California Choo-Choo and LOCO-motion.

At 3:45 in the morning the Super Shuttle came to bring me back to Denver International. I found Denver's Union Station in time to catch the 8:05 "all aboard" call for the California Zephyr.
I would be on this train for 38 hours. For those of you who have never rode Amtrak here are some general truths:














Cowboy Larry will, finally, get off at Winnemucca, UT and go back to his cattle ranch. (This is us in the "bar car")


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There are two general types of riders: octogenarians and schizophrenics (and often this overlaps). Possibly the best thing about a moving train are geriatrics trying to move about it. The elderly look like al dente noodles, wiggling about-- in how they walk and in their fingers and skin. A chorus of Andy Rooneys can be heard at all hours. Notable quotes: "That mountain used to a whole lot bigger " and "Children shouldn't be allowed on trains, it's too dangerous." At each stop the Octo's rush to the Observation Car; peering out, they safely gawk at those of us who step off for a smoke.

One must accept this fact, you are going to be on the train for a long, long time-- the train goes 35 mph most of the time. Make friends and take NyQuil. As people begin to realize the gravity of a 38 hour train ride everyone is interested in some companionship and colloquy. I remarked to myself how comfortable I became. I watched the Rockies rise green and lush then crumble in to the desert. At night the rolling of the train and the darkness of Utah outside the window put me to sleep. I woke up in Reno and had some lunch in the Dinner Car. I ate while over looking Lake Tahoe. Hours and many new friends later I arrived in San Francisco.