Has anyone here ever traveled on the California Zephyr?

[cherokeeprogressive]

Not to blow my own horn, but 58lbs ago, when I weighed 287 (that was last March), I set a preliminary goal of 230, and my wife told me that if I got there, we could take a trip. The trip of my choice in fact. Well, today I weighed in at 229. We're going on a trip!

My choice is to travel by train. I love trains. My wife and I used to take the Amtrak from L.A. County to San Diego every now and then. Now, I'd like to take a trip on a train with a sleeper car. Surprisingly, the price really isn't that high. $1075 for both of us with a Superliner Bedroom, from Chicago to Emeryville, CA. Our plan is to drive from our mountain home in SoCal to Oakland, then use our flyer miles to fly First Class to Chicago, and ride the train back.

Has anyone here ever ridden the California Zephyr?

[CaliforniaPeggy]

My dear cherokeeprogressive!

Wow, what a great trip you have planned!

And, BIGGO CONGRATS on the weight loss!

Alas, I have never gone on the California Zephyr...but I did make one, memorable trip cross-country from Chicago to a little obscure town in Washington state, when my dad got his first job...

I think it was 4 days and 3 nights or something like that. We had 2 compartments, one for my parents, and one for me and my brother. We ate in the dining car, and we had a ball!

Your trip sounds wonderful!

Take lots of pictures and stay in touch, OK?

When do you leave?

:hi:

[cherokeeprogressive]

3. Dearest Peg...

Thank you for the congrats! I did it with a 1300 calorie a day diet I found at lose-weight-with-us.com... Know what that entails? A leaf of lettuce and a few grains of rice. I kid. It's not much though. Heck, I'm STILL thinking that the next time a squirrel runs in front of my truck I'm going to jump out, chase it down, and eat it raw. My real goal is 210, and I'm pretty much convinced I can do that.

By chance, was Pullman your obscure town in WA?

It looks like we'll be going in March sometime. You know I'll be taking thousands of pictures. I can't wait!

[CaliforniaPeggy]

5. No, our town was Richland...

At the confluence of the Columbia and Snake Rivers.

And you know, about that diet...to keep the weight off, you need to adapt back to doing what you can do, changing how you live. Otherwise, you will gain all that weight back on once you stop the diet.

Don't let that happen, sweetie!

:hug:

[cherokeeprogressive]

6. I know Richland. Not too far from Pasco. I have relatives there.

I read somewhere that it takes 6 weeks to change a habit, and 6 months to change a behavior. About the diet, I'm now a totally changed person. I can remember a time when I might have had two ribeyes and a filet in a single week. Now, a 5oz steak is all I can have, and all I want. That, 5oz of chicken, 5oz of fish, and pasta. I now eat my salad FIRST, when I used to eat it last. Lots of steamed veggies. I eat totally differently than I ever have.

Wifey likes the new me hehe.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

7. Those are excellent habits, and I think you'll be just fine...

You're probably more fun in bed, too...;-) More energy and all ...

Yeah, Richland isn't too far from Pasco, or Kennewick either. We used to get the Tri-City Herald, for crissakes!

[cherokeeprogressive]

9. I'll post this without comment...

:blush:

[some guy]

1. Congratulations

on your pending trip, and the reason for it!

:bounce:

I have not ridden the California Zephyr. Nor any other "real" train. I envy you that.


edit: dropped a letter.

[cherokeeprogressive]

8. Thanks guy.

I've ridden on local commuter trains, and Amtrak, but never for more than a few hours' distance.

Since you're in CO, I'll wave when we go by. Look for the dufus with the camera around his neck if you're at an intersection waiting for an Amtrak!

[jannyk]

2. Yes, but 10 years ago...

We were picking up an RV in Ohio and took the Zephyr to Chicago and then another train from there to Dayton - then we drove the RV slowly home. We lived in the Bay Area then, so getting to Emeryville was easy. It's a looong trip. It is very enjoyable, the accommodation is nice (but tiny and not for the claustrophobic) and it was (then) very expensive compared with flying - but it was one of those 'once in a lifetime' deals. Lots of interesting stuff to see, but lots of nothingness too - so bring a good book. All in all, I'm glad we did it.

[cherokeeprogressive]

4. This former Sailor knows what "lots of nothingness" feels like.

I remember standing on the flight deck of my aircraft carrier, looking at the sunsets. To this very day when someone says "Wow look at that beautiful sunset!" I am taken back to those days and inside I think... "Yeah, I think I've seen 'em all".

I'm so looking forward to it.

[marzipanni]

10. I rode on the California Zephyr in 1977 from Chicago to Oakland

after taking a train from from Boston to Chicago. It just seemed like an adventurous way get back to California with my boyfriend, and we only had a sleeper car compartment with little narrow bunk beds on the first leg of the trip (how romantic!) We slept in our seats and took turns stretching out a naugahyde bench/couch in the lounge the rest of the way, but other than not sleeping too comfortably, it was fun! Travelers and workers on the train seemed to be in a friendly mode. I really enjoy seeing the off-the-road view from trains!
I also went by train aross the U.S. another time and across Canada.
My son and I went on the Coast Starlight in 2010 from San Jose to Davis, near Sacramento. My cousin and her sons came down from Portland to San Jose and back on the Coast Starlight and had a bedroom which I saw briefly- it looked small but comfortable. The train was pretty full so we were assigned seats and weren't allowed to go look for my cousin in the sleeping car. After a while she walked through the cars and found where we were and she and I went to the lounge to chat.

It was fun to see how they've modernized the train cars. I went through the dining car and it looked pretty much like the old days with white table cloths and nice china. My cousin said the food was really good, and she is fairly particular about what she eats. I think you'll have fun!

Hooray for changing to healthier eating!

[xchrom]

11. many, many times -- years and years ago.

you're gonna have a wonderful time.

don't be surprised if you do it again.

[whistler162]

12. Oh yeah...... great trip

took it from CHI to SAC and visited the California Railroad museum then on to San Francisco and on to Portland and back to Chicago via the Empire Builder.

Great trip especially climbing out of Denver.

Congratulations on the weight reduction.

[madmom]

13. Don't know which one she took, but my daughter took a train from

Chicago to Phoenix to LA to Portland and back to Chicago in about a one year time span. She absolutely LOVED it, and wants to do it again, but quicker.

[laylah]

14. Too many times to count

in my younger years, between Denver and Galesburg, Il. I always enjoyed the train and had many an adventure. Took my girls, once, when they were young...they weren't impressed. :shrug:

Jenn

[david13]

15. I have been on the Amtrak more than once. Definitely get the

sleeper, it costs a lot but is worth it. And you really won't sleep much, due to the noise, so just lay there and act like you are sleeping.
Also, keep an eye on your valuables.
dc

[Silver Swan]

16. Back in 1993

We took the California Zephyr from Oakland to Chicago. (We had earlier taken the Southwest Chief from Chicago to LA.) We had sleeping accommodations both ways. Spouse and I had a bedroom and our teenage daughters shared a roomette.

The dining car food was good, and meals are included for sleeping car passengers. I really enjoyed the trip.