Spring Training 2026 - Day 1 (Pat)

My sister Sharyn and her husband Barry drove me to the Sacramento Valley Train Station on Saturday morning for my 10:30 am departure on the Amtrack California Zephyr, to Chicago.

The California Zephyr from Sacramento to Chicago is one of the most scenic long‑distance rail journeys in the U.S., taking about 51–52 hours and crossing the Sierra Nevada, Utah deserts, the Colorado Rockies, and the Great Plains before arriving in Chicago. It’s widely considered one of Amtrak’s most beautiful routes, especially between Sacramento and Denver.

The train platform is a distance from the station, and they have a golf cart type shuttle, that drives you the platform.  The train was on time, and I had assistance carrying my luggage to the upper level of the coach.  I purchased a private bedroom, the main advantage being a little more room and a private bathroom and shower. The other choices were coach (Airline seats) and a Mini-Bedroom, smaller with a common bathroom and shower down at the lower level.

After getting settled in, it was time for lunch.  The trip also includes 3 full- service meals, I had a grilled ham and cheese sandwich with chips.  A choice of beverages ais also included.

We had stops in Roseville, Colfax, and Reno. a few people got on and off.

The bedrooms have a porter who is assigned to your room. When ready for bed, he comes in lowers the upper bunk where the bedding is stored, the raises the upper bunk again. the couch folds down and is the bed.  With the bed down, there is not a lot of room to maneuver, but adequate.

After Reno, you felt you are in the West.  There were additional stops in Winnemucca and Elko. 

You make a reservation for dinner after lunch.  I opted for 6:30 pm and had a skirt steak with string beans, mashed potatoes, and a roll.  It was excellent.  You also have choice of an appetizer, either a salad or 3 Tempura shrimp.  I also had a cheesecake for dessert that comes with the meal.  There were several choices of drinks, including beer, wine and cocktails.  Seating is where they place you. I met some interesting people and had some interesting discussions.  I'll describe the "eating with strangers on a train" experience later

 I went to bed shortly after we arrived at Elko.

While the train is moving, you can feel the motion and it varies apparently according to the roadbed, wind to some extent, and any turns and grade along the route.

One observation until after Reno, was the proliferation of graffiti and homeless people living next to the train tracks. A huge mess of hardscrabble homeless living situations and accumulations of trash and litter. After Reno, not so much,

There is no Internet on the train, but I was able to have limited connectivity with my iPhone hotspot.

I am working on downloading pictures and will post them when I can.

Here is an Amtrack description of this segment:

1. Sierra Nevada (Sacramento → Reno)

• Climb through the mountains via Donner Pass
• Views of Truckee River, Donner Lake, and granite cliffs
• Often considered one of the most dramatic segments
• 
  

Spring Training 2026 - Day 1 (Pat)