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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64852
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Amtrak Vacation to Colorado, Nov. 2014
Well, not going south to Baja for a vacation is a rare thing for Baja Angel and I, but on occasion we do go the other direction!
2014 is the 10th year that Elizabeth and I have been together, and to do something different we explored options... My friend and fellow Viking Fish
Club member Tim Undheim is a travel agent (Four Winds World Travel) and put together a fun train trip, after I asked about train options through the
mountains... and he have never traveled far on a train before... so something new.
The trip was from here (San Marcos, San Diego County) to Glenwood Springs, Colorado and then Denver before the return, using a different route. Friday
Oct. 31st to Friday Nov. 6.
AMTRAK MAP:
We begin in the lower left corner area... take the Sprinter rail from our home to Oceanside, then get on the train to Santa Barbara. The train hits a
trespasser as we near the Ventura station, delay of 1.5 hours while the person is removed. It is a dark and rainy night at the time, so perhaps it was
a suicide attempt?
The next part of the trip is a bus from Santa Barbara to Emeryville (Oakland) to catch the morning train to Colorado. 11:30 pm to 6:00 am.
DAY 2 SAT.:
On the Colorado train ride, we have a roomette which has two large seats facing each other next to the widow, with a fold down table. This turns into
a bed, the other bed is a fold down upper bunk. Rooms and roomettes come with three meals in the diner car, and the food is good. There is also a
snack bar and lounge for food, drinks, beer, etc. The observation car was nice to see both sides when we were not in the roomette, and always had room
to sit.
We leave along the back part of the San Francisco Bay and into the Sierra Nevada and it is snowing! It gets dark after we leave Reno and are crossing
Nevada. We sleep through Utah and awake as we cross into Colorado.
DAY 3 SUN.:
We have two nights at the Hotel Denver in Glenwood Springs, and it was GREAT. We had a voucher for the tram gondola ride to the top of the mountain (a
mile walk from the hotel) and for the cave tour at the top where there are some very nice limestone caverns.
DAY 4 MON.:
The next day, we were going to visit the hot springs, but decided to just stay close to the hotel and relax. A great Mexican restaurant with killer
Mango Margaritas gave us a taste of Baja, called 'Las Margaritas'.
DAY 5 TUE.:
We get on the train to continue east through the Rocky's to Denver. One tunnel is over 6 miles long, and near 9,000 feet above sea level, as I recall.
We arrive at Denver, and it is election day, so the governor is at the train station with the camera crews, so it is a bit busy. We didn't get the
correct shuttle pickup location told to us, and later found out that hotel shuttles pick up underground and not in front of the station in Denver
where the taxis are. The hotel is a Quality in, near downtown, and nothing to write home about. We have a tour the next morning, and need to get up
early!
DAY 6 WED.:
We get on the tour bus at 7:15 am and stop and pick up other at a few other locations, including a group of very happy Dutch tourists! The tour takes
us to the Red Rocks amphitheater where the Beatles and numerous others have played over the years in a beautiful spot with Denver far in the
background. Next we go into the mountains and visit the Buffalo Bill Museum and his grave site, on top of Lookout Mountain. We pass the Coors Brewery
on the return to Denver.
Denver from Lookout Mountain and Buffalo Bill's grave
DAY 7 THU.:
A really early start to get the shuttle to the train station where we ride another bus south to Raton, New Mexico. It is a Greyhound bus. When we get
to Raton, we learn the train to California is 2 hour late because of maintenance on the tracks. People in Raton are very nice, all three of them we
met! One of the old buildings had swastikas around the top... this was built years before Hitler adopted the symbol for his N-zi party. On the train
we head west and it gets dark at Albuquerque. .
DAY 8 FRI.:
We sleep through the desert of Arizona and California and wake up at the Cajon Pass near San Bernardino. Change trains in Los Angeles, for the trip to
Oceanside and then Sprinter to San Marcos.
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64852
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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IF the above wasn't enough, you can see all my photos in a slide show format here: http://s213.photobucket.com/user/DavidKier/slideshow/2014-No...
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BajaParrothead
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Posts: 460
Registered: 12-4-2012
Location: Portola, CA / Los Barriles
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Great trip and photos. Lucky to cross Nevada and Utah during darkness, there's not much to miss there!!
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Bob H
Elite Nomad
Posts: 5867
Registered: 8-19-2003
Location: San Diego
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Very nice trip report. Always wanted to do a longer train trip vacation.
The SAME boiling water that softens the potato hardens the egg. It's about what you are made of NOT the circumstance.
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64852
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Thanks... and if anyone wants more details or what we would call the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, just ask (u2u, email, Facebook message).
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Bajaboy
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4375
Registered: 10-9-2003
Location: Bahia Asuncion, BCS, Mexico
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Good stuff David! Congrats on 10 year mark. We hit ours this year as well.
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sd
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Posts: 487
Registered: 3-19-2008
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Thanks David! I have been to Red Rock - they have great entertainment, and also have been to Buffalo Bill. I have not taken the train, looks like
something I would enjoy. Certainly enjoyed reading your report and the photos.
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BajaLuna
Senior Nomad
Posts: 581
Registered: 12-5-2012
Location: Pacific Northwest/Bahia Asuncion
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Mood: groovy
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Awesome pictures, David!! Wow what a fantastic trip for the 2 of you!
I really prefer to travel by train, my friends think I'm nuts, but it's such an adventure in and of itself, meeting different people from all over the
world, and the scenery is great too, you can see so much untouched countryside by train!
I wish the U.S, would work on their rail system though, in some places having to sit on the tracks for hours can get a bit grueling at times.
I took the train from Boston to Seattle a couple of years ago, jumped off for 2 days in Chicago....what a blast! I would really like to do the 30 day
trip and also see Canada by rail too, which I hear is an awesome trip!
congrats on 10 years!!
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64852
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Thank you BajaLuna!
There is a romance to train riding that goes way back... and since it was a romantic vacation, this seemed to be the ticket!
I also posted the photos because most Nomads probably don't think I have much interest outside of anything Baja related!
The train ride/ overnight was fun and beat driving hundreds of miles to get somewhere. Having drinks, reading book, or (mostly) enjoying the scenery
(in the daytime) was unique while traveling.
Some notes...
While the Amtrak Coaster train (San Diego-Santa Barbara) has WiFi, the east/west-overnight trains do not. I had plenty of off line time, but when we
were in towns or along the Interstate, I got a cell signal and made posts to Facebook (with photos different than those above) and to Baja Nomad
during the ride.
Those with cabins or roomettes had three meals a day included, only alcohol drinks were charged. Those riding coach could have meals in the diner, but
the meal prices were $15-$29 range. The food was good and plenty... and came with desert (cheese cake, ice cream, sorbet). Dinner was by reservation,
and there were about 4-5 services of 45 minutes. You would be seated with other passengers to fill all open chairs and yes, that forced you to
introduce yourself and meet others, during your meals. It was very nice.
The staff was very nice and fun. One person is assigned per car to see to your needs, turn down your beds/ fold them back up, etc.
There is a quiet time from 10 pm to 7 am(?) when there are no announcements as to upcoming stops or sights and you are asked to be quiet with no phone
calling, etc. Very nice. It was easy to sleep with the rocking motion. Going east we were in an upstairs roomette and coming back west, in a
downstairs roomette. Upstairs is very quiet, downstairs you hear the clappity-clap of the rails.. it was fine either way.
During the ride (daytime) the conductor makes info announcements about what is along the way, history, etc. The train also runs slower through the
scenic areas, and speeds up at night (or perhaps at night is long straight-a-ways?). It is definitely cruising easy in the pretty places. This makes
it more like a travel experience than just a means of transportation.
If we had any negative comments, it would be about the long bus connection rides (Santa Barbara to Emeryville and Denver to Raton NM). Not comfortable
seats, smelly (urine) on the trip to Raton we attribute to a family with diaper wearing toddler.. at the stops along the way, both parents went out to
smoke cigarettes and not change the kids pants.
Funny about the cigarette smokers... while we could tell one on the first bus ride went into the on board toilet to smoke, no smoking is allowed on
the bus or trains and at any stop that was going to be more time than just passenger drop off or pick up, was called a FRESH AIR STOP. That meant it
was for smokers to go out and light up... 20 ft. + from the train.
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wessongroup
Platinum Nomad
Posts: 21152
Registered: 8-9-2009
Location: Mission Viejo
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Mood: Suicide Hot line ... please hold
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Thanks for the "trip" .... any good food along the war .. 
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Bajahowodd
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9274
Registered: 12-15-2008
Location: Disneyland Adjacent and anywhere in Baja
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Great photos. Looks like a fabulous trip. Perhaps the only thing I might have done differently would be to take a flight to Oakland. That bus ride
from SB to Oakland must have taken at least five hours,
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64852
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Bajahowodd
Great photos. Looks like a fabulous trip. Perhaps the only thing I might have done differently would be to take a flight to Oakland. That bus ride
from SB to Oakland must have taken at least five hours, |
We left SB at 11:30 and arrived in Emeryville about 6... The bus stopped at several towns along the way. It was an Amtrak bus service for the train
people.
It would have been better if somehow a train from Santa Barbara could be used to get to Emeryville instead. Both bus trips are parallel to train
lines, I guess they just didn't run passenger trains when we needed them to?
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64852
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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| Quote: | Originally posted by wessongroup
Thanks for the "trip" .... any good food along the war .. |
... along the way?
On the train, yes.
In Glenwood Springs we ate at the brewery restaurant next to the hotel (excellent food) and at Las Margaritas Mexican restaurant (also good). In
Denver, we ate at the hotel (fair) and at a place called Mickey's, highly recommended by the shuttle driver... but it was tasteless, disappointing.
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luv2fish
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Hi Dave, thanks for the report. On one of the last pics I noticed swastikas on the upper edge of the walls, what gives ??
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64852
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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| Quote: | Originally posted by luv2fish
Hi Dave, thanks for the report. On one of the last pics I noticed swastikas on the upper edge of the walls, what gives ?? |
Swastikas were American Indian symbols long before Hitler took them for his party... Here is what I said above that photo:
DAY 7 THU.:
A really early start to get the shuttle to the train station where we ride another bus south to Raton, New Mexico. It is a Greyhound bus. When we get
to Raton, we learn the train to California is 2 hour late because of maintenance on the tracks. People in Raton are very nice, all three of them we
met! One of the old buildings had swastikas around the top... this was built years before Hitler adopted the symbol for his N-zi party. On the train
we head west and it gets dark at Albuquerque. .
A close up:
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bajaguy
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9247
Registered: 9-16-2003
Location: Carson City, NV/Ensenada - Baja Country Club
Member Is Offline
Mood: must be 5 O'clock somewhere in Baja
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Interesting history
http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-29644591
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64852
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Thanks, yes...
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Maron
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Great report and even better pictures.
thanks
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Bajahowodd
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9274
Registered: 12-15-2008
Location: Disneyland Adjacent and anywhere in Baja
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| Quote: | Originally posted by David K
| Quote: | Originally posted by Bajahowodd
Great photos. Looks like a fabulous trip. Perhaps the only thing I might have done differently would be to take a flight to Oakland. That bus ride
from SB to Oakland must have taken at least five hours, |
We left SB at 11:30 and arrived in Emeryville about 6... The bus stopped at several towns along the way. It was an Amtrak bus service for the train
people.
It would have been better if somehow a train from Santa Barbara could be used to get to Emeryville instead. Both bus trips are parallel to train
lines, I guess they just didn't run passenger trains when we needed them to? |
I have not kept up on railroad conditions, but I seem to recall that the Coast Starlight from LA to Seattle was a continuous run and went through
Oakland.
So did you go through Royal Gorge? Years ago, we not only drove over the bridge, but took the funicular down to the river.
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bigjohn
Nomad
Posts: 129
Registered: 11-19-2006
Location: Mission Viejo, CA
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Nice report, enjoyed reading it and viewing the photos! 
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