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Travel is fatal to prejudice

“My brain hurt like a warehouse, it had no room to spare
I had to cram so many things to store everything in there
And all the fat-skinny people, and all the tall-short people
And all the nobody people, and all the somebody people
I never thought I’d need so many people” (David Bowie)

I have a confession to make that might sound strange to some of the people that met me through work: I typically find it hard to strike up a conversation with people I don’t know.  This kind of sucks, because as The Smiths explained so well “Shyness can stop you / From doing all the things in life / You’d like to”.

So while the main, “official” motivation for my trip might have been to visit cities and art museums that had long been on my to-do, spending a month on the road on my own was also a way to challenge myself and get out of my (dis)comfort zone as well.

Luckily, Americans are in general more social than the average European and I feel that as the time on the road passed things became slightly less difficult (or maybe it just gets easier as you go West?). In the end, all the serendipitous encounters, the stories I picked up along the way and the unexpected, random acts of kindness ended up making for some of the best memories from this trip.

Like the 3 friendly guys that started chatting with me at the Radkey concert in Chicago and that quickly made me feel like one of the gang (and kept feeding me beer too 🙂 ).

On the other hand,  I wonder what kind of impression did I make on the girl that was sitting with her friends next to me in a bar in Portland. Did I look particularly sad and lonely as I sat there on my own boringly playing with my phone? Neither she nor her friends spoke to me, so I was quite surprised when the bartender told me – after they had left – that she quietly paid for my Old Fashion too.

In Chicago, I was looking for the closest dry cleaner to get some shirts washed, and Google pointed me to a place 2 blocks away from my hotel. After going around the block twice without finding it, I ended up entering the fancy apartment building and asking the concierge if Google had got it wrong. Turns out, Google was right after all: the building had an in-house dry cleaner which was however also open to external customers. He sent me up to the 9th floor, where the old Greek owner ended up not only doing an excellent (and cheap) job with my shirts, but when I told him I was Italian he also had quite a few good stories to share about his best friend, an Italian immigrant who became a very successful businessman and who had recently passed due to complications after catching a pretty nasty flu.. They had quite a few crazy adventures together in their younger days, often in rough neighbourhoods in old Chicago, occasionally rubbing shoulders with people that may or may not have been mobsters.

While I can’t claim that my ride on the train was as eventful as that of Gene Wilder in “Silver Streak“,  my time on the California Zephyr definitely provided some great material in this department.

Most people ride the California Zephyr for the experience of the trip itself, rather than to simply get to a destination. The humanity that populates the train is so diverse and peculiar, and the combination of being confined in a close space (without showering) for 2 and a half days mixed with the anticipation and the emotion of being all part of an epic journey certainly generates a special sense of camaraderie among the passengers that makes the trip even more enjoyable.

Rich British tourists who have been all over the world share a table with the college graduate on a budget that is travelling West for the first time in his life. A girl who moved from Siberia to Mississippi to study chats with the guy who fell from the roof when he was a child and has been afraid of flying ever since.

I have a great time chatting over lunch with the writer following along on a “mystery trip” to Utah that her best friend has planned, while in the other car Lance, the “redneck from East LA” (as he introduces himself), has cornered yet another of his fellow passengers with his story about the truck he has to pick up in Sacramento because the driver walked out on him. Lance is one of those characters that – unlike me – will talk to anyone anytime, and after a short while he has made friends with pretty much everybody on this train.  The constant chatter can be quite annoying, but when you stop and listen, he does have some pretty amusing stories from his time in the military travelling around the world to his current life on a farm in Wyoming running a freight company.

Wild horses on the hill

He definitely has the Amish guys on their way to pick up their parents in Mexico  under his spell, and they can’t seem to get enough of his stories. He also has the eye of the hunter and easily spots wild horses on the top of the mountain. To me those just look like bushes far away in the distance, but I point the camera in that direction and take a shot anyway… Later on when I look at the picture I zoom in and “I’ll be damned!”, there they are, 4 mustangs on top of that hill.

Another thing that makes the California Zephyr experience memorable is seeing the passion and pride that the staff take in their work and all the effort they put into making sure we enjoy our ride to the maximum. Andre has spent the last 6 years working in the restaurant on this line. He takes me on a private tour of the sleeping cars and it’s great to chat about the differences between trains in the US and in Europe with him. His genuine friendliness is contagious and I love the familiarity with which he yells “Francescoo” every time he passes by my seat in the observation deck, giving me a high five with a big smile on his face.

Sitting up in a corner of the empty observation deck car at night somewhere in the middle of Nebraska I enjoy listening to the conductors sharing their best stories. My favourite is the one about “The Russian”, a man who regularly boards the first available train that passes by (without a ticket). A few days ago he was spotted in Lafayette, Louisiana. Someone else had reported seeing him in Omaha. Before that he had made it all the way to Denver before getting caught and gently asked to get off the train. He sometimes tries to disguise himself or hide, but he has become such a well-known character among the conductors, who think he does it mostly for the kick he gets from “breaking the law”. I can’t help but sensing a hint of affectionate amusement in the way the conductors talk about this modern day freight-hopper, a somewhat welcomed distraction from the monotony of going up and down the Midwestern plains on a train day in and day out.

The vibe on the Coast Starlight is certainly different, a bit weirder and certainly less “social” than on the Zephyr. The only “friendly” type is the “Snoop Doggie Dogg” wannabe, high as a kite and giggling constantly in a very high pitched voice: his friendliness is however mostly reserved for the female passengers on the train, who get to hear over and over again how beautiful they are, and how he’s now getting his life back on track after a few years in jail. He is starting his own business and dreams of a good woman to love. The ladies are not that impressed by all his sweet talk, but he seems harmless enough and I move to the observation deck to see the sunrise over the Cascades.

The table behind me is occupied by a young girl in her 20s who is having a raw onion and ginger root for breakfast. The 60 years old man sleeping next to her turns out to be her husband, as she points out – visibly annoyed by what is obviously a recurring question – to the group of middle-aged women with whom she was previously discussing the benefits of her diet. The ladies for their part are mostly eagerly waiting for the cafe downstairs to open, so that they can start their day in the best way with some cocktails.

I end up sitting between a group of middle-aged men from different parts of the country intent in sharing their respective experiences and opinions on the importance of making one’s kids get a taste of the belt every now and then to keep them from making bad life choices. The most progressive one is strongly against hitting them on the face, as that’s apparently bad for their self-esteem.

At this point, as it is not even 7am and Portland is still 8 hours away I decide that meeting new people is great, but sometimes hiding behind a pair of giant headphones is not such a bad idea after all.

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The art of riding long-distance trains in the US

It’s interesting how quickly a 17 hours train ride goes when you had a 55-hours long one just a couple of days before 🙂 .

Anyway, the ride on the Coast Starlight from San Francisco (Emeryville) to Portland went quite smoothly, and the view over the forests and lakes of Northern California and Ontario were quite spectacular, with snowy peaks in the distance and quite a lot of different birds flying around in the early hours of the morning (I just realized I don’t have my camera with me… so for the pics you’ll have to wait 🙂 ).

Other than that, the vibe on the Coast Starlight was not as great as on the California Zephyr, probably due to the fact that there were a lot less tourists, and a few more “interesting characters” (but for the people and stories you’ll have to wait for the dedicated post I am working on… There are quite a few “pearls”, I promise!).

In any case, based on my now extensive experience in riding on Amtrak’s lines, I have put together a few quick notes and suggestions I hope will come handy for those considering doing the same trip in the future.

Riding the California Zephyr – a practical guide

If you are only interested in the scenic part and you don’t hate yourself enough to sit on the train for an extra day (and night) looking at farms, then your best option is to travel on the California Zephyr from Denver to Sacramento/San Francisco, or vice-versa.

My coach ticket from Chicago to San Francisco costed USD 170, but prices vary depending on dates and demand.

The seats in coach are pretty roomy with plenty of leg space and they recline quite a lot, so they are reasonably comfortable for a night or two. Just make sure to avoid the first row by the car’s door, as those seats don’t have a footrest, and to bring warm clothes as Amtrak likes its air-con set to “penguin” mode.

While in Europe you would typically get a specific seat assigned to you when you book the ticket, Amtrak only guarantees you will have a seat on the train (i.e. they don’t sell more tickets than they have seats for… so no one gets dragged out in the middle of the night in Omaha 🙂 ), but those are not pre-assigned so you can typically just pick the first available one you find. However, on the Coast Starlight to Portland, the conductor assigned me a specific seat when I boarded, which is kind of annoying particularly if you are travelling alone and you get seated next to a random person while the rest of the car has plenty of empty seats (they say they save them for couples travelling together that board later on, but in my case those all boarded in Portland so I could spread on a double seat the whole night without anyone bothering me 🙂 ).

All of the cars are double-deckers, so when you book your ticket you can choose if you want a seat on the top floor or on the lower level, where also the toilets are located (so I’d pick an upper level seat).

All seats also have a power outlet (but no USB ports. These are  located under the window, which makes them a bit harder to access if you are sitting on the aisle and the window seat is occupied by someone else. The seats don’t have an armrest in between either, so it can be a bit awkward if you end up being seated next to someone you don’t know (or someone really big…). At the same time, if no one is sitting next to you the double-seat is a lot easier to enjoy.

Travelling in style (?)

If you prefer more privacy or have hopes for a more comfortable night sleep, Amtrak does offer a few ”luxury” options, which however look better on the website than in real life.

The conductor gave me a quick tour of the sleeper cars, so I could confirm first hand the disappointment of some of the other passengers at the size and comfort of these options. The 2-bed roomette for instance in reality looks like the berths that sailors on submarines sleep in, with barely any extra space and with not much headroom either, so not a recommended option for those suffering from claustrophobia. The larger ”family” rooms for 4 are not much bigger, but can cost up to a couple of thousand dollars one way.

The major issue if you are travelling alone is however that you cannot just book one bed, you need to reserve the entire room/roomette, which can end up costing quite a lot. The sleeper cars have also a couple of showers (which I heard were pretty ”compact” too), while the coach cars only have regular toilets, although a couple are slightly bigger and include a small ”dressing room”, so you can at least freshen up and change if you want to.

The Coast Starlight also offers a “business class” service. which is only slightly more expensive than coach I did not see it in person, but I think the seats are the same but with added perks like free wifi, a coupon for the cafe and an invitation to a wine tasting (stress on “invitation”… you still need to pay extra for the wine and snacks 🙂 ).

In the end, you are most likely to spend most of your awake time in the car where the observation deck (and the cafe in the lower level) are located. The observation deck has a few chairs and sofas that can be oriented to make it easier to look out through the window. This area can get crowded at times and people are invited to take turns in the chairs, but in my case most of the times there was plenty of seating available for everybody that wanted to be there, and I personally spent most of my time there, moving around between different seats.

The cafe serves drinks, snacks and hot food (microwaved) and it is open most of the time during the day. Prices are not terribly high but selection is limited, so I am happy I had done a bit of shopping before boarding and I could enjoy the fruit, snacks and water I had with me.

A couple of things to keep in mind in this department:

  1. you are not allowed to consume any alcohol not purchased onboard, so it makes little sense to stock up on booze (unless you like living dangerously);
  2. even the longer stops don’t typically last more than 20 minutes, so you won’t have a chance to run and buy something in the stations without seriously risking to be left behind.

During the trip, I would recommend to test at least once the restaurant. The food is OK, but having a proper cooked meal on a train is quite an experience and the prices are not too bad (e.g. USD 25 for the steak). The only catch is that seats are limited, so you need to book in advance, although in my case that was really only enforced for dinner (at lunch, showing up early was enough to at least be put on the wait list and get a seat relatively quickly). The restaurant manager walks around the train taking reservations a couple of hours before the meal, starting with the sleepers and then moving on to coach (he will not take reservations in the observation deck, so you need to be at your assigned seat when he passes by to get one).

The staff will try to fill up all tables, so you’ll end up being randomly seated with other passengers, which offers the opportunity to make some new acquaintances and for some very interesting conversations.

The only issue I encountered with the restaurant is actually quite funny: the restaurant is located above the kitchen, and the two spaces share the same ventilation system. Understandably, the kitchen staff kept putting the air conditioning to the max to cope with the heat of their working station, but that also meant turning the restaurant above into a freezer (so bring a sweater 🙂 ).

All meals are included if you are travelling in a sleeper car, although to be honest even with this ”perk” I still think those options are overpriced.

In general, I enjoyed this experience quite a lot, thanks also to the very friendly and attentive staff, particularly on the California Zephyr. During the most scenic parts of the ride they even had commentary with interesting details and fun facts about the areas we were passing through (all in the typical “American announcer voice” that made the whole thing even more funny).

I think this covers the most important bits, let me know in the comments if you have any additional question!

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Day 16 – High desert, wild donkeys (and a grizzly bear)

Third day on the train. 5:30 am somewhere out in the Nevada desert.

I had promised myself I’d try to get up in time to see the sunrise. An uncomfortable seat and an expansive neighbour help me make sure I live up to that promise. The light of the new day pouring over our train and the landscape around us more than make up for the broken back and the lack of sleep.

Living the moment

The Nevada high desert is incredibly beautiful, and the marshes full of birds in the early morning light are an unexpected surprise that offer the opportunity for some amazing views as the newly risen sun stretches its rays over the surface.

Before we start climbing towards Reno and the Sierra Nevada, the desert presents us with yet another final surreal twist as the water dries out and all that all seems to be left on the ground is white salt (or so I am told…).

The hills are apparently populated by wild horses and donkeys. Someone points them out in the distance but I can’t seem to distinguish them (although as it turns out, I did catch a few horses on the ridge in one of my pictures 🙂 ).

As we enter the Sierra Nevada we keep climbing and climbing, and the landscape turns white once again, although this time it’s all snow slowly melting into hundreds of small streams and creeks running down the side of the mountain feeding tumultous rapids and the flowers timidly blooming around us.

Thanks to the vigilant eye of the two Amish guys sitting next to me, this time I do manage to catch a glimpse of the grizzly bear climbing up on the side of the mountain right below us, although this time the eye is quicker than the eye (so you’ll have to take my word for it).

Descending towards Sacramento it quickly becomes clear that the curtain is finally coming down on the marvellous show we have just witnessed.

The remaining few hours are a boring succession of low brown buildings and grazing cows across the plains of mid-California. I wonder if I might have been more excited about this landscape if I was just starting my trip in the direction of Chicago, still fresh and well-rested.

My knees hurt from spending most of the time of this trip sitting down, and I am now desperately longing for some hot water after almost 3 days without a shower (luckily, some deodorant and a change of clothes made the situation a lot less critical than it could have been otherwise).

As the train circles around the East Bay towards the final station, I realize that for most of my awake time on this trip I have done nothing but look out of the window. It has been some of the best spent time in a very long time.

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Day 15 – Over the hills and far away

May 15th: this incredible trip across America is now half-way through as I leave the East Coast and the Midwest behind and I start preparing for the Pacific North-West.

The second day on the California Zephyr presents us with the first “wow” experience of this long train trek as we join the Colorado river over mountains and canyons, often so close to the water it almost feels like we are floating on it.

After leaving Denver in the morning we climb slowly up the Rockies. The observation deck on the train is packed and the only complaint is how the sun creates glare on the windows and makes it difficult to get the best shot, but that is definitely a good problem to have.

The scenery slowly changes as the river grows, turns, falls, flexes its muscles, spits and roars, slapping hard the rocks that dare standing in its way.
Small temerarious boats tag along for a short ride, while the mountain forests give way to gorges and canyons with walls tall as a building, painted in a kaleidoscope of colours. Above all, the red rocks that melt every time it rains and give the river “Colorado” its name.

We reach Utah by late afternoon, and as we bid goodbye to the river the landscape abruptly changes, it turns dry and rough and yet it remains breathtaking. The weather changes too, and big dark clouds behind the mountains help making the end of this day even more dramatic.

Throughout this amazing day, as the scenery gets wilder and more extreme I can’t help but think of the men that built these tracks pretty much by hand over 100 years ago, what did their lives up here must have looked like. Old black and white pictures come to mind, small white tents pitched on the side of the mountain or in the middle of the desert, backbreaking work 12 hours a day in the harshest conditions, not exactly much time or energy left to enjoy the landscape.

The sun slowly fades over the horizon and night falls as we reach Salt Lake City. Time to try and catch a few hours of sleep before the last stretch to California.