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Traveling on the Coast Starlight Train
By Michelle Rahn
Ready for a tame adventure? Try taking the train on an overnight trip. The Coast Starlight is an Amtrak service which travels between Los Angeles and Seattle on a daily basis. The trip takes 35 hours if you go all the way from Los Angeles to Seattle (or vice versa). There are four separate trains which allow for a daily departure from each end of the route. We took the Coast Starlight from San Jose CA to Salem OR in July 2008. The train pulled into the station early which is not always the case. We left promptly at 8:40 pm headed for Oakland and then on to Sacramento, arriving there around midnight. The total trip was 17 hours and since a good portion was through the night while we slept it seemed like only 9 hours of travel time. There is something soothing about the rocking of the train, and the occasional horn blowing that felt comfortable and we slept just fine. We decided to get a sleeper unit (Roomette) which is a wonderful way to go. While they can't be considered spacious, they are big enough to fit two adults. In our case, a parent and child fit without a problem. With the upgrade to a sleeper, your meals are included. The Roomettes as they are called, are semi private compartments (with closeable doors) which have a shared bathroom. The bathrooms were only shared by about 5 units so it was not like being on an airplane. On the return trip we were able to book a Family Bedroom, which did fit our family of four comfortably but it is quite a bit more expensive. It shares a bathroom with the Roomettes. The meals were tasty and there was a good selection. We had our breakfast while travelling past Mount Shasta at about 7 am so it was really a unique experience. Lunch was also very good, and was served with white tablecloths and flowers for a very classy meal. The train travels through back country where there is not even a road to be seen for miles. There is literally no other way to see much of this area other than from the window of the train. There are miles of forests in Northern California and Oregon that stretch as far as the eye can see without any signs of civilization. We had a great time taking the Coast Starlight. We spent a little more money getting sleeping quarters because we figure we don't do this often, and this trip will be one our children (ages 6 and 8) will always remember. In fact, our son had so much fun on the train trip, he has asked when can we do it again? For travel to a destination along the route, I would do it again in a heartbeat.
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