dbfrese Posted October 16, 2017 Share Posted October 16, 2017 My wife and I are thinking about taking a vacation next year on Amtrak -- taking a train from Arizona to Los Angeles then taking the Coast Starlight from L.A. up to Seattle. We'd probably stop off in San Francisco for a day or so, spend a day or so in Seattle, then head back to Arizona on the train again. Anyone ever done this -- we are definitely going with a sleeper car, rather than coach. any tips on such travel? We don't particularly care when we do it, so doing it in the off-season to save some money is part of the plan. Anyone know when the lowest rates are for Coast Starlight are? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunka Hunka Burning Love Posted October 16, 2017 Share Posted October 16, 2017 Never tried the Coast Starlight, but I can say you would be missing the wonderful drive along the coast on the PCH. Maybe rent one of those class C motorhomes and book some State Parks in Oregon and check out the northern California Redwood forests. The trees are massive there, and the coast is so scenic. The Oregon coast is beautiful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbfrese Posted October 16, 2017 Author Share Posted October 16, 2017 52 minutes ago, Hunka Hunka Burning Love said: but I can say you would be missing the wonderful drive along the coast on the PCH. We took a drive along the PCH in Southern California this past summer, which gave us a hankerin' for more. The real appeal of the train is to not have to do much driving. That way we can both admire the scenery without having to worry about driving off a cliff. The observation cars on Amtrak are supposed to offer spectacular views, and much of the way does overlook the Pacific coastline. A number of years ago I drove all the way up from San Ysidro at the Mexican border to San Francisco (actually as far as Muir Woods to see some of the gigantical redwoods) with my son when my wife was chaperoning a band trip to Italy with my daughter. The plan is to stop here and there along the way to see such sights with a minimum of driving. Maybe we'll rent a car for some things, use Uber for most. Another part of the appeal is to do something different. There's something kinda nostalgic and romantic about trains. In the US they are mostly a thing of the past. I've used them for both long distance and shorter trips in Germany, where they are still a part of everyday life, but here it is not so common, plus my wife has never really experienced travel by train. Your suggestions make sense, hunka, but this time we just want to sit back and enjoy the ride. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunka Hunka Burning Love Posted October 16, 2017 Share Posted October 16, 2017 I think I must blame it on a bad train trip when I was young. We took a trip to Toronto on the VIA rail, and the washroom facilities were pretty awful. I don't know if the Amtrak ones are much better now. The old ones emptied right onto the tracks. They probably are much improved these days. You do get to see a lot of backcountry though so that's a plus. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbfrese Posted October 16, 2017 Author Share Posted October 16, 2017 2 hours ago, Hunka Hunka Burning Love said: The old ones emptied right onto the tracks. Pretty disgusting. I think Amtrak stopped doing that 20 some years ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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