We spent three days taking Amtrak’s Coast Starlight from San Jose, California to Los Angeles. It was so much fun! It took us eleven hours each direction and along the way were great views of the coast.
The time flew by. At the end of each day I found myself wanting more time. It could be because I was hoping I would have finished more crocheting for a sweater Annelies is making. Henry and I spent the entire time (except for a few hours when Henry slept) in the observation car which is open seating for all passengers. Annelies spent it all in her seat which was super spacious. She could completely stretch out her legs
The train was pretty busy but it is summer. Trust me, there is lots of people watching on a train. We brought the majority of our food and drinks and had one meal in the dining car ($25 for lunch and $45 for dinner). The amount of luggage you can bring is pretty much unlimited so we brought a cooler and dry food bag.
The train stopped several times but we didn’t feel a need to get out so we only did it once in San Luis Obispo for a photo. It was probably more stressful thinking about getting back in time. The Amtrak schedule is fairly lose.
The next day we walked to Union Station and returned home. We had fog on the way down but the ride north was clear. There were two National Park volunteers on the ride and they were so interesting!
Overall, I would do this again in a heart beat if I had time to kill. It was relaxing and entertaining. The cost, unfortunately, can be more than a flight though. Our tickets were $50 each way. Not bad for eleven hours but I just flew to LA for $29 round trip.
