MONDAY 5TH MAY 2025
We went to bed in California and woke up in Arizona.
My cold seemed to break overnight and in any case today was a lay day. All we had to do was eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner, talk to whoever shared our table in the dining car, and watch the scenery roll by, sometimes from the observation car.
The train for this leg from Los Angeles to San Antonio is called “The Texas Eagle”. I wrote in the earlier post on the Eugene to Los Angeles leg about the set up on an Amtrak bedroom and this is basically the same: a bench seat which converts to an almost double bed, with a wall bed overhead, and a single chair. A washbasin and a separate toilet/shower room. A snug cupboard, various hooks, and a pull out tray table. From memory Bill attempted to have a shower but no water came out so we left that alone. It’s not as if we really needed one.
Our conclusion is an Amtrak bedroom is a comfortable way to travel on the long distances if you can afford the additional price. It’s worth noting that if you don’t wish to go to the dining car your room attendant will deliver meals to your bedroom. As for the quality of the meals, the ones cooked on board, as in this leg and the earlier Coast Starlight, were excellent. We had steak which was exceptional, especially when we realised the price of a steak in a normal restaurant.
It was a good thing we were talking to a local as we approached El Paso, or we might have missed that we were at the closest point to the Mexican border, and “The Wall”. I wasn’t fast enough to the phone camera, these next four are courtesy of Bill. They depict the abrupt end of the wall, a typical freight train which delays us when they have right of way to the railway track, and El Paso railway station.
That’s a wrap for this day. What can I say? Train travel is a relaxing way to see the country..
The Reluctant Retiree 
You really did experience the luxurious part of Amtrak. Years ago we travelled from New York to New Orleans supposedly in the luxury side, we sort of didn’t and slept the night in a seat that didn’t recline. Looking back it was memorable for many reasons.
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Ooh – did you go business class coach perhaps, Suzanne? We had the bedroom. That’s the highest category of sleeper car. Goodness knows how much we paid for it. Our package from Amtrak Vacations was a rolled together price.
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It was more like cattle class. We were supposed to have had a cabin. Oh well, we survived and glimpsed a different view of rural America.
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And you have a story for when you are having dinner with friends!
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Cool! I’ve taken sleeper trains in other countries. Probably the most memorable was in Egypt.
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I’ve been a fan of trains since my first Eurailpass in 1978. Never been to Egypt though.
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That is some beautiful rugged countryside down there!
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Very different to later on. Taking the train was a great way to get around.
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Wonderful Gwen! Would adore doing this!
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Thank you for “coming aboard” with a comment. 🙂 Maybe you can work your magic with Amtrak.
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Now you’re starting to see the real Americana. Enjoy!
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We certainly saw a variety! Almost home now but still catching up on the blog posts.
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Another cold?
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No, just getting over the one I’d caught the week before. All past history now, except Bill bookended the trip by catching one in the last week.
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I like trains too. Much better than a bus. you can move around. Interesting landscape!
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We had a great time on the Amtrak network 😀
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