American Circle Train Trip

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American Circle Train Trip Sarah McCabe
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Day 7
Friday, April 1, 2022 at 11:30 AM
⛅ 41 °F
Altitude: 6,578 ft
United States Coal Creek Canyon 39.87333, -105.27539°52’24” N 105°16’30” W
11:30 am Friday: Climbing the Rockies
April 1, 2022 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 41 °F
Denver was a mile high in elevation, but I never really felt like we had climbed from Chicago, since it was so gradual. Now we are gaining another 4,000 ft in a very short time. This feels like a climb.Read more
TravelerDid Frances / Cliff join you in Denver?
4/1/22Reply
Sarah McCabeyes they did!
4/1/22Reply
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American Circle Train Trip Sarah McCabe
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Day 7
Friday, April 1, 2022 at 12:30 PM
⛅ 32 °F
Altitude: 8,606 ft
United States Fraser 39.94, -105.8133339°56’24” N 105°48’48” W
12:30 pm Friday: Descending the Rockies
April 1, 2022 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 32 °F
We crossed The Continental Divide and are now descending. It's much snowier on the western side of the Rockies. I have no idea if that's always the case but it seems to be true right now.
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American Circle Train Trip Sarah McCabe
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Day 7
Friday, April 1, 2022 at 1:00 PM
⛅ 36 °F
Altitude: 7,835 ft
United States Drowsy Water Creek 40.10167, -106.0233340°6’6” N 106°1’24” W
1 pm Friday: Lunch with strangers
April 1, 2022 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 36 °F
This train is so much more full than any of the other ones I've been on. Every table is completely full at every meal in the dining car. Only sleeping car passengers can eat in the dining room right now, but there are three full sleeping cars on this train. I think the other trains I was on only had two and they weren't all full.

Frances ate lunch early, so Cliff and I shared a table with a nice couple from Mexico.Read more
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American Circle Train Trip Sarah McCabe
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Day 7
Friday, April 1, 2022 at 2:00 PM
☀️ 43 °F
Altitude: 7,375 ft
United States Beaver Dam Gulch 40.04167, -106.43540°2’30” N 106°26’6” W
2 pm Friday: Wow-worthy scenery
April 1, 2022 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 43 °F
The scenery is so spectacular that even the clouds spell out "WOW.". The Colorado River traces its way through a canyon, and we are tracing our way along with it.
That is cool [Greg]
4/2/22Reply
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American Circle Train Trip Sarah McCabe
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Day 7
Friday, April 1, 2022 at 2:51 PM
☀️ 46 °F
Altitude: 6,614 ft
United States Tepee Creek 39.89833, -106.80539°53’54” N 106°48’18” W
3 pm Friday: Stunning Scenery
April 1, 2022 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 46 °F
The scenery was amazingly stunning as we follow the Colorado River. Unfortunately I just couldn't get great pictures so you'll have to trust me.
The pictures are wonderful and paul and I have really enjoyed taking the trip with you ! Lynn [Lynn]
4/1/22Reply
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American Circle Train Trip Sarah McCabe
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Day 7
Friday, April 1, 2022 at 4:00 PM
☀️ 54 °F
Altitude: 6,703 ft
United States Paradise Creek 39.56333, -107.39539°33’48” N 107°23’42” W
4 pm Friday: Strangers on a Train
April 1, 2022 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 54 °F
I met these strangers on the train.
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American Circle Train Trip Sarah McCabe
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Day 7
Friday, April 1, 2022 at 5:00 PM
☀️ 55 °F
Altitude: 5,453 ft
United States Lower Cactus Valley Ditch 39.545, -107.64539°32’42” N 107°38’42” W
5 pm Friday: Pre-dinner libations
April 1, 2022 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 55 °F
Since we had two whiskeys we had to do side by side taste tests. Maybe we started a bit early.
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American Circle Train Trip Sarah McCabe
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Day 7
Friday, April 1, 2022 at 7:00 PM
⛅ 61 °F
Altitude: 4,495 ft
United States Big Salt Wash 39.16667, -108.7583339°10’0” N 108°45’30” W
7 pm Friday: Surf and Turf Dinner
April 1, 2022 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 61 °F
I decided My last dinner on the train should be the Amtrak standard.
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American Circle Train Trip Sarah McCabe
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Day 8
Saturday, April 2, 2022 at 6:00 AM
⛅ 32 °F
Altitude: 5,069 ft
United States Humboldt River 40.835, -115.7483340°50’6” N 115°44’54” W
6 am Saturday: Sunrise in Elko, NV
April 2, 2022 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 32 °F
Woke up when we stopped in Elko and the sky was just turning pink.

Lost even more time during the night. Evidently we got stuck behind a slow freight train. So now we are running about 3 hours late. There is no way we'll make our connection in Emeryville, but there is another train that leaves Emeryville 4 hours after our scheduled train. So as long as we stay under 4 hours late we'll still make a connection.Read more
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American Circle Train Trip Sarah McCabe
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Day 8
Saturday, April 2, 2022 at 7:00 AM
☀️ 37 °F
Altitude: 4,849 ft
United States Palisade 40.62167, -116.1816740°37’18” N 116°10’54” W
7 am Saturday: Last Shower on Train
April 2, 2022 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 37 °F
I had to experience one more slip slidy shower. I took this picture out the lower door while I was waiting for it to free up.
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American Circle Train Trip Sarah McCabe
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Day 8
Saturday, April 2, 2022 at 8:00 AM
☀️ 41 °F
Altitude: 4,406 ft
United States Golconda Hot Springs 40.95738, -117.4914240°57’27” N 117°29’29” W
8 am Saturday: Breakfast on the Plains
April 2, 2022 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 41 °F
We are on the high plans of Nevada with the snow capped mountains in the distance. Quite picturesque but it looks cold outside.

I forgot to take a picture of breakfast, but I had exactly what I had the day before so you can just look at that picture.

Frances got up early and ate breakfast by herself so Cliff and I ended up eating with a nice couple from Roanoke, VA.Read more
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American Circle Train Trip Sarah McCabe
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Day 8
Saturday, April 2, 2022 at 9:10 AM
☀️ 46 °F
Altitude: 4,341 ft
United States Nixon Park 40.96833, -117.7333340°58’6” N 117°43’60” W
9 am Saturday: Winnemucca, NV
April 2, 2022 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 46 °F
This is less a station and more a glorified bus stop. The platform is kind of short and our train is kind of long so we actually had to make two stops at this terminal. Fortunately the sleeper cars were at the end of the platform on the first stop and at the beginning of the platform on the second stop so we had access to and from our car for the duration of this visit.

You can sort of see Francis waving out her window at us.Read more
Did she make it home? Did the train go off a cliff? Tune in later for the dramatic conclusion. [Greg]
4/2/22Reply
I see you are in Reno, about 4 hours late. Just a little extra time to enjoy the trip. I wonder if "the mothball fleet" is still around. I think it was near Suisun City but that that was 35+ years ago. [Greg]
4/2/22Reply
TravelerAnd you got a good walk.. essentially the length of the train from the front to your sleeper, I'm guessing.
4/2/22Reply
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American Circle Train Trip Sarah McCabe
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Day 8
Saturday, April 2, 2022 at 11:30 AM
⛅ 57 °F
Altitude: 4,127 ft
United States Gilpin 39.60333, -119.3216739°36’12” N 119°19’18” W
11:30 am Saturday: Following the Truckee
April 2, 2022 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 57 °F
We have picked up the Truckee River and we will follow this for quite a ways. At this end of the river it is pretty tiny, more like a large creek.

Occasionally we can see snow capped mountains in the far distance. I'm pretty sure those are the Sierra Nevadas.

We keep crossing over and back across the river so I keep switching back and forth across observation car so I can always be looking out at the river.Read more
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American Circle Train Trip Sarah McCabe
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Day 8
Saturday, April 2, 2022 at 12:30 PM
☀️ 59 °F
Altitude: 4,511 ft
United States Reno 39.52833, -119.8116739°31’42” N 119°48’42” W
12:30 pm Saturday: Reno & Kids & Dogs
April 2, 2022 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 59 °F
The Reno platform is actually one story below street level. The waiting room at platform level is actually kind of charming considering it's basically in a basement.

Right before we hit the station, this cute little poodle was sitting next to me in the observation car. Then at the station, there was a guy getting off with his dog,. The guy had so much stuff that he couldn't carry the dog leash, so the dog just walked himself next to the guy.

We were informed that they were loading 52 children onto the train at Reno. I'm guessing that the observation car is going to be full of children very soon.

We also added a new engineer at Reno and I snapped a picture of him, our sleeping car attendant, and one of the conductors.Read more
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American Circle Train Trip Sarah McCabe
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Day 8
Saturday, April 2, 2022 at 1:00 PM
☀️ 57 °F
Altitude: 5,738 ft
United States Trout Creek 39.33333, -120.1639°19’60” N 120°9’36” W
1 pm Saturday: Lunch by the Truckee
April 2, 2022 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 57 °F
I went whole hog and got bacon on my burger for my last lunch on the train.
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American Circle Train Trip Sarah McCabe
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Day 8
Saturday, April 2, 2022 at 1:30 PM
⛅ 57 °F
Altitude: 6,460 ft
United States Andover 39.31333, -120.2433339°18’48” N 120°14’36” W
1:30 pm Saturday: Donner Lake
April 2, 2022 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 57 °F
We went right by Donner Lake where the Donner party ate it, so to speak.

There was evidently a bald eagle nest in this area but even though the conductor was trying to point it out I never saw it.

Another thing I never saw, but Cliff and Frances did, was a snowman by the side of the tracks. Yesterday the California Zephyr was stopped here for a traffic delay, so the engineers got off and built a snowman. Frances said it looks like a snow lump today, not a snowman. The eyes and nose and buttons were all made out of cookies so they were long gone.Read more
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American Circle Train Trip Sarah McCabe
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Day 8
Saturday, April 2, 2022 at 3:00 PM
⛅ 64 °F
Altitude: 3,734 ft
United States Blue Canyon 39.20167, -120.7639°12’6” N 120°45’36” W
3 pm Saturday: American River Canyon
April 2, 2022 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 64 °F
Amazing scenery. Truly amazing!
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American Circle Train Trip Sarah McCabe
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Day 8
Saturday, April 2, 2022 at 7:00 PM
⛅ 64 °F
Altitude: 10 ft
United States Emeryville 37.84046, -122.2917537°50’26” N 122°17’30” W
7 pm Saturday: Last Stop Emeryville
April 2, 2022 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 64 °F
We skirted the bay and finally arrived at Emeryville.
Hurrah Home Coming for Sarah!!! Thanks for the great account of your Amtrak trip!!! Love Anne and RIchard [anne]
4/2/22Reply
What a nice armchair train trip you provided for us, thanks. [Greg]
4/3/22Reply
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Trip end
April 2, 2022