Wit the bike tour done, it was time to catch the train back to the Bay Area. For that, Amtrak runs the Coast Starlight, a daily train from Los Angeles to Seattle. This would be a fun trip.
For a bicycle tourist, the first great thing about the Coast Starlight is the trainside bicycle pickup. For $20, you can load your bike directly onto the baggage car, without having to disassemble or box it. When you get to your destination, just go back up to the luggage car and they’ll get it back to you. There are a limited number of bike spots, so you might need to book early to reserve one, but I was able to get one booking the the day before. YMMV.
First of all, the train station in Los Angeles was really interesting. Combining the grandiose 1930s Art Deco style with old Spanish Pueblo appearance was very unique.
Getting on the train, I was surprised to find that all of the passenger cars were double-decker, with the main passenger seating on the higher deck, with washrooms and lounges on the bottom deck. The higher seating made for better views as we pulled north out of LA and into the desert behind the Santa Monica mountains.
The train was fully-equipped with a dining car, observation car, and many sleeper cars for folks making the longer journey to points north of the Bay Area. It really seemed like one of the fancy trains of yore!
The train came out from behind the mountains, eventually making its way out to the coast. The views were stunning, and I had lucked out by getting a window seat on the ocean side of the train!
After a brief stopover in Santa Barbara, the train took back to the coast for even more beautiful views. Soon it was time for lunch, and I had a chance to sample the food in the dining car with my rowmate, who was also heading to San Jose. The food was delicious, reasonably-priced, and the windows in the dining car allowed for even better views of the passing coastline.
We continued on the coast until heading a bit inland to travel through Vandenberg Air Force Base and clear sight of the SpaceX launch pad.
Soon we arrived in San Luis Obispo, before heading up into the mountains. Here it became clear why the train has been equipped with two locomotives. The track was steep and featured several tunnels as we made our way up the Cuesta Pass.
Most of the trip past Paso Robles was along the miles and miles of farmer’s fields all the way up to Salinas as the sun was going down. A short trip through the hills into Silicon Valley brought us into the San Jose suburbs, and eventually to Diridon station, where my time on the Coast Starlight came to an end.
Overall the Coast Starlight was amazing. The comfort and classiness of the train, combined withe the beautiful coast views and food made for a great trip. I’d definitely recommend it to anyone who loves the train, or wants to explore California without a car or motorcycle in comfort.