room. I take a quick shower before dinner, but the temperature adjustment doesn't work once I'm soaped up, the temperature is too hot. I solve this by soaking the washcloth, letting it cool a bit, and rinsing off with the washcloth rather than the scalding spray.
I vow to look into a product called "Comfort Bath" I've read about it's supposed to be a washcloth-sized Baby Wipe that you can use for bathing without water.
Travel Tip: Be cautious about shampooing your hair on the train until you are sure the temperature is adjustable.
Dinner proves to be good with adequate portions. Ted's salmon is excellent and my steak is cooked to order.
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