People who enjoy travel on long-distance trains can spend a lot time deciding which train to take, but that’s usually where the decision-making ends. That’s OK as far as it goes, but let me suggest that some thought should also be given to which direction you’ll be travelng. For instance, the eastbound Empire Builder…
The third rail leg of this journey has brought me here from Chicago aboard the California Zephyr, Amtrak’s train #5. It’s probably Amtrak’s most popular long-distance train and it’s certainly the most scenic one. That said, the only really interesting event on the Zephyr’s first day is crossing the Mississippi River at Burlington, Iowa. Unless,…
One of the giants in retailing—it may have been F. W. Woolworth himself—once said, “I know I’m wasting half of my advertising dollars. The trouble is, I don’t know which half.” A couple of days ago, I mentioned Amtrak’s decision to stop staffing the railway station in Hastings, Nebraska, all part of the big-picture…
If we’re talking scenery, the California Zephyr has to be Number One. It runs daily in both directions between Chicago and Emeryville, right across the bay from San Francisco. I’ve taken this train in both directions several times and do think the westbound train is the better choice. If the eastbound train runs late, you…