Looking Through Amtrak's Sightseer Lounge (Part 4 - last of 4 parts)

Finally, after traversing a vast swath of the United States through Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Colorado, Utah and Nevada, our 2-night/2-day Chicago-San Francisco Amtrak California Zephyr journey terminates in Emeryville Station, California.

We had earlier breezed through the States of New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Indiana to get to Chicago from New York City, the start of our long amazing ride from East Coast to West Coast (San Francisco).

From Reno, Nevada, our entrypoint to the State of California is the quaint and charming town of Truckee from where the train started its slow ascent to the top of Sierra Nevada about 7,000 feet above sea level. The breathtaking view of Lake Tahoe begins to unfold as the train slowly chugs down the track allowing us to imbibe the sight of the entire lake with placid waters reflecting the verdant mountain range with lush pines and other trees. Someday, we want to experience Lake Tahoe at ground level.

Here are some pictures we snapped along the way.

Amtrak Station, Truckee, California (after Reno, Nevada)

 

 

 

 

Lake Tahoe, California

 

 

 

 

Part of Sierra Nevada separating Nevada and California

 

 

An interstate highway from Nevada to California

 

 

 The autumn leaves in full color when we passed by

this area in the month of October.

 

 

Colfax, the next Amtrak Station after Truckee

 

 

 

Part of Sacramento, California. I had to take this photo as

the place looks strikingly similar to the Candaba viaduct

in Pampanga (Central Luzon, Philippines)

 

Even this looks pretty much like the one in Pampanga 

 

 

Could not recall where this is but most likely

this is in Martinez, California about 2 stations

away from Emeryville, the last station. 

 

 

 

Seeing a coastal village like this makes me want

to immediately visit Sausalito, off San Francisco

 

 

 

Finally, Emeryville Station, the last stop. Since there

is no Amtrak rail station in San Francisco, passengers

disembark from the train and take a bus ride to San 

Francisco through the San Francisco-Oakland Bay  

Bridge. The ride is still c/o Amtrak.  

 

 

Ferry Building in San Francisco. Passengers start getting 

off here or at any point en route to Fisherman's Wharf.  

 



Overall, it was a very nice and enjoyable ride. In the event that we do it again, we are going to cut the trip into two segments - Chicago to Denver, Colorado then stay for a night or two in Denver or Aspen and from there, proceed to San Francisco. A stopover in Reno, Nevada or in Truckee for Lake Tahoe is also an option.

For about USD120 per person (on coach seating with shared toilets and dressing room), meals not included, it was way better than riding an airplane with nothing much to see than the fluffy white clouds. Other accommodations are available such as the sleeping car with an ensuite room (toilet and bath) for two and roomette with shared toilets and bath.

Up next is the exciting West Coast city of San Francisco and its suburbs. Thanks.