Absolutely loved it. The longer stop in Albuquerque was great because there was time to visit the booths, on the platform, and do a little jewelry purchasing.

Also took the one from Chicago to Los Angeles, via Denver and Salt Lake City. Sections of the train would split off and head to other destinations. I regret that I did just a rail out, fly home trip, that time. That route is no more.

IIRC the vendors were Native Americans, and my wife bought some of their jewelry.

That route from Chicago to LA via Denver/SLC was Amtrak's "Desert Wind" if I'm not mistaken. It ran as a section combined with the California Zephyr and The Pioneer [ie three trains combined into one leaving Chicago, and split up at Salt Lake - with the California Zephyr going to San Francisco, The Pioneer to Portland, and the Desert Wind to LA].

That's cool that you had a chance to ride it, as you mentioned the route is gone. Today, of the 3 trains, only the California Zephyr remains.

I LOVE it. I had an aunt who lived in Chicago so I would take the train from Flint to visit her. Also loved taking the train from Los Angeles to San Diego. And, whenever I visited the UK, I would buy a 'BritRail Pass' and take in as much scenery and culture as possible, east to west and south to north, all over England, Scotland and (most importantly) Wales.

There's still a hope that I will be able to take a trans-Canada train trip. If that happens, I'll die content.

That particular route is temporarily suspended for the next three months until november due to covid. Other routes are running with social distancing and masks required onboard.

If under better circumstances you get a chance to go, I like to tell people to check out the 'sleeper-plus class deals'. Sort of the same idea as last minute seat sales on airlines -a month or two before the scheduled departure date VIA will try to sell off unsold berths and cabins at discounted prices, sometimes 50% off.

The link to the deals can be found at: https://www.viarail.ca/en/deals

I have no real expectation for at least a year, but who knows. And, I always booked a berth on Amtrak. I spent most of my days in the viewing car but it was nice to have that little bit of privacy, at night. Well worth the extra expense, for me.

Next month I have an appointment to get my 'enhanced' Michigan drivers license so, once the borders reopen, I can head to Canada for a visit, at least. It's just an hours drive away.

And I am wearing a ring I bought at the ABQ stop. I started my journey in San Diego, where I lived at the time, and went on to Boston. I returned on the northern route through northern CO. It was quite an adventure and a scenic balm that I needed as I was traveling to say goodbye to a dying relative.

I have traveled all over the 48 contiguous states' roads extensively but the view from a train is truly unique.

That's quite the accomplishment. I'd wager many Americans, and most Canadian's, have never truly seen their country like you have [30,000 feet from a teensy-weensy airline window doesn't count IMHO].

With a couple exceptions, I've been on almost every long distance train route across the US and Canada and count myself extremely lucky to have been able to do so. There a still a couple of Amtrak routes remaining on my bucket list - something to look forward to!

Vacation in the next year, now that's on hold indefinitely. I have always had a thing for large machinery, I was a semi driver for a decade and a half and will operate almost anything that rolls. The trains are a romantic sort of thing, I have traveled on train when I lived in the NE and admire the vastness of the network all over the continent.

Since I was a road warrior for so long, I have had the opportunity to see every major city and many more not so major cities and towns around the US. It was quite an education in life, industry and economics as well as all the commodities I encountered along the way. I'm sure I've driven more miles in reverse than most folks do going forward in their cars over their entire lives.

About twenty years ago I drove my car across the northern U.S. to Seattle, up to Vancouver and back through Canada. What I found most impressive about the US interstate system was the abundance of well-equipped rest stops, seemed like every 50 miles or so. At one of them near Billings, MT, struck up a conversation with a truck driver who enjoyed the fact that his job allowed him to see the Yellowstone River and other scenic highlights of the northwest.

I used to claim that I got to see the USA and get paid for it. It was also, back in my day, a great deal of personal freedom that was beyond most other jobs, like the factories I worked in during my teens. I'm thinking of the rest area by Billings, the one up in the hills around Columbus, I'm guessing has a nice view. Traveled that run for years and still drive through there on occasion. It's a long river, the Yellowstone, I live near it but a long way from Billings. All the towns along the I-90 corridor parallel the rails.

Thanks for checking out my post!

I have traveled all over the south, southwest and west by Amtrak. I just love train travel! You get to see so much of the country that way. I took the Southwest Chief in 2015, from Los Angeles to Galesburg, IL. There, I caught the shuttle van to Springfield, where I caught the southbound (from Chicago) Texas Eagle to my home near Austin. The scenery on this route is very nice, if you love deserts, mountains and the Great Plains. The only two routes for better scenery is the northbound Coast Starlight, from Los Angeles to Seattle (Pacific Ocean and Cascades mountains), and the eastbound California Zephyr, from Emeryville (San Francisco) to Chicago via Sacramento, Donner Pass, Reno, SLC, and Denver. Go Amtrak!

That's awesome that you got to ride what sounds like virtually every Amtrak route throughout the west.

I agree about the scenery on the California Zephyr and Coast Starlight - wow!

Thanks for the heads up to about the scenery on the Texas Eagle. Riding the Texas Eagle route, including where it combines with the Sunset Limited at San Antonio for Los Angeles, is on our bucket list!

To train travel!

staying at the teepee hotel, etc - & checking out all the cool spots on Route 66. Thanks for sharing.

I like the idea of combining train and a one way car rental , and have done that on other routes.

I always enjoy your travel photos.

I've only been on one cross-country train trip in the USA: when my parents and my brother and I moved from Evanston, Illinois to Richland Washington in the early 50's.

It was several days and nights; we had our own compartments and all the rest. The dining car, the observation car and so on. Some parts of the trip I remember very vividly.

One day we spent on a flat prairie going around a mountain that was very far to the north. I was extremely bored and spent the day staring at that damn mountain!

Another time, we were going through the Rockies at night. My parents woke us so we could see but all I saw looked like giant mounds of vanilla ice cream!

It was an amazing trip and I wish I could do more now. Who knows? Maybe someday...

Your story about the cross country trip was an interesting aside.

I wonder if the route you were on was that same one that Amtrak's Builder traverses today. There is one section of track on that route that traverses the Sweet Grass hills area of Montana and for hours all you can see other than the plains is a view of one or two solitary mountains.

Also the timing of that route, even today, results in travelers reaching the Rockies by late afternoon or evening and depending on the time of year could very well be dark.

Thanks again for sharing that snippet!

Likewise I enjoy the private compartments, dining car, observation cars too and we hope to be on the rails again someday as well.

And that southwestern backdrop