All Aboard the Southwest Chief!

It's time for the train part of our journey! We headed to Chicago Union Station early afternoon on Saturday. Definitely not as nice a station as Union Station in Washington, DC - especially when it comes to eateries. After checking in and leaving our luggage secure with the baggage master, we grabbed a quick bite to eat at a typical train station bar/pizza place - nothing to write home about. Found out later we should have been granted access to the Amtrak first class lounge since we had sleeper accommodations on the train - but that wasn't offered to us.

Time to board the train - we rolled our luggage out to the Southwest Chief, found our car, and then received assistance from our cabin steward, Steven - very nice gentleman and very accommodating, Our compartment was not too roomy - but definitely better than sitting upright all night. We had a couch (which would turn in to a bed later), chair, big window, sink, and toilet/shower combo. One mistake we made was not repacking a smaller suitcase just for what we needed in our compartment. So it was a little crowded as we pulled stuff out of suitcases for the overnight, but we were then able to store the luggage down below our cabin.

Off we go - they come around and ask you to reserve a time for dinner. Breakfast was first come, first served. Lunch and Dinner the next day were also by reserved time. You sat with different folks - all very interesting people to chat with and hear where they were headed and why they road the train.

Many stops along the way and at some of them we were permitted to get off and to get some fresh air; however, staying close to the train was recommended as you didn't want to get left behind. The stops only lasted 5-10 minutes at the most.

Our route took us through Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona (where we got off in Flagstaff), and ended in California. The towns along the way where the train passed through or stopped were often small places that seemed well off the beaten track (especially for us east-coasters) - definitely a glimpse of middle America: 

Wataga, Illinois (blink and you miss it)

Galesburg, Illinois - Carl Sandburg's hometown

Fort Madison, Iowa - right on the Mississippi River with lots of sandbags piled up due to flooding - a fresh air break

Kansas City, MO

LaJunta, Colorado - a fresh air break

Trinidad, CO; after Trinidad the route climbed into the mountains and was quite scenic. The train had to go slow as the path was very winding - we went through the Raton Tunnel, which is the highest point on the Santa Fe trail with elevation around 7500 feet

Raton, New Mexico (where all the boy scouts disembarked) There were a lot of boy scouts (and leaders) on board traveling to Philmont Ranch in New Mexico. They got off in Raton, New Mexico and boarded waiting school buses that would take them an additional 45 minutes to the ranch.

After Raton, we finally found a seat in the observation car and were able to see elk, prawn horn, antelope, prairie dogs, cattle and cows as we traveled along the Canadian River

Lamy, New Mexico was the exit point for passengers headed to Santa Fe, where they boarded a bus for another 18 mile trip.

Sleeping that night??  What a hoot!!  We returned from dinner to find our cabin had been prepared for sleeping, with the couch extended into a twin bed size and the upper bunk pulled down, complete with ladder. The a/c was blowing so hard in the cabin (it was way too cold), our cabin steward found a piece of cardboard and duct taped it over the vent to slow the air flow. Of course during the night it got hot and stuffy. I tried to sleep in the upper bunk - hard as a rock and very close to the ceiling. Eventually switched with Ed and slept a bit better but not so much. We both ended up attempting to share the bottom bunk - but we survived.

The food on the train was delicious - amazing what they can prepare on this traveling train. Better than any airplane food. Had the Amtrak signature steak both nights and it was yummy.

The experience of overnight train travel and the scenery made it all worthwhile.

We arrived in Flagstaff, AZ (one hour late) around 9:30 p.m. Sunday night. Grabbed a cab to our hotel - showered and couldn't wait to sleep in a nice soft bed. 

Excuse the spacing issues - Blogger is not cooperating with me.

Tomorrow it's off to the Grand Canyon!