52 Hours, 7 States, 5 Friends

By Hannah Parsons (Rutgers University, New Brunswick)

For our end-of-year trip, we decided to travel sustainably and take the train across the United States from Chicago to San Francisco. We travelled on Amtrak’s California Zephyr, which makes 35 stops along the way. We knew this would be the best way to see as much of the country as possible, without taking multiple flights, making it a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Although each stop was short and sweet, we were able to see a huge variety of landscapes, all from the window of the train.

The First Stop – Chicago Union Station

After a short flight from Newark to Chicago, we spent two nights on foot and using the public transport around Chicago. It was an amazing city with an incredible food scene. Notable places were the Chocolate Cake Milkshake from Portillo’s and Deep Dish Pizza from Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria. We got as many steps in as possible, as soon we would be sitting on a train for three days.

Our train was the 2pm departure from Chicago Union Station, which was taking us all the way to Emeryville, California.

The Train Journey

We were sitting in coach class, and, to our surprise, it was really full! Not everyone was travelling the entire route, but many of the people around us were also taking the California Zephyr as their own once-in-a-lifetime trip. Our seats did not lie flat, but they reclined enough to get some sleep – although you were definitely close to the person sitting next to you! Each seat had a charger, a large window, a curtain and a footrest. There was no Wi-Fi on board, so we had to bring our own entertainment for the journey, whether that was downloaded films, books or simply taking in the views from the window. We also brought our own snacks; there was a café cart that sold essentials, and a dining room but they were paid extras!

I spent most of my time looking out of the window. There was so much I had never seen before, from huge mountains to vast open landscapes, and I loved watching the scenery change as we travelled across the United States.

Downstairs, there were toilets and plenty of luggage storage for larger bags, but unfortunately, no showers!

Notable Stops and Views

It was hard to select a favourite part of the journey, as every view was so unique and different from the last. If I had to select some they would be:

Watching the sunrise as we arrived in Denver, Colorado.
Travelling through the Rockies between Denver and Grand Junction, which was a highlight for many travellers on board.
Seeing the temples in Salt Lake City and Provo light up the night.
Seeing Donner Pass, something I learnt about from the train conductor during the journey.
Having longer stretch breaks in Denver, where I managed to grab a coffee, and Salt Lake City.
Seeing members of the Amish community travelling by train, which made me reflect on the different ways people can choose to travel and live more sustainably.

This Sign was our signal that we were nearly in San Francisco!

Thoughts

Travelling by train also made me think more about sustainability and how we choose to travel. Although the journey took much longer than flying, it allowed us to experience so much more of the country along the way. Instead of simply arriving at our destination, the journey itself became a huge part of the experience. It was truly marvellous to travel such a vast distance by train and watch the landscape transform from cityscapes to open plains, mountains and deserts, all from the same window. The scale of the United States became much more apparent when we were travelling through it rather than flying over it.

Choosing the train also meant avoiding multiple flights, making our journey a more sustainable alternative to travelling between different parts of the country by air. It made me realise that sustainable travel can be about more than simply reducing the environmental impact of a journey – it can also encourage us to slow down, appreciate our surroundings and experience places in a completely different way.

We were able to see parts of America that we would have otherwise flown over, making the journey feel just as important as the destinations themselves. For me, this made the California Zephyr more than just a way of getting from Chicago to San Francisco – it became one of the most memorable parts of my entire study abroad experience and a great bonding experience for me and my friends.