Chelsea AllingerHere it is, the moment a particular subset of you have been waiting for:
A megathread tracking my cross-country round trip from DC to San Francisco via Amtrak!
I’ve been waiting for this moment for the better part of 20 years. 🙂 #AmericaByRail
How does long distance rail travel even work? I’ll take you behind the scenes: the room, the food, the bathroom & shower situation. The perks, hiccups, VIEWS.
I’ve been fortunate to take a number of long train trips (but none this long). It’s a truly unique experience.
When I got to Union Station, I checked my big suitcase. It’ll meet me in California. No extra charge for checking a bag. There was no line (😕More riders plz!). I’m bringing a small carry-on with 3 days worth of clothes.
Per usual, super friendly Amtrak customer service.
I’m staying in a roomette for my journey, which got me access to the Metropolitan Lounge at Union Station. It just got rehabbed this year & it looks great. I snagged some complimentary snacks for the journey ahead and enjoyed a free pop.
When it was time to board, an Amtrak employee led us out a door and directly onto the train platform. Definitely a different experience than the giant Union Station boarding queue for coach seats…
I’m taking this journey for free thanks to Amtrak Guest Rewards points I’ve been hoarding for the better part of a decade. I’ve had an Amtrak credit card for a long time and it is probably the best way to rack up points.
First look at my roomette! The two seats fold down into a bed. That thing by the ceiling is upper bunk. The sleeper car attendant makes up the bed at the time of your choosing. I prefer top bunk, which makes me a bit of an oddball. It’s SO tiny and narrow, but when I get up in the morning, life is easier with seats & floor space — I don’t need to find the attendant to ask him to reset my roomette into seat mode.
Cell signal is getting iffy but we’ll see what else I can share before it drops.
Roomettes make highly efficient use of very limited space.
Exhibit A: wee little closet
Back from the cell phone dead zone, temporarily.
Exhibit B: folding table (also a checker board, though that’s hard to see)
Let’s talk lighting and climate control. The #Amtrak roomette has ceiling lights and reading lights. It has controls for heat and A/C, though how well that works is a gamble. If you adjust “music control,” a disco ball drops from the ceiling and Harry Styles knocks on your door.
Every handful of hours, the train stops at a station for a few extra minutes for a smoke break. Though these days, for most passengers, it’s simply a much-appreciated chance to stretch one’s legs outdoors.
The #Amtrak sleeper car coffee corner is definitely the cutest bit of sleeper car hospitality.
After you’ve had the free coffee, you may need to visit the loo. Here’s a potty tour. The sleeper car bathrooms usually stay in reasonably good shape. The sleeper car attendant (oh they are kept busy!) keeps an eye on them and cleans as needed. Most bathrooms are downstairs. https://twitter.com/allinsea/status/1633648570929668097?s=46&t=muUjyrONDo1UuteMwfYrhw
The bathroom-to-roomette ratio is really good.
Anyway, here’s the walk back upstairs, where most of the roomettes are, to give you a sense of how the sleeper car is laid out. Sorry to send you to the bird site but it’s easier for videos. https://twitter.com/allinsea/status/1633649711365144577?s=46&t=muUjyrONDo1UuteMwfYrhw
Latergram from earlier today: Good morning from this 🔥 sunrise and the central time zone!
Sleeper cars have a shower with a changing area. #Amtrak provides towels, which you drop in a laundry bag after use. They also offer bars of soap. The water is HOT. And you get the thrill of showering while balancing on a moving train.
Two logistical issues I’ve run into: the towels/laundry bag take up a lot of space, leaving changing area cramped. And the shower always splashed onto the changing area floor. I wipe the floor with a towel to spare whoever uses it next from puddles.
Chicago’s Union Station has a sleeper car passenger lounge that also has showers. It’s been about 5 years since I’ve used one but I recall them being huge, private, and spotlessly clean. You have to check in at the lounge desk to get shower access. More on the lounge in a bit!
This morning: Rolling into Chicago’s Union Station 20-30 minutes ahead of schedule! That’s the best of #AmericaByRail.
Hello from Chicago! Dropped my suitcase in the storage room attached to the Metropolitan Lounge and headed out into the city. The five hour layover is great — located right downtown, you’re walking distance to fun stuff, including the lake if one so desires! #AmericaByRail
Five hours later: she’s back on the train, folks, and she found winter somewhere in Illinois. I’ll be on the California Zephyr for the next 48 hours. Everything west of Denver will be new territory for me and, oh, I cannot wait!
I thought I’d spend my 5-hour Chicago layover today working from the Metropolitan Lounge. It’s big, comfy, free snacks & coffee. Then I realized there was a WeWork next door w those amenities plus better wifi. So I’ve got no lounge photos, but here’s the WeWork view! #latergram
4:45pm: Hello from Galesburg, Illinois! Took advantage of a 5-minute break to get my feet wet in my snow-inappropriate footwear. We’re heading onward in the glorious Zephyr, with six passenger cars, a baggage car, and the engine. #Amtrak
Crossing the Mississippi River into Iowa! The bridge is partially hidden beneath snowy fog.
6:50 pm: Hello from Ottumwa, Iowa! Land of eerie train platform mood lighting.
I took the chance for some fresh air as though that would alleviate my very full belly after eating a huge dinner.
Speaking of dinner…who is ready to learn about the food & dining situation?
Good morning from gorgeous-if-cloudy Denver! My #Amtrak train got here 20 minutes early, at about 6:45am, which gave me about an hour to walk around before we headed onward. Shout out to Amante Coffee for being the only spot open this early and making an amazing dirty chai.
Y’all, this got to be too much for Mastodon — my posts after Denver are heavily video-based. I shared so many breathtaking landscapes (and deets on #Amtrak train food) but I’m afraid Twitter is the spot to see them. Pick up the thread here: https://twitter.com/allinsea/status/1634209063146860545?s=46&t=CsxU5kBstIhWNSfGdqbnMw
Endless Mike 
@allinsea That's a really pretty station!
it's B! Cavello 🐝@allinsea this thread is great! I’d really appreciate if you would add image descriptions. I try not to boost images without them, but I really would like to share this!