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| Amtrak's California Zephyr in Galesburg, IL April 2015 |
Just one week until I depart on my Fall Amtrak California Zephyr Adventure. I fly Monday, October 3, to Chicago, IL, to stay two nights at the Doubletree The Wit Hotel in the Chicago Loop. The trip will in addition to the three day, two night ride in Sleeper on the California Zephyr also include three separate rail fan day trips and a ride from Emeryville(San Francisco) to Los Angeles on Amtrak's Coast Starlight. In addition to the Chicago stay, I'll stay three nights in Emeryville, CA, and two nights near Los Angeles LAX airport before flying home to Nashville on American Airlines. Here's the semi detail plans with a few preview photos:
Monday, October 3 - Fly American Airlines to Chicago O'Hare. Take shuttle to the Doubletree The Wit Hotel in Chicago's Loop for two nights. Monday I plan to take Amtrak's Hiawatha train to Milwaukee, WI, and back. The trip is just 1 hour and 20 minutes each way with a one hour layover in Milwaukee.
Tuesday, October 4 - Taking Amtrak's Carl Sandburg train 7:35 am from Chicago to Galesburg, IL, to visit my friend Maury G. who along with others run the Galesburg Rail Museum. I met Maury when I did my road trip to Galesburg in April 2015. Here is his photo and a photo I took of the museum.
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| My friend Maury at the Galesburg Railroad Museum |
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| The Galesburg Railroad Museum |
After visiting in Galesburg for couple hours or more if my train is late, I will return to Chicago on Amtrak's Southwest Chief from Los Angeles to Chicago.
Wednesday to Friday, October 5, 6, and 7 - Traveling on Amtrak's California Zephyr Chicago - Denver - Salt Lake City - Sacramento - Emeryville crossing the Rocky Mountains in Colorado and the Sierra Nevadas in California. Here is sleeper car in station in Chicago I boarded couple years ago:
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| Entrance to Sleeper Car on California Zephyr |
Friday afternoon thru Sunday, October 7, 8, 9 - Arrive Emeryville scheduled for 4:10 pm staying three nights at the Hyatt House Hotel across tracks from the Emeryville Amtrak Station.
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| Hyatt House Hotel in Emeryville, CA |
Saturday, October 7, I travel Amtrak's Capitol Corridor trains back to Sacramento and return to visit the California State Railroad Museum.
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| An Amtrak Capitol Corridor Train in station in Sacramento |
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| The California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento |
Monday and Tuesday, October 10-11 - Boarding Amtrak's Coast Starlight for all day trip from Emeryville to Los Angeles scheduled arrival 9 pm. Upon arrival will take the Fly Away Bus to LAX Airport and then a shuttle to Hilton's LAX Hotel for two nights.
Wednesday, October 12 - Flying American Airlines nonstop to Nashville departing 8:35 am. Arrive Nashville mid afternoon.
As I travel Updates - I'm looking forward to posting short updates with one or two photos each night I am in a hotel beginning with Monday, October 3. While on the California Zephyr for two nights I will try to post a short Iphone update during the day Thursday, October 6 from the train. I will not be posting these updates to Facebook so I hope you will invite any of your friends or family who may enjoy reading these updates to subscribe to receive the updates in their email inbox via the links at the end of this update.
The information below the above asterisk border will not be included in the "as I travel updates".
I've added a new Amtrak trip November 28 to December 8 to take advantage of the Tennessee Titans "open date" Sunday, December 4 and to redeem some AA frequent flyer miles and also some Amtrak Guest Reward points. Sure helps my bottom line travel budget to get free travel by air and rail.
Here are my next three trips planned and all are Amtrak Adventures:
November 28 to December 8 Amtrak "Just because I can" Rail Adventure - Flying to Washington, DC, staying one night at the Hilton Garden Inn US Capitol near Union Station. From DC I will ride for my first time Amtrak's Capitol Limited to Chicago and connect to Amtrak's California Zephyr to Emeryville. I will stay one night in the Hyatt House Emeryville and re-board Amtrak's California Zephyr to Chicago where I will stay one night at a new Hilton Garden Inn near Chicago's Union Station. The next evening I will board Amtrak's Capitol Limited back to Washington, DC, and another one night stay at the Hilton Garden Inn US Capitol before flying home to Nashville December 8,
January 23-31 Amtrak 2017 Winter California Zephyr Trip -- This is becoming my annual "see snow away from home" Amtrak Winter trip on the Zephyr. Itinerary is almost exactly as the October trip except I will fly Southwest Airlines to Chicago and I will only stay two nights instead of three at the Hyatt House in Emeryville.
April 8-22 Amtrak April 2017 Rail Adventure -- On this trip I will be riding on two Amtrak trains for the first time and actually traveling coast to coast and return. I will begin the trip by flying Southwest Airlines to New Orleans April 8 for two nights at the Hyatt House Hotel on Poydras Street near New Orleans Union Station. Early Monday morning (7 AM) I will depart on Amtrak's Crescent train from New Orleans through Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia(Atlanta), South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia arriving Tuesday morning at Washington, DC, Union Station. That same Tuesday afternoon (4 PM), I will depart on Amtrak's Capitol Limited through Maryland, West Virginia, Pennsylvania(Pittsburgh), Ohio, and Indiana arriving early Wednesday (9 AM) in Chicago's Union Station. At 2 PM Wednesday, I'll board Amtrak's California Zephyr for the two night trip to Emeryville arriving Friday late afternoon April 14 for two nights at the Hyatt House Emeryville. Sunday morning (9 AM) I will board the east bound California Zephyr bound to Chicago arriving Tuesday afternoon and staying one night at the new Hampton Inn Chicago West Loop. Wednesday evening, April 19, I will return to Chicago Union Station to board the Capitol Limited(6:30 PM) for overnight trip back to Washington, DC, arriving early afternoon (1 PM) for a two night stay at the Hilton Garden Inn/DC US Capitol. Saturday, April 22, I'll fly Southwest Airlines home to Nashville from Washington, DC, Reagan National Airport.
You can see all my previous Rail Trip photos on my photo galleries in the Rail Trips Folder.
All my photos are available to view on Reagan's Photo Galleries website.
As I travel Updates - I'm looking forward to posting short updates with one or two photos each night I am in a hotel beginning with Monday, October 3. While on the California Zephyr for two nights I will try to post a short Iphone update during the day Thursday, October 6 from the train. I will not be posting these updates to Facebook so I hope you will invite any of your friends or family who may enjoy reading these updates to subscribe to receive the updates in their email inbox via the links at the end of this update.
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I've added a new Amtrak trip November 28 to December 8 to take advantage of the Tennessee Titans "open date" Sunday, December 4 and to redeem some AA frequent flyer miles and also some Amtrak Guest Reward points. Sure helps my bottom line travel budget to get free travel by air and rail.
Here are my next three trips planned and all are Amtrak Adventures:
November 28 to December 8 Amtrak "Just because I can" Rail Adventure - Flying to Washington, DC, staying one night at the Hilton Garden Inn US Capitol near Union Station. From DC I will ride for my first time Amtrak's Capitol Limited to Chicago and connect to Amtrak's California Zephyr to Emeryville. I will stay one night in the Hyatt House Emeryville and re-board Amtrak's California Zephyr to Chicago where I will stay one night at a new Hilton Garden Inn near Chicago's Union Station. The next evening I will board Amtrak's Capitol Limited back to Washington, DC, and another one night stay at the Hilton Garden Inn US Capitol before flying home to Nashville December 8,
January 23-31 Amtrak 2017 Winter California Zephyr Trip -- This is becoming my annual "see snow away from home" Amtrak Winter trip on the Zephyr. Itinerary is almost exactly as the October trip except I will fly Southwest Airlines to Chicago and I will only stay two nights instead of three at the Hyatt House in Emeryville.
April 8-22 Amtrak April 2017 Rail Adventure -- On this trip I will be riding on two Amtrak trains for the first time and actually traveling coast to coast and return. I will begin the trip by flying Southwest Airlines to New Orleans April 8 for two nights at the Hyatt House Hotel on Poydras Street near New Orleans Union Station. Early Monday morning (7 AM) I will depart on Amtrak's Crescent train from New Orleans through Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia(Atlanta), South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia arriving Tuesday morning at Washington, DC, Union Station. That same Tuesday afternoon (4 PM), I will depart on Amtrak's Capitol Limited through Maryland, West Virginia, Pennsylvania(Pittsburgh), Ohio, and Indiana arriving early Wednesday (9 AM) in Chicago's Union Station. At 2 PM Wednesday, I'll board Amtrak's California Zephyr for the two night trip to Emeryville arriving Friday late afternoon April 14 for two nights at the Hyatt House Emeryville. Sunday morning (9 AM) I will board the east bound California Zephyr bound to Chicago arriving Tuesday afternoon and staying one night at the new Hampton Inn Chicago West Loop. Wednesday evening, April 19, I will return to Chicago Union Station to board the Capitol Limited(6:30 PM) for overnight trip back to Washington, DC, arriving early afternoon (1 PM) for a two night stay at the Hilton Garden Inn/DC US Capitol. Saturday, April 22, I'll fly Southwest Airlines home to Nashville from Washington, DC, Reagan National Airport.
You can see all my previous Rail Trip photos on my photo galleries in the Rail Trips Folder.
You can click on any of the small photos in this blog to open a full size photo.
All my photos are available to view on Reagan's Photo Galleries website.
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