The next time the 30 day rail pass goes on sale I plan to get on as many trains as I can . These three are definitely on my list. Thanks for the video!
That's wonderful! I'm also waiting for the 30 day rail pass so I can do a lot more routes that I haven't been on yet. Thanks so much Donna for watching and commenting!
@@PhotoBug28 than yoy for replying bud. I'm definitely going to have to do some research. I've only been on one train ride & that was from the bay area to LA
@@ronjeremy4571 You're welcome Ron! I hope you're able to do another train ride. The Pacific coast has great great views- but there are many more amazing train routes you can experience here!
I rode the Empire Builder in 1955. It was still part of the Great Northern RR then. My brother and I lived in the visa dome. It was quite an adventure for a 9yr old.
That's incredible! I wish my parents took me on ones of these epic train trips when I was a kid. The only Amtrak trip I did as a kid was the Pacfic Surfliner from Santa Ana to San Diego which was pretty short.
My name is Alfredo Adarraga. I like to say this about Amtrak wonderful experiences. I had Traveled in the pass 12 years from California to Orlando FL. And from Lafayette IN to California. Also from Riverside CA to Lafayette IN. I always wanted to do my trips to where ever I can. To me is a Adventure and a pleasure. Hopefully I will do it again.
That's wonderful! I'm sure you had some memorable experiences during these trips. I hope you will do more in the future. Thank you Alfredo for watching!
A very enjoyable scenic tour of the USA-with no annoying commercial breaks! I’m an old Scotsman and plan on doing another AMTRAK trip. This has certainly stirred my interests.
Hi UK here, great video! Brings back memories, I did this trip in November 1999, flew from London to Chicago, with a 4 day stop-over in Seattle. Booking 6 months before, not counting the stay in Seattle, the cost was £1500 ($2000). Was lucky to have an upper level roomette on all 3 trains, great views all the way, and falling asleep at night to the train whistle.
Very cool! Thank you Chris for sharing those great memories of your Amtrak trip! Glad this video brought back some of those memories. Thank you for watching- hope all is well on the other side of the pond!
Thank you for sharing this video. It looked like an amazing vacation. At this time a year ago, I went on a cross country vacation via Amtrak, started and ended with the Michigan Blue Water, followed by Empire Builder, and on the way back, Coast Starlight ( Seattle to Sacramento ) then the California Zephyr and then back to Michigan. A vacation of a lifetime
Hi Russell- I'm really glad you like the video! It certainly was an amazing trip! Sounds like yours was just as memorable as mine. I'd like to do a similar route like that someday.Thank you for watching and commenting!
Thank you for your generous comment! I'm not much of a commentator- I just wanted to give a visual of all the scenery of these routes. I'm glad you enjoyed it!
I'll give 10/10 for your video's' scenery. The sea line, lakes, rivers, forests, mountains' mist, desert, sun rise and sunsets on flat fields. Nice places for a painting. Well done.
Thanks so much! I was inspired to do this trip after watching other Amtrak videos on RUclips. I'm grateful that I was able to make it a reality. I'm glad you enjoyed it!
@@the_g9456 I booked all this on my own- on the Amtrak website. I just looked at route maps and schedules. I also looked at their current deals to see what routes or fares were on sale. It wasn't too difficult to do!
Thanks so much! I waited years before I finally took a long distance Amtrak trip like this. It's an awesome trip if you don't mind spending 7 days on a train. I hope you can do it someday!
Thank you for an amazing vista, blown away by the coast and your use of map to show location, this is a premium rail journey and wish all the best when we leave covid , be safe
Watched quite a few Amtrak videos now & have enjoyed them all but this one is my favorite! The music & songs fit perfectly with each state as well..thanx for sharing Steve Kelso..
Thanks so much Linda! I imagine your interest in trains came from your Dad's career. I would love to work on trains! Thank you for watching and commenting :)
Thanks so much Beverly! Yes I agree, it was my first time getting a close look of the southern border and all the security. I especially love the Pacific North West region! Thank you for watching :)
The best part of the coastal starlight was skipped. As the tracks twists its way down along the canyon wall the horseshoe bend near oskridge, Oregon the tracks crosses the oldest original wooden trestle in the USA. Built in 1955 and has only been repaired which is why all trains have to slow down to 10 miles an hour
@@eddog6666 I know! I tried to film all the best spots but you're always going to miss things- while eating, taking snaps or using the bathroom. I hope to see it next time!
Here is a little tip. Remember the stopping cities and their location on google Earth. By that you can guess where the near features are. However if you are confused where it goes follow the tracks you may find surprising facts. Like the Lake Shasta bridge that the train crosses between 3:15&5 am and if you are lucky you can see an amazing sunrise as the train officially leaves the Central Valley and enters the cascade mountains
This was ENJOYable & very relaxing to watch! I have AMTRAKed from San Diego to San Francisco, Portland to Seattle, and North Carolina to Ft Lauderdale FL on different times/years. I loved it and always wanted to go back so, hopefully sooner than later I do hope to travel these routes one day. Thank you again for this awesome video. God Bless Mr Steve🙏🏼
Awww thanks so much Yoda Mama for the wonderful compliment! I'm glad you enjoyed watching it! Thats great that you've been able to do all of those Amtrak routes. I would love to do those as well during various times of the year. Take care!!
I haven't seen the entire video, yet. I'll watch it in segments. I don't know if you showed if you had a cabin or not. I certainly hope so!! In 2018 I took the California Zephyr from Martinez, CA. all the way to Chicago. Thank God I was smart enough to get a roomette. I was on the train for 57 hrs. and could not imagine NOT having my own room for sleeping, changing clothes, and privacy. I went by myself and absolutely loved every minute of it. Thanks for posting your outstanding video. I love trains. I visited an outstanding train musem in Union, Il. A "must see" for every train lover like me!
Thanks so much! Yes I did show my roomette in the video and I definitely agree with your comments. Its definitely needed on such a long journey! Thank you for watching and commenting!
Great video! I love how you point out different cities, and landmarks. In February 2018 my son and I rode the Heartland Flyer, Texas Eagle, Capital Limited, and one of the Stars. (due to delays, we missed the earlier one, and I don’t remember which one it was). We will be making that trip again in late October 2021 to Disney World for almost 3 weeks, and then back. Train travel is the best!!!
That’s wonderful! I hope you have a great trip to Disneyworld! Last night I was on the Southwest Chief eastbound to Chicago- we were delayed by almost 7 hours and I missed the Lake Shore Limited to NYC by 5 minutes! Amtrak put us in very nice hotel, and I’ll be taking the train to NYC tonight instead. I’m glad you enjoyed the video!
Awesome! This year I'll be taking a similar round trip loop, but the only difference is instead of the Texas Eagle, I'll be taking the Southwest Chief.
I did that yrs ago it was great u get see real people any landmarks I been travel love rvs did trucks vans cars u I been traveling amtrak train over 25 years off on its way better then airlines see the country coast to coast and town cities between thank u love this
I did your circle route twice in August 2015 & 2016. I started/ended my travel in Chicago. Was fun to watch your presentation! Love the way you let the scenery do the talking! Fabulous soundtrack! Sincerely, David 😷 in Chicago 🇺🇸
Thanks so much David! I hope you enjoyed your circle route trips as much as I did! It's a shame that I missed out on traditional dining but I still had a great time! I'm not good at providing entertaining commentary so this video is just about the scenery mostly. Thank you for watching!
@@PhotoBug28 We nearly ran into each other in Whitefish, Montana. I love the Station there and always photograph the vintage Great Northern Equipment. By chance, my brother and his wife treated me to a plane trip to explore Glacier National Park. We were at the station taking 📸 photos on the 15th of August. Then on the 16th of August we took 📸 photos again and had lunch across from the station in West Glacier. I hadn't flown ✈️on a plane since 2017. 95% of my travel in by train 🚂🚃🚃🚃🚃🚃🚃
@@DavidJones-dy2ul Wow- that's awesome. I haven't traveled much by train except this few recent Amtrak trips. And I've never been inside Glacier NP- I think it was still closed during this trip but I look forward to visiting someday!
Still in California but so far very well done. I like your labeling and use of maps. Great choices on videography. That homeless camp in Salinas - Steinbeck country really hit home. So many still suffer the grapes of wrath.
Thank you Eric! I'm glad you found the labels and maps helpful. The homeless encampments are pretty depressing. It's a common sight along the rail line in California. But I wanted to show the reality of everything you will see on this route.
Thanks so much Michael for the compliment! A lot of people didn’t like the music, but I think it helps to set the mood of the video. Thank you for watching!
Fantastic vdo! This is exactly a trip I was planning upon my return to the USA. I had done a couple of Amtrak long distance trips several decades ago with my family and thoroughly enjoyed them. Thanks for the trips!
Bruce Bartman Wonderful! I’m glad you enjoyed your Amtrak trips and hopefully you can do a long distance one like this soon!! Thanks for the compliment 😃👍🏻
Thanks Steve. It looks like you had a nearly private trip. The meals didn't look so great but they must have had to cut costs with such low ridership. The USA looks like a beautiful country. I had no idea Texas was so big! What an experience for you and anyone who watched this
Roydug123 Thank you so much for your kind comment! I’m glad you enjoyed the video. It was nice to have the extra space with the mostly empty trains. The frozen/ reheated meals were very mediocre. But I didn’t take the trip for the food- and I had a wonderful trip regardless 😃👍🏻👍🏻
Sadly Amtrak has caught on like many of the other passenger train companies worldwide, airline pre prepared meals is now what is for dinner... I recall the days of the Burlington prime rib and the Great Northern baked potato...
@@ronclark9724 True- it's a shame they got rid of this classic experience that made riding Amtrak more than just a commute to the next city. But I'm not surprised that they want to cut costs anywhere they can.
I was so pleased to see the footage of Fort Union right at the North Dakota/Montana border. I’m retired with plenty of time on my hands and I like to take Amtrak just to look out the window. The first time I took the Empire Builder my room attendant was a history buff and pointed it out to me. That’s where the trouble started…😉…I’ve now taken many trips to Montana to look around, I leave the train for a few days and sightsee. There are a whole lot of interesting places to see. You can easily rent a car out of the Whitefish station.
That's amazing! I love learning about the history of these regions- it really adds to the experience. I'd like to return to some of these spots and travel around by car instead of just passing by. Thanks so much for watching and commenting!
I have done several Amtrak loops and have traveled on all of the long distance sleeper train east coast and west coast. From the lush green forests of the Pacific Northwest to topping the Continental Divide in the Rockies, to the flat plains of the Midwest to the dry desert landscape of the Southwest... All of it is beautiful...
Gosh what a great video! Music, videography, I liked when you followed a car at the same speed as the train. And the reality of scenes too. This was interesting to test my attraction to each part of the country. California felt unsettling and when you hit Oregon I immediately felt better with the trees. Planning my trip now… I find the southwest so peculiar. Maybe Grand Canyon in Feb. or one of the more piney national parks. I’ve never done anything like this so your video really helps. Thanks so much.
Wow! That was such a generous compliment!I'm glad you enjoyed the video- although I'm not a professional photographer- it was all filmed on my phone :) The Southwest is probably my favorite region of the US. I hope you are able to do some traveling in this area- especially the Grand Canyon. Thank you for watching and commenting!
I took the Texas Eagle, Coast Starlight to Emeryville, California Zephyr trip last fall and loved it. My plans are to take the Southwest Chief, Coast Starlight, Empire Builder round trip this fall.
Hi Jeff! That's an awesome plan! Then you'll have seen the best routes Amtrak has to offer. It's a wonderful way to see the changing landscapes of the whole country without much planning or work involved. Enjoy!!
Yes, yes, and yes! This is my dream trip - although I will probably take a couple of days to sightsee and stretch between each of the three 'legs'. Settling for a round trip Chicago - Harper's Ferry this March! Thank you for this :-)
@@PhotoBug28 You begin to realize how great America is after viewing Juarez from the train... While America has its bad areas, there are far more good areas here than in many other nations...
Excellent video....lots of described views of travel locations, scenery, stations and map. Complete with views of trains' exterior, interior, and selected meals. Thanks
A great video and a great trip, I really enjoyed watching. One of the best Amtrak videos I have seen. I have ridden the Texas Eagle and Southwest Chief (twice) and hope to return to the USA for more train travel once things return to normal. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks so much for your compliment and I'm glad you enjoyed the video! I shot everything on my phone, and there's no entertaining commentary in the video. But I managed to capture some great scenery. I'm doing another 3 Amtrak routes in a row tomorrow! I hope you will come back to the USA and travel the rails again!
@@davidpeters5174 Check Amtrak's website under deals and promotions- they always have several going on. And if none of them are for the routes you want just keep checking everyday because they change frequently.
@@davidpeters5174 Keep in mind Amtrak's fares vary due to the seasons during the year. Like other travel alternatives booking a fare during the OFF season is cheaper than booking a fare during a holiday season... I am fond of riding Amtrak during the second week of December, after Thanksgiving and before Christmas when no one else appears to travel... Well very few... Low fares...
I love the surfing themed music for the first leg of the coastal trip. That made it pretty epic to me. I haven't even watched all of the video yet lol. You're living 1 of my dreams in this video. All around the country on a train. The only thing I wanna do more then this trip is to drive Route 66. Preferably in a classic Dodge Challenger RT. However I will settle for my Dodge Magnum RT. I love your videos.
Thanks so much! I'm glad you enjoyed the first part of the video. I was furloughed from my job and had lots of free time. And since most tourist attractions and other places were closed it was the perfect time to see the whole country by train. I've also done cross country road trips- on some portions of Route 66 that still exist- all the way from downtown Chicago to the Santa Monica pier in LA. In a Dodge Challenger would be a dream- you have good taste!!
I took this exact route back in 1990 something. I started in Dallas and ended in Dallas. I started a few days after Christmas day and had New Years on west coast. I would do this trip again in a minute.
@@JosephCompnotta Hi Joseph- I did everything on Amtrak's website. I looked at route maps, scheduled, then I came up with an itinerary and booked everything on the website. It was pretty easy and simple :)
@@JosephCompnotta Yes I did, I had 1 night in between each route. I stayed a night in Seattle and Chicago. There is only 1 departure a day for each route so you have to spend the night somewhere in between each one :)
Very nice planed route, that's the beauty of railway. Would love to experience the journey for few times. Instead of background music combine of engines sound, honking and tracks crackling that would be real thing to experience
Thanks so much! I agree about the music. I wish I could change it now- but I left it out of my newer video. I hope you can do one of the rail trips someday!
When my sister got married in San Diego, I took the Empire Builder from Seattle to Chicago, Texas Eagle from Chicago to Temple, Temple to LA, San Diegan to SD. Then San Diegan to LA, Coast Starlight to Tacoma.
I've truly enjoyed watching this video. I've traveled on trains for many years and it seems so strange now to see so few passengers during peak season. I'm sure this journey was unforgettable. I've had a similar experience riding Amtrak with sleeping car accommodations from L.A.-New Orleans on the Sunset Ltd., New Orleans- D.C. on the Crescent, D.C.- Chicago on the Capital, & Chicago-L.A. on the Southwest Chief with 2 or more days layovers in between. You bet I haven't forgotten although it's been over 20 years ago. Amtrak offered community seating in the dining car which would be a welcomed and anticipated event for many travelers. You would have met a lot of interesting folks while eating your meals there pre-COVID-19. Too bad you were finding yourself ordering the same meals. Amtrak once offered menus which were exclusive on each route. But you didn't take this journey for the food, you took it for the experience of seeing the U.S. by rail. You did it! Well done!
Thank you George! I'm glad you enjoyed the video! It was definitely an incredible experience- and a little strange on a mostly empty train. Just a few coach passengers commuting- I only met 1 person doing a full route. I really missed out on the traditional dining and meeting other travelers. But during Covid we all have to make some sacrifices. Tomorrow I am doing 3 more Amtrak routes in a row: Southwest Chief, Lake Shore Limited and the Crescent. I'll make a video of this trip as well. Thank you for your comments and sharing your experience!
I plan to take a very similar route soon (but counter-clockwise). I'm calling it the Grand Tour. It will be covering 7 Amtrak Routes, 8,288 miles, 29 states plus DC and about 190.5 hours on the train. I'll be taking the Sunset Limited from Los Angeles to El Paso (where I'll be visiting family for a few days) then continue on the Sunset Limited to New Orleans, the Crescent from New Orleans to Washington DC, the Acela from Washington DC to Boston, the Lake Shore Limited from Boston to Chicago, the Empire Builder from Chicago to Seattle, the Coast Starlight from Seattle to Los Angeles and finally, the Pacific Surfliner from Los Angeles to Santa Ana (which is closer to home). In 2029, I'll be going to my 50th Anniversary High School Reunion. I'll doing another round trip. This time I'll be going clockwise in sort of a figure-8. It will be covering 6 Amtrak Routes, 7,340 miles, 21 states plus DC and about 159 hours on the train. I'll be taking the Pacific Surfliner from Santa Ana to Los Angeles, the Coast Starlight from Los Angeles to Emeryville, the California Zephyr from Emeryville to Chicago, the Lake Shore Limited from Chicago to New York (with a few days layover in New Jersey for my HS Reunion), the Cardinal from New York to Chicago and finally the Southwest Chief from Chicago to Fullerton, CA.
That is truly an incredible trip! I wish I had done an even longer trip like yours, that reached a little further to the edges of the USA- I would have like to go further to Boston instead of NYC and then maybe take the Auto train down to Miami instead of cutting across to New Orleans. But I wasn't sure if it would be too long for me, but now I know I would be fine with it. This Grand Tour of yours sounds like the trip of a lifetime, as well as your plans for 2029! I really hope it goes well and turns out to be everything you expected. This morning I just came off the Canadian train which was a 4 day ride from Toronto to Vancouver. I'll be posting a new video of this trip soon. Thanks so much for sharing your wonderful Amtrak plans!!
In October I did a 12 day 4600 mile Amtrak trip - Chicago to LA to San Diego to Seattle to Whitefish (Glacier Park) to Chicago and home to Champaign. Had the time of my life! 5 different routes for me!
@@PhotoBug28 I should be on the City of New Orleans in April TO New Orleans and then back home from Memphis with a river cruise from New Orleans to Memphis.
Steve, Thanks so much for filming these Amtrak nature scenes, I also had a dream of riding all of Amtrak lines, But it looks like your at peace with No passengers due to the COVID and the general people NOT traveling. you make your travels seam so virtual reality, I love traveling by train, I get sick if I fly (:O---*
Kevin N Thank you so much! I’m glad you enjoyed the video. It was very peaceful and relaxing to be traveling in a mostly empty train! So I figured now is a good time to do this since many national parks and tourist attractions are closed- which doesn’t matter if you are on a train 😃
@@PhotoBug28 The lack of passengers was startling to someone who has traveled Amtrak enough to realize the difference. I do think it added considerably to the videography not to have to worry about people in the shot, though .... lots of excellent long views of the viewer and lounge cars ....
@@k.c1126 It was definitely much easier to film around the train without a lot of people in the way! And a lot more people's conversations would be in the video so it was nice to have empty seats around me! Although I enjoy meeting other travelers- so I missed out on that- but not a big deal.
Parts of Montana, especially the stretch from Havre to Wolfpoint reminded me a lot of Nebraska which was surprising for some reason. I just assumed all of Montana was a heavily wooded area. Parts of Minnesota were beautiful. I had never thought about taking that northern route on Amtrak. Thank You for sharing this!
Amtrak is definitely a wonderful, easy way to see the country! Seeing the border is a little depressing. Juarez is definitely run down- but 8 years ago it was one of the most violent dangerous cities in Mexico. But since the major drug cartels have left the town it's much safer now and even has tourism. Thanks for watching Eileen!
You're very welcome! I look forward to watching your train journeys as well. It's people like you that inspire us to take these train trips. Thank you!
Thank you for sharing. Good choice of music for each section of the country. The food looks good. I have taken the Starlight to Seattle twice and the Zephyr once to Reno. I was wondering what train travel during Covid would be like. The observation car was not packed at all like it was when I traveled by train. Glad you had a fun experience.
Thanks so much Cecilia! The Zephyr and the Coast Starlight are the 2 best Amtrak routes I think. Glad you got to do it! It was nice having a mostly empty train and being able to enjoy the observation car without crowds and noise :)
Pretty cool trip! Thanks for sharing. I'd like to do something similar someday soon, but not the full Northwest tour...mine would include the California Zephyr to Chicago, so Texas to LA to Oakland, to Chicago and back to Texas.
I'm glad you liked the video! That sounds like a great plan you have in mind- you can see the most scenic routes without doing such a long trip like this- it's probably too long for most people but I loved it!
Anybody who would consider Amtrak for any trip other than just a life-altering challenge is out of their mind. The issues with this mode of travel are far too long to list but standing outside of a locked depot at three in the morning that is located in the seediest area of the city would top my list. And that's just the start of your journey. It usually goes downhill from there. And you are hoping for "high-speed" rails? Good luck with that!
A long distance Amtrak trip definitely doesn't appeal to every kind of traveler. Despite a few minor setbacks and delays I really enjoyed my Amtrak trips. Thanks for offering your perspective!
Muchas gracias por atender mi Pregunta y gracias por compartir este excelente video, con toda la información y esos lindos Paisajes, que Dios lo bendiga Felicidades.
In 2017 I did Miami to DC , DC to Chicago aboard the Cardinal , Chicago to LA on the Southwest Chief, LA to Dallas (Texas Eagle). I didn't stay in hotel until Dallas. I didn't complete the loop as I flew back to Miami. But even that was great as I got a upgrade to first class on a 777 for $69.00. Like I tell people: the train doesn't take you to a vacation, the train is the vacation.
Wow- that must have been an incredible trip! Might be too long for some, but I love cross country Amtrak trips. It's definitely true that the train is the vacation!
Graffiti artists at the beginning: Yo my art got featured! 🤩 *brags about it and gets arrested for it* sorry! Saturday night s***posting! I am quite entertained by this and shall continue watching! Thanks for sharing by the way! Reminds me of the good ol youtube before it became a corporate septic tank...
Hahahaha- Awesome! I've always had an appreciation for graffiti art! I'm glad you liked the video. Its nice to still watch videos without the sponsors, ad breaks and such :)
So I booked a cheap-seat coach from Cinci - Palm Springs 72 hr trip. on the Texas Eagle/Cardinal, and your video made me wish I had done more, but being my first trip and in coach, I'll see how it goes. Great video and Thank You. Hoping there is not a crapload of people on board because of Amtrak's Covid restrictions.
How fun! 72 hours is still a very long trip! Especially in coach, but I think I would be Ok with a 3 day trip in coach. I hope you have a great time and everything goes smoothly! I don't think it will be very crowded on your train, but it's hard to say in advance. Thank you for watching and commenting!
Wow! I have been watching a lot of Amtrak videos over the pandemic and your videography is the best! Beautiful vistas captured, high definition (8k? GoPro?), and very steady. And I'm just 7:10 in to the video! And I believe at 43:35 or thereabouts is where you crossed the Continental Divide at Marias Pass. Great catch!
Thank you so much for the compliment! This was all filmed on my iPhone 11 Pro Max- which has very good video quality. And maybe 2 shots where I needed a real zoom I used my Canon Powershot SX60 HS. I'm glad you like the video!
@@PhotoBug28 Wow. On an iPhone no less. Some of the best if not the best image quality I have enjoyed on the Amtrak videos. Thanks for the reply Steve. Doug on the North Coast of California
@@sequoiasemperviren3163 You're welcome Doug! I'm very happy with the image quality- and it wasn't even on the highest quality setting! I'm in Southern California near LA- but I would love to retire in Northern California :)
FYI...@30:35, the Costco that is seen outside the train is the very first Costco store ever opened. It's Costco store #1, in Seattle. The Store was rebuilt about 15 years ago, but they kept it on the exact same property and kept some of the original store walls inside. It's my local store. Been shopping there for about 25 years.
Really? Very cool! I didn't know that. I love Costco and I shop there all the time. I never looked up to see which one was the original but knew it was in Washington. I'll have to go there for a visit!
@@PhotoBug28 - my wife and young daughter were shopping there on the morning of Feb 28, 2001 and had to ride out a big earthquake (6.8 on richter scale). It did about $2 Billion in damage and sent about 400 people to hospitals. That location is part of Seattle that was originally tide flats. When it was filled in with dirt and built up over the years, that part of town suffered the most severe damage as the ground was so lose compared to other parts of town. They had to dive and take cover under one of the tables in the food court area. Though Costco didn't get hit with as much damage as some of the older buildings in the area, they started planning the new store shortly after the earthquake and it took a few years to build it on that same plot of land. If you ever make in for a shopping trip, you'll be able to see a wall from the old store, along with pics of the opening day back in Feb of 1983. Many show the early founders of Costco, including co-founder, James Sinegal, who ran the company for the first 28 years until retiring 2011. If you don't recall that big quake in Seattle 20 years ago, here's a brief news segment on that day- ruclips.net/video/LQX6-kqriRY/видео.html
@@dwaynecoy1871 Oh wow, that's a crazy story! Thank God you and your family made it thru the earthquake without getting hurt! I watched the news segment video you linked- definitely a very intense quake! Also that's very interesting history about the rebuilding. It makes me want to see that Costco even more. Thank you so much for sharing this!
@@PhotoBug28 - Thanks Steve, we got off pretty easy, just some minor damage at our house, though a lot of the houses in my neighborhood had their brick chimney collapse. Turns out that I was of town on business when the quake hit in the morning. I was on the other side of Cascades, near Wenatchee and it was strong enough that I actually felt it from over 200 miles away. BTW, I really enjoyed your video. I was attracted to it because of the Coast Starlight segment. I took that train round trip from LA to Seattle way back in the late 80's. It was a comedy of errors and bad luck that resulted in an arrival time that was about 6 hours late for both legs of the trip. Haven't been on a train since. Although, after seeing how your trip went, I'm definitely going to give train travel another chance.
@@dwaynecoy1871 That's very fortunate that you were out of town that morning, and that your neighborhood didn't suffer and real destruction! I'm glad you enjoyed the video- the Coast Starlight was my favorite segment of this trip. Sorry for the huge delays you had on your trip. I had a 7 hour delay on the Texas Eagle and missed my connection in Chicago. I had to push back my other train and hotel reservations and change my flight. These long delays are quite common on these long distance routes. But I would give it another chance and hope that your next trip will go smoother!
Thank you Juan for watching and commenting! Most people didn't like the music- I had to cut out a lot of the audio because of passenger conversations- and I was limited to RUclips's royalty free music :)
Steve, this is one of the best Amtrak videos I've seen. There was no need for commentary and what are all those complaints about the music? OMG. There is a mute button. I've been on the Coast Starlight and Empire Builder, but I'd love to take a non-stop circle route like you did. Love sitting by the window and watching the countryside go by. Such a relaxed way to travel. Great job!
LOL! I put in different styles of music to appeal to different tastes. I don't see how any of it can be that horrible or annoying. It's not like I put in gangster rap- which would not fit in well with the theme of this video- haha. You're lucky to have been able to travel on some of these routes. Doing a non stop circle route might be too long for most people. But surprisingly I was never bored at any point of the trip. Even seeing farmland and rural towns was interesting because its the opposite of what I see in my city. Thanks Alan for commenting!
@@natehill8069 I see. On my newer video I left the music out and it's just train sounds. But on this trip there was a loudmouth passenger talking next to me for hours, so I had to cut out a lot of the audio.
@@PhotoBug28 So what we really need is a people-filter. Actually, I am surprised there isnt something like that nowadays (built into cameras); kind of the opposite of what the NSA would use.
Great video and i love the sound track.very cool.
Thank you so much Charles!!
The next time the 30 day rail pass goes on sale I plan to get on as many trains as I can . These three are definitely on my list. Thanks for the video!
That's wonderful! I'm also waiting for the 30 day rail pass so I can do a lot more routes that I haven't been on yet. Thanks so much Donna for watching and commenting!
@@PhotoBug28 where can this pass be found?
@@ronjeremy4571 I didn't use an Amtrak rail pass. I just bought individual tickets for each leg- on the Amtrak website. Thanks for watching!
@@PhotoBug28 than yoy for replying bud. I'm definitely going to have to do some research.
I've only been on one train ride & that was from the bay area to LA
@@ronjeremy4571 You're welcome Ron! I hope you're able to do another train ride. The Pacific coast has great great views- but there are many more amazing train routes you can experience here!
I rode the Empire Builder in 1955. It was still part of the Great Northern RR then. My brother and I lived in the visa dome. It was quite an adventure for a 9yr old.
That's incredible! I wish my parents took me on ones of these epic train trips when I was a kid. The only Amtrak trip I did as a kid was the Pacfic Surfliner from Santa Ana to San Diego which was pretty short.
My name is Alfredo Adarraga. I like to say this about Amtrak wonderful experiences. I had Traveled in the pass 12 years from California to Orlando FL. And from Lafayette IN to California. Also from Riverside CA to Lafayette IN. I always wanted to do my trips to where ever I can. To me is a Adventure and a pleasure. Hopefully I will do it again.
That's wonderful! I'm sure you had some memorable experiences during these trips. I hope you will do more in the future. Thank you Alfredo for watching!
cajon pass?
A very enjoyable scenic tour of the USA-with no annoying commercial breaks! I’m an old Scotsman and plan on doing another AMTRAK trip. This has certainly stirred my interests.
Thank you William! I appreciate that. I hope you can do another Amtrak trip someday!
Good luck 🚂🚃🚃🚃🚃🚃
Happy journey
And how meals Steve? Thank You!!
@@steviearmstrong6357 Yes I would like to know how the food was also.
I'm riding across the country this summer. I'm watching this in expectation. Thanks for putting the video together. Awesome.
You're welcome Gerald! I'm glad you enjoyed the video. Have a great cross country trip this summer! Hope you will enjoy it as much as I did :)
Hi UK here, great video! Brings back memories, I did this trip in November 1999, flew from London to Chicago, with a 4 day stop-over in Seattle. Booking 6 months before, not counting the stay in Seattle, the cost was £1500 ($2000). Was lucky to have an upper level roomette on all 3 trains, great views all the way, and falling asleep at night to the train whistle.
Very cool! Thank you Chris for sharing those great memories of your Amtrak trip! Glad this video brought back some of those memories. Thank you for watching- hope all is well on the other side of the pond!
Thank you for sharing this video. It looked like an amazing vacation. At this time a year ago, I went on a cross country vacation via Amtrak, started and ended with the Michigan Blue Water, followed by Empire Builder, and on the way back, Coast Starlight ( Seattle to Sacramento ) then the California Zephyr and then back to Michigan. A vacation of a lifetime
Hi Russell- I'm really glad you like the video! It certainly was an amazing trip! Sounds like yours was just as memorable as mine. I'd like to do a similar route like that someday.Thank you for watching and commenting!
Excellent no commentary was needed the great filming said it all. Superb tour and the relevant parts of it were seen
Thank you for your generous comment! I'm not much of a commentator- I just wanted to give a visual of all the scenery of these routes. I'm glad you enjoyed it!
I'll give 10/10 for your video's' scenery. The sea line, lakes, rivers, forests, mountains' mist, desert, sun rise and sunsets on flat fields. Nice places for a painting. Well done.
Wow! Thank you so much for the generous compliment! Glad you enjoyed the scenery :)
Should be on every American's bucket list 🍻
Thanks for sharing 👍
I agree! Thank you for commenting Daniel!
The loop trip is on my bucket list.
I hope you get to do it someday!
Same here.
Mines also
This is exactly what I have been wanting to do. Thank you. I can only imagine the adventure.
Thanks so much! I was inspired to do this trip after watching other Amtrak videos on RUclips. I'm grateful that I was able to make it a reality. I'm glad you enjoyed it!
@@PhotoBug28 I have a question. Did you book all of this yourself on the AMTRAK site or did you call them and have an agent help you?
@@the_g9456 I booked all this on my own- on the Amtrak website. I just looked at route maps and schedules. I also looked at their current deals to see what routes or fares were on sale. It wasn't too difficult to do!
I have been looking to take this exact trip for a couple of years now. Great video.
Thanks so much! I waited years before I finally took a long distance Amtrak trip like this. It's an awesome trip if you don't mind spending 7 days on a train. I hope you can do it someday!
Thank you for an amazing vista, blown away by the coast and your use of map to show location, this is a premium rail journey and wish all the best when we leave covid , be safe
Thank you so much John for your wonderful compliments! I really appreciate your support. Stay safe too!
Definitely educational and interesting sights and places to visit in the good old USA, thanks really helps!
Thanks so much for your kind words! I appreciate it :)
Watched quite a few Amtrak videos now & have enjoyed them all but this one is my favorite! The music & songs fit perfectly with each state as well..thanx for sharing Steve Kelso..
Thanks so much Frederick! I appreciate your compliments- glad you enjoyed watching!!
Amazing views!!!!! LOVE THE USA!!!!!, How beautiful our country is !!!!
Absolutely! It has such an impressive diversity of landscapes!
You're my hero. That's something I'd like to experience some day.
Thanks so much Alfredo! I hope you can do a long distance Amtrak trip!
Another great video Steve thank you for the ride
You're very welcome Jim!
Enjoyed this very much. Hope to see more train trips. My Dad worked for the railroad 30 yrs.
Thanks so much Linda! I imagine your interest in trains came from your Dad's career. I would love to work on trains! Thank you for watching and commenting :)
EXCELLENT! I ENJOYED YOUR ENORMOUS COUNTRY , FROM SOUTH AFRICA!
Thanks so much for watching and commenting! Hope all is well in South Africa!!
thank you for the amazing views, its a great video too, i subscribed hope your channel grows all the best
Thank you so much Kendall for watching and subscribing! It means a lot!
@@PhotoBug28 your welcome :)
Very nice video. Thanks for sharing it with us. The scenes along the southern border were quite interesting, and the pacific NW is always beautiful.
Thanks so much Beverly! Yes I agree, it was my first time getting a close look of the southern border and all the security. I especially love the Pacific North West region! Thank you for watching :)
Thank you for sharing your great Amtrak journey! I will definitely do it myself after the COVID
You're very welcome! I hope you can enjoy an Amtrak trip when everything returns to normal!
You missed a special spot in California the Shasta lake bridge
The best part of the coastal starlight was skipped.
As the tracks twists its way down along the canyon wall the horseshoe bend near oskridge, Oregon the tracks crosses the oldest original wooden trestle in the USA. Built in 1955 and has only been repaired which is why all trains have to slow down to 10 miles an hour
@@eddog6666 I know! I tried to film all the best spots but you're always going to miss things- while eating, taking snaps or using the bathroom. I hope to see it next time!
Here is a little tip. Remember the stopping cities and their location on google Earth. By that you can guess where the near features are. However if you are confused where it goes follow the tracks you may find surprising facts. Like the Lake Shasta bridge that the train crosses between 3:15&5 am and if you are lucky you can see an amazing sunrise as the train officially leaves the Central Valley and enters the cascade mountains
This was ENJOYable & very relaxing to watch! I have AMTRAKed from San Diego to San Francisco, Portland to Seattle, and North Carolina to Ft Lauderdale FL on different times/years. I loved it and always wanted to go back so, hopefully sooner than later I do hope to travel these routes one day. Thank you again for this awesome video. God Bless Mr Steve🙏🏼
Awww thanks so much Yoda Mama for the wonderful compliment! I'm glad you enjoyed watching it! Thats great that you've been able to do all of those Amtrak routes. I would love to do those as well during various times of the year. Take care!!
A perfect travel video. It brought back many memories of the Texas Eagle. Thanks.
Thanks so much! I'm glad you liked it.
What a wonderful video. I love it. So many different landscapes. Greetings from Austria
Thanks so much Dominik! I appreciate your compliment! I hope all is well in Austria :)
@@PhotoBug28 👍🇦🇹
Very well edited view of a fascinating journey. Thanks.
Thank you for the compliment! Glad you enjoyed it
I haven't seen the entire video, yet. I'll watch it in segments. I don't know if you showed if you had a cabin or not. I certainly hope so!! In 2018 I took the California Zephyr from Martinez, CA. all the way to Chicago. Thank God I was smart enough to get a roomette. I was on the train for 57 hrs. and could not imagine NOT having my own room for sleeping, changing clothes, and privacy. I went by myself and absolutely loved every minute of it. Thanks for posting your outstanding video. I love trains. I visited an outstanding train musem in Union, Il. A "must see" for every train lover like me!
Thanks so much! Yes I did show my roomette in the video and I definitely agree with your comments. Its definitely needed on such a long journey! Thank you for watching and commenting!
Great video! I love how you point out different cities, and landmarks. In February 2018 my son and I rode the Heartland Flyer, Texas Eagle, Capital Limited, and one of the Stars. (due to delays, we missed the earlier one, and I don’t remember which one it was). We will be making that trip again in late October 2021 to Disney World for almost 3 weeks, and then back. Train travel is the best!!!
That’s wonderful! I hope you have a great trip to Disneyworld! Last night I was on the Southwest Chief eastbound to Chicago- we were delayed by almost 7 hours and I missed the Lake Shore Limited to NYC by 5 minutes! Amtrak put us in very nice hotel, and I’ll be taking the train to NYC tonight instead. I’m glad you enjoyed the video!
This was absolutely wonderful to see! Thank you so much!
You're welcome Andrea! I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Awesome! This year I'll be taking a similar round trip loop, but the only difference is instead of the Texas Eagle, I'll be taking the Southwest Chief.
Wow! That sounds amazing! I hope you have an incredible trip. Thank you for watching and commenting!
I did that yrs ago it was great u get see real people any landmarks I been travel love rvs did trucks vans cars u I been traveling amtrak train over 25 years off on its way better then airlines see the country coast to coast and town cities between thank u love this
I completely agree! It was the perfect way to see the whole country and all the changing landscapes. Thanks Freeman for the compliment!
I did your circle route twice in August 2015 & 2016. I started/ended my travel in Chicago. Was fun to watch your presentation! Love the way you let the scenery do the talking! Fabulous soundtrack! Sincerely, David 😷 in Chicago 🇺🇸
Thanks so much David! I hope you enjoyed your circle route trips as much as I did! It's a shame that I missed out on traditional dining but I still had a great time! I'm not good at providing entertaining commentary so this video is just about the scenery mostly. Thank you for watching!
@@PhotoBug28 We nearly ran into each other in Whitefish, Montana. I love the Station there and always photograph the vintage Great Northern Equipment. By chance, my brother and his wife treated me to a plane trip to explore Glacier National Park. We were at the station taking 📸 photos on the 15th of August. Then on the 16th of August we took 📸 photos again and had lunch across from the station in West Glacier. I hadn't flown ✈️on a plane since 2017. 95% of my travel in by train 🚂🚃🚃🚃🚃🚃🚃
@@DavidJones-dy2ul Wow- that's awesome. I haven't traveled much by train except this few recent Amtrak trips. And I've never been inside Glacier NP- I think it was still closed during this trip but I look forward to visiting someday!
Great video, thanks for posting it.
Thank you so much!
Still in California but so far very well done. I like your labeling and use of maps. Great choices on videography.
That homeless camp in Salinas - Steinbeck country really hit home. So many still suffer the grapes of wrath.
Thank you Eric! I'm glad you found the labels and maps helpful. The homeless encampments are pretty depressing. It's a common sight along the rail line in California. But I wanted to show the reality of everything you will see on this route.
Remarkable! Great work!
Relentlessly cheerful music at the start, too, which seems to suit you.
Thanks so much Michael for the compliment! A lot of people didn’t like the music, but I think it helps to set the mood of the video. Thank you for watching!
@@PhotoBug28 sorry Steve ... I could do without music
@@soniadowney7427 No problem- most people didn't like it. I left it out of my newer video
Fantastic vdo! This is exactly a trip I was planning upon my return to the USA. I had done a couple of Amtrak long distance trips several decades ago with my family and thoroughly enjoyed them. Thanks for the trips!
Bruce Bartman Wonderful! I’m glad you enjoyed your Amtrak trips and hopefully you can do a long distance one like this soon!! Thanks for the compliment 😃👍🏻
Subscribed today. Keep riding trains and showing scenery, and we'll stay subscribed for sure.
Thank you so much Gayle for watching and subscribing! I hope to be making more Amtrak videos in the future!
Thanks Steve. It looks like you had a nearly private trip. The meals didn't look so great but they must have had to cut costs with such low ridership. The USA looks like a beautiful country. I had no idea Texas was so big! What an experience for you and anyone who watched this
Roydug123 Thank you so much for your kind comment! I’m glad you enjoyed the video. It was nice to have the extra space with the mostly empty trains. The frozen/ reheated meals were very mediocre. But I didn’t take the trip for the food- and I had a wonderful trip regardless 😃👍🏻👍🏻
Sadly Amtrak has caught on like many of the other passenger train companies worldwide, airline pre prepared meals is now what is for dinner... I recall the days of the Burlington prime rib and the Great Northern baked potato...
@@ronclark9724 True- it's a shame they got rid of this classic experience that made riding Amtrak more than just a commute to the next city. But I'm not surprised that they want to cut costs anywhere they can.
I was so pleased to see the footage of Fort Union right at the North Dakota/Montana border. I’m retired with plenty of time on my hands and I like to take Amtrak just to look out the window. The first time I took the Empire Builder my room attendant was a history buff and pointed it out to me. That’s where the trouble started…😉…I’ve now taken many trips to Montana to look around, I leave the train for a few days and sightsee. There are a whole lot of interesting places to see. You can easily rent a car out of the Whitefish station.
That's amazing! I love learning about the history of these regions- it really adds to the experience. I'd like to return to some of these spots and travel around by car instead of just passing by. Thanks so much for watching and commenting!
a trip on my bucket list
I have done several Amtrak loops and have traveled on all of the long distance sleeper train east coast and west coast. From the lush green forests of the Pacific Northwest to topping the Continental Divide in the Rockies, to the flat plains of the Midwest to the dry desert landscape of the Southwest... All of it is beautiful...
Thanks for a great video. Hope to do an Amtrak circuit before I die.. Farewell Covid ASAP.. Thanks again
I hope you will manager to take another Amtrak trip! I think with a vaccine coming soon that Covid will hopefully be gone next year!
Very nice video to watch. Well edited. I plan on a Amtrak trip next spring.
Thank you so much! I’m glad you enjoyed it. Have a great Amtrak trip next spring 😃👏🏻👏🏻
Wow Steve, what a round trip!
Thank you Ryan! It was such an amazing trip, but I wish I extended it further to NY and down to FL
Gosh what a great video! Music, videography, I liked when you followed a car at the same speed as the train. And the reality of scenes too. This was interesting to test my attraction to each part of the country. California felt unsettling and when you hit Oregon I immediately felt better with the trees. Planning my trip now… I find the southwest so peculiar. Maybe Grand Canyon in Feb. or one of the more piney national parks. I’ve never done anything like this so your video really helps. Thanks so much.
Wow! That was such a generous compliment!I'm glad you enjoyed the video- although I'm not a professional photographer- it was all filmed on my phone :) The Southwest is probably my favorite region of the US. I hope you are able to do some traveling in this area- especially the Grand Canyon. Thank you for watching and commenting!
I took the Texas Eagle, Coast Starlight to Emeryville, California Zephyr trip last fall and loved it. My plans are to take the Southwest Chief, Coast Starlight, Empire Builder round trip this fall.
Hi Jeff! That's an awesome plan! Then you'll have seen the best routes Amtrak has to offer. It's a wonderful way to see the changing landscapes of the whole country without much planning or work involved. Enjoy!!
Yes, yes, and yes! This is my dream trip - although I will probably take a couple of days to sightsee and stretch between each of the three 'legs'. Settling for a round trip Chicago - Harper's Ferry this March! Thank you for this :-)
That would be amazing! I wish I did more sightseeing for a few days. Glad you enjoyed the video and I hope you can do a similar trip!
Great video..I came to this country 30 years ago and I LOVE this country for its beauty and freedom.....good ,bad and ugly....Love it!
Me too! I've seen almost everything there is to see in this country. Despite it's problems I truly love it here! Thanks for commenting!
@@PhotoBug28 You begin to realize how great America is after viewing Juarez from the train... While America has its bad areas, there are far more good areas here than in many other nations...
@@ronclark9724 Absolutely- I agree!
3:35 what a beautiful location !
Definitely! Thanks for watching and commenting!
Excellent video....lots of described views of travel locations, scenery, stations and map. Complete with views of trains' exterior, interior, and selected meals. Thanks
Thanks so much for the compliment! I'm glad you enjoyed the video!
A great video and a great trip, I really enjoyed watching. One of the best Amtrak videos I have seen. I have ridden the Texas Eagle and Southwest Chief (twice) and hope to return to the USA for more train travel once things return to normal. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks so much for your compliment and I'm glad you enjoyed the video! I shot everything on my phone, and there's no entertaining commentary in the video. But I managed to capture some great scenery. I'm doing another 3 Amtrak routes in a row tomorrow! I hope you will come back to the USA and travel the rails again!
Were can I get the cheapest prices
@@davidpeters5174 Check Amtrak's website under deals and promotions- they always have several going on. And if none of them are for the routes you want just keep checking everyday because they change frequently.
@@davidpeters5174 Keep in mind Amtrak's fares vary due to the seasons during the year. Like other travel alternatives booking a fare during the OFF season is cheaper than booking a fare during a holiday season... I am fond of riding Amtrak during the second week of December, after Thanksgiving and before Christmas when no one else appears to travel... Well very few... Low fares...
I love the surfing themed music for the first leg of the coastal trip. That made it pretty epic to me. I haven't even watched all of the video yet lol. You're living 1 of my dreams in this video. All around the country on a train. The only thing I wanna do more then this trip is to drive Route 66. Preferably in a classic Dodge Challenger RT. However I will settle for my Dodge Magnum RT. I love your videos.
Thanks so much! I'm glad you enjoyed the first part of the video. I was furloughed from my job and had lots of free time. And since most tourist attractions and other places were closed it was the perfect time to see the whole country by train. I've also done cross country road trips- on some portions of Route 66 that still exist- all the way from downtown Chicago to the Santa Monica pier in LA. In a Dodge Challenger would be a dream- you have good taste!!
@@PhotoBug28 I'll be sure to look those up. I'm a truck driver so I love driving. When it's not in a Semi truck lol.
@@Jason4422Daddybear Hahaha! That's for sure :)
I took this exact route back in 1990 something. I started in Dallas and ended in Dallas. I started a few days after Christmas day and had New Years on west coast. I would do this trip again in a minute.
How cool! I'm glad you got to see these routes for yourself. Sounds like you had a great trip. Thanks for sharing Lou!
Really beautiful video...thank you
Thank you so much Brenda!! I appreciate that
I love Amtrak!
Me too! Thanks for watching Mike!
I really enjoyed this video
I'm really glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for commenting!
Epic journey 👍 well done from Scotland 🏴
Thank you so much! I love Scotland!
@@PhotoBug28your very welcome ,, hope to copy your trip in the future 👍👍,,,
@@stevenhutton2975 I hope you will! It was an incredible trip- great way to see the USA 😃
This was awesome. Spent a lovely evening with it.
Thank you so much Don! I'm really glad you enjoyed it!
That was so well done!!
Thank you so much Marcus!
Aww MAN! I've always wanted to take route as well ! thanks for showing it
You're welcome Joseph! I hope you can do this same trip someday!
@@PhotoBug28 So how did you book the trip?
@@JosephCompnotta Hi Joseph- I did everything on Amtrak's website. I looked at route maps, scheduled, then I came up with an itinerary and booked everything on the website. It was pretty easy and simple :)
@@PhotoBug28 So you picked the end of the route and then to the next route? were they back to back or did you stay a night sometimes
@@JosephCompnotta Yes I did, I had 1 night in between each route. I stayed a night in Seattle and Chicago. There is only 1 departure a day for each route so you have to spend the night somewhere in between each one :)
Very nice planed route, that's the beauty of railway. Would love to experience the journey for few times. Instead of background music combine of engines sound, honking and tracks crackling that would be real thing to experience
Thanks so much! I agree about the music. I wish I could change it now- but I left it out of my newer video. I hope you can do one of the rail trips someday!
When my sister got married in San Diego, I took the Empire Builder from Seattle to Chicago, Texas Eagle from Chicago to Temple, Temple to LA, San Diegan to SD. Then San Diegan to LA, Coast Starlight to Tacoma.
WOW!! Thats an incredibly long trip- but I hope you enjoyed it all! There's still a few more routes I want to do someday. Thanks for sharing!
I've truly enjoyed watching this video. I've traveled on trains for many years and it seems so strange now to see so few passengers during peak season. I'm sure this journey was unforgettable. I've had a similar experience riding Amtrak with sleeping car accommodations from L.A.-New Orleans on the Sunset Ltd., New Orleans- D.C. on the Crescent, D.C.- Chicago on the Capital, & Chicago-L.A. on the Southwest Chief with 2 or more days layovers in between. You bet I haven't forgotten although it's been over 20 years ago. Amtrak offered community seating in the dining car which would be a welcomed and anticipated event for many travelers. You would have met a lot of interesting folks while eating your meals there pre-COVID-19. Too bad you were finding yourself ordering the same meals. Amtrak once offered menus which were exclusive on each route. But you didn't take this journey for the food, you took it for the experience of seeing the U.S. by rail. You did it! Well done!
Thank you George! I'm glad you enjoyed the video! It was definitely an incredible experience- and a little strange on a mostly empty train. Just a few coach passengers commuting- I only met 1 person doing a full route. I really missed out on the traditional dining and meeting other travelers. But during Covid we all have to make some sacrifices. Tomorrow I am doing 3 more Amtrak routes in a row: Southwest Chief, Lake Shore Limited and the Crescent. I'll make a video of this trip as well. Thank you for your comments and sharing your experience!
@@PhotoBug28 I'll look for your Crescent video .... it's a very interesting trip, albeit much different from much of what you saw in this one.
I plan to take a very similar route soon (but counter-clockwise). I'm calling it the Grand Tour. It will be covering 7 Amtrak Routes, 8,288 miles, 29 states plus DC and about 190.5 hours on the train. I'll be taking the Sunset Limited from Los Angeles to El Paso (where I'll be visiting family for a few days) then continue on the Sunset Limited to New Orleans, the Crescent from New Orleans to Washington DC, the Acela from Washington DC to Boston, the Lake Shore Limited from Boston to Chicago, the Empire Builder from Chicago to Seattle, the Coast Starlight from Seattle to Los Angeles and finally, the Pacific Surfliner from Los Angeles to Santa Ana (which is closer to home).
In 2029, I'll be going to my 50th Anniversary High School Reunion. I'll doing another round trip. This time I'll be going clockwise in sort of a figure-8. It will be covering 6 Amtrak Routes, 7,340 miles, 21 states plus DC and about 159 hours on the train. I'll be taking the Pacific Surfliner from Santa Ana to Los Angeles, the Coast Starlight from Los Angeles to Emeryville, the California Zephyr from Emeryville to Chicago, the Lake Shore Limited from Chicago to New York (with a few days layover in New Jersey for my HS Reunion), the Cardinal from New York to Chicago and finally the Southwest Chief from Chicago to Fullerton, CA.
That is truly an incredible trip! I wish I had done an even longer trip like yours, that reached a little further to the edges of the USA- I would have like to go further to Boston instead of NYC and then maybe take the Auto train down to Miami instead of cutting across to New Orleans. But I wasn't sure if it would be too long for me, but now I know I would be fine with it. This Grand Tour of yours sounds like the trip of a lifetime, as well as your plans for 2029! I really hope it goes well and turns out to be everything you expected. This morning I just came off the Canadian train which was a 4 day ride from Toronto to Vancouver. I'll be posting a new video of this trip soon. Thanks so much for sharing your wonderful Amtrak plans!!
i think I'll bring my own salad greens ;-)) thanks for sharing!!!
You're welcome Miss Eliza! That's a good idea :)
In October I did a 12 day 4600 mile Amtrak trip - Chicago to LA to San Diego to Seattle to Whitefish (Glacier Park) to Chicago and home to Champaign. Had the time of my life! 5 different routes for me!
That sounds amazing! I would love to do 5 routes in a row- I never got bored on this trip, I hope you can do some more Amtrak trips in the future.
@@PhotoBug28 I should be on the City of New Orleans in April TO New Orleans and then back home from Memphis with a river cruise from New Orleans to Memphis.
@@deweyski How fun!!
Wow! Super video my friend, Really enjoyed this! Thank you!!
Thank you so much Stuart!I'm glad you enjoyed the video!
Awesome looking ride Clide..👍😉👍
Thank you so much! Definitely a trip to remember for life!
Steve, Thanks so much for filming these Amtrak nature scenes, I also had a dream of riding all of Amtrak lines, But it looks like your at peace with No passengers due to the COVID and the general people NOT traveling. you make your travels seam so virtual reality, I love traveling by train, I get sick if I fly (:O---*
Kevin N Thank you so much! I’m glad you enjoyed the video. It was very peaceful and relaxing to be traveling in a mostly empty train! So I figured now is a good time to do this since many national parks and tourist attractions are closed- which doesn’t matter if you are on a train 😃
@@PhotoBug28 The lack of passengers was startling to someone who has traveled Amtrak enough to realize the difference. I do think it added considerably to the videography not to have to worry about people in the shot, though .... lots of excellent long views of the viewer and lounge cars ....
@@k.c1126 It was definitely much easier to film around the train without a lot of people in the way! And a lot more people's conversations would be in the video so it was nice to have empty seats around me! Although I enjoy meeting other travelers- so I missed out on that- but not a big deal.
Parts of Montana, especially the stretch from Havre to Wolfpoint reminded me a lot of Nebraska which was surprising for some reason. I just assumed all of Montana was a heavily wooded area. Parts of Minnesota were beautiful. I had never thought about taking that northern route on Amtrak. Thank You for sharing this!
You're very welcome! I agree! The Northern route on the Empire Builder is definitely worth doing. Thanks so much for watching and commenting!
By far the best train trip recorded 😃
Awww, thank you so much Cheryl!
What a lovely way to see the USA! What got me seeing The Wall at the US/Mexico border..and how run down Juarez was.
Amtrak is definitely a wonderful, easy way to see the country! Seeing the border is a little depressing. Juarez is definitely run down- but 8 years ago it was one of the most violent dangerous cities in Mexico. But since the major drug cartels have left the town it's much safer now and even has tourism. Thanks for watching Eileen!
@@PhotoBug28 Thank you so much Steve!
@@eileengrimes9629 You're very welcome Eileen :)
Great video! Looking forward to taking a trip soon.
Thank you so much! I hope you'll get to do an Amtrak trip someday!
Thanks for making the video & sharing. Awesome. We share your love of train travel, and love sharing ours too. *Cheers!*
You're very welcome! I look forward to watching your train journeys as well. It's people like you that inspire us to take these train trips. Thank you!
@@PhotoBug28 Back at'cha! :)
Thank you for sharing. Good choice of music for each section of the country. The food looks good. I have taken the Starlight to Seattle twice and the Zephyr once to Reno. I was wondering what train travel during Covid would be like. The observation car was not packed at all like it was when I traveled by train. Glad you had a fun experience.
Thanks so much Cecilia! The Zephyr and the Coast Starlight are the 2 best Amtrak routes I think. Glad you got to do it! It was nice having a mostly empty train and being able to enjoy the observation car without crowds and noise :)
Being a diehard fan of amtrak, Santafe super chief, video is superb, observatory scenes add zest to the travel shots...good one, nothing like it !!!
Thank you so much! Coming from a diehard Amtrak fan that means a lot. I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Pretty cool trip! Thanks for sharing. I'd like to do something similar someday soon, but not the full Northwest tour...mine would include the California Zephyr to Chicago, so Texas to LA to Oakland, to Chicago and back to Texas.
I'm glad you liked the video! That sounds like a great plan you have in mind- you can see the most scenic routes without doing such a long trip like this- it's probably too long for most people but I loved it!
Anybody who would consider Amtrak for any trip other than just a life-altering challenge is out of their mind. The issues with this mode of travel are far too long to list but standing outside of a locked depot at three in the morning that is located in the seediest area of the city would top my list. And that's just the start of your journey. It usually goes downhill from there. And you are hoping for "high-speed" rails? Good luck with that!
A long distance Amtrak trip definitely doesn't appeal to every kind of traveler. Despite a few minor setbacks and delays I really enjoyed my Amtrak trips. Thanks for offering your perspective!
Muchas gracias por atender mi Pregunta y gracias por compartir este excelente video, con toda la información y esos lindos Paisajes, que Dios lo bendiga Felicidades.
De nada Humberto! Muchs gracias! Estoy muy contento de que hayas visto mi video!
In 2017 I did Miami to DC , DC to Chicago aboard the Cardinal , Chicago to LA on the Southwest Chief, LA to Dallas (Texas Eagle). I didn't stay in hotel until Dallas. I didn't complete the loop as I flew back to Miami. But even that was great as I got a upgrade to first class on a 777 for $69.00. Like I tell people: the train doesn't take you to a vacation, the train is the vacation.
Wow- that must have been an incredible trip! Might be too long for some, but I love cross country Amtrak trips. It's definitely true that the train is the vacation!
@@PhotoBug28 I absolutely want to travel your loop. I'm in Miami so getting to California isn't easy by train. The video was great, keep it up.
Great video real nice music - good job!
Thank you so much Richard!
I enjoyed this. Thanks for sharing. I have been looking for this and wondering how a trip like this would be.
I think I would enjoy it. Thanks Again.
You're welcome! I'm glad you enjoyed it- and thank you for commenting! I hope you can do a train trip like this someday :)
best train ride video....that I've seen. Map inserts great....I like to keep up with where I am, where been, where going.
Thanks so much! I also like to see map inserts during the video to remember exactly where I was. Thank you for watching!
Yup !!! Great trip ... I have been planning this trip for years .. we have done all the sections but never put it to gether .. next year I hope ...
Thanks so much Charles! Glad you were able to do each individual route. Doing one long marathon trip was a great experience!
Watching from Minot, ND. Hey at least it’s a smoke stop 😂
Hahaha! That's right yes :)
Graffiti artists at the beginning: Yo my art got featured! 🤩 *brags about it and gets arrested for it* sorry! Saturday night s***posting! I am quite entertained by this and shall continue watching! Thanks for sharing by the way! Reminds me of the good ol youtube before it became a corporate septic tank...
Hahahaha- Awesome! I've always had an appreciation for graffiti art! I'm glad you liked the video. Its nice to still watch videos without the sponsors, ad breaks and such :)
We have taken this trip three times. You can’t beat the USA for train travel.
That's amazing! I definitely agree :) Thanks for commenting Richard!
So I booked a cheap-seat coach from Cinci - Palm Springs 72 hr trip. on the Texas Eagle/Cardinal, and your video made me wish I had done more, but being my first trip and in coach, I'll see how it goes. Great video and Thank You. Hoping there is not a crapload of people on board because of Amtrak's Covid restrictions.
How fun! 72 hours is still a very long trip! Especially in coach, but I think I would be Ok with a 3 day trip in coach. I hope you have a great time and everything goes smoothly! I don't think it will be very crowded on your train, but it's hard to say in advance. Thank you for watching and commenting!
Thanks for sharing, Well done.
Thank you Caleb! You're welcome
I wanted to go around the country on the Amtrak for years. I'm in my middle 50s . This summer I'm doing to do it.
Hi Peter! Great to hear that you're planning it! Hope it's the trip of a lifetime!
Incredible. Not many other videos capture the Sunset Limited route this well, especially in W. Texas.
Thanks so much! I'm glad you enjoyed the video!
Wow! I have been watching a lot of Amtrak videos over the pandemic and your videography is the best! Beautiful vistas captured, high definition (8k? GoPro?), and very steady. And I'm just 7:10 in to the video!
And I believe at 43:35 or thereabouts is where you crossed the Continental Divide at Marias Pass. Great catch!
Thank you so much for the compliment! This was all filmed on my iPhone 11 Pro Max- which has very good video quality. And maybe 2 shots where I needed a real zoom I used my Canon Powershot SX60 HS. I'm glad you like the video!
@@PhotoBug28 Wow. On an iPhone no less. Some of the best if not the best image quality I have enjoyed on the Amtrak videos. Thanks for the reply Steve. Doug on the North Coast of California
@@sequoiasemperviren3163 You're welcome Doug! I'm very happy with the image quality- and it wasn't even on the highest quality setting! I'm in Southern California near LA- but I would love to retire in Northern California :)
@@PhotoBug28 Yea there's something to be said about a place where there are way more trees than people. :-)
@@sequoiasemperviren3163 Yes, absolutely!
Vicariously traveling through these videos.
Thanks for watching! I do the same thing too :)
FYI...@30:35, the Costco that is seen outside the train is the very first Costco store ever opened. It's Costco store #1, in Seattle. The Store was rebuilt about 15 years ago, but they kept it on the exact same property and kept some of the original store walls inside. It's my local store. Been shopping there for about 25 years.
Really? Very cool! I didn't know that. I love Costco and I shop there all the time. I never looked up to see which one was the original but knew it was in Washington. I'll have to go there for a visit!
@@PhotoBug28 - my wife and young daughter were shopping there on the morning of Feb 28, 2001 and had to ride out a big earthquake (6.8 on richter scale). It did about $2 Billion in damage and sent about 400 people to hospitals. That location is part of Seattle that was originally tide flats. When it was filled in with dirt and built up over the years, that part of town suffered the most severe damage as the ground was so lose compared to other parts of town. They had to dive and take cover under one of the tables in the food court area. Though Costco didn't get hit with as much damage as some of the older buildings in the area, they started planning the new store shortly after the earthquake and it took a few years to build it on that same plot of land. If you ever make in for a shopping trip, you'll be able to see a wall from the old store, along with pics of the opening day back in Feb of 1983. Many show the early founders of Costco, including co-founder, James Sinegal, who ran the company for the first 28 years until retiring 2011. If you don't recall that big quake in Seattle 20 years ago, here's a brief news segment on that day-
ruclips.net/video/LQX6-kqriRY/видео.html
@@dwaynecoy1871 Oh wow, that's a crazy story! Thank God you and your family made it thru the earthquake without getting hurt! I watched the news segment video you linked- definitely a very intense quake! Also that's very interesting history about the rebuilding. It makes me want to see that Costco even more. Thank you so much for sharing this!
@@PhotoBug28 - Thanks Steve, we got off pretty easy, just some minor damage at our house, though a lot of the houses in my neighborhood had their brick chimney collapse. Turns out that I was of town on business when the quake hit in the morning. I was on the other side of Cascades, near Wenatchee and it was strong enough that I actually felt it from over 200 miles away. BTW, I really enjoyed your video. I was attracted to it because of the Coast Starlight segment. I took that train round trip from LA to Seattle way back in the late 80's. It was a comedy of errors and bad luck that resulted in an arrival time that was about 6 hours late for both legs of the trip. Haven't been on a train since. Although, after seeing how your trip went, I'm definitely going to give train travel another chance.
@@dwaynecoy1871 That's very fortunate that you were out of town that morning, and that your neighborhood didn't suffer and real destruction! I'm glad you enjoyed the video- the Coast Starlight was my favorite segment of this trip. Sorry for the huge delays you had on your trip. I had a 7 hour delay on the Texas Eagle and missed my connection in Chicago. I had to push back my other train and hotel reservations and change my flight. These long delays are quite common on these long distance routes. But I would give it another chance and hope that your next trip will go smoother!
On my bucket list
Hope you can do a long distance trip like this someday!
excellent music makes it all work right❤❤❤❤😮❤❤❤❤❤😊❤❤❤
Thank you Juan for watching and commenting! Most people didn't like the music- I had to cut out a lot of the audio because of passenger conversations- and I was limited to RUclips's royalty free music :)
Steve, this is one of the best Amtrak videos I've seen. There was no need for commentary and what are all those complaints about the music? OMG. There is a mute button. I've been on the Coast Starlight and Empire Builder, but I'd love to take a non-stop circle route like you did. Love sitting by the window and watching the countryside go by. Such a relaxed way to travel. Great job!
LOL! I put in different styles of music to appeal to different tastes. I don't see how any of it can be that horrible or annoying. It's not like I put in gangster rap- which would not fit in well with the theme of this video- haha. You're lucky to have been able to travel on some of these routes. Doing a non stop circle route might be too long for most people. But surprisingly I was never bored at any point of the trip. Even seeing farmland and rural towns was interesting because its the opposite of what I see in my city. Thanks Alan for commenting!
The problem with the music is a lot of people are train buffs. They want to hear the train noises. The mute button would kill that as well.
@@natehill8069 I see. On my newer video I left the music out and it's just train sounds. But on this trip there was a loudmouth passenger talking next to me for hours, so I had to cut out a lot of the audio.
@@PhotoBug28 So what we really need is a people-filter. Actually, I am surprised there isnt something like that nowadays (built into cameras); kind of the opposite of what the NSA would use.
@@natehill8069 Yes! That would be such a useful feature on cameras! Hopefully they'll add that feature someday :)
Enjoyed so much! Hoping to take a trip out west by train next year
Glad you enjoyed it Robin! Hope you can get on Amtrak next year!