2017 TRAVEL GUIDE TO
californiatravelguide.travel
18
COMPELLING STARTING POINTS
14
To Make the Most of Your Trip
To Discover and Explore
+
$6.95
DISPLAY UNTIL JUNE 15, 2017
EXQUISITE CUISINE
DRAMATIC LANDSCAPES CULTURAL CAPITALS ICONIC PARKS GRAND RAIL JOURNEYS TOP GOLF COURSES LEGENDARY THEME PARKS HIKE BIKE SKI SURF! AND MUCH MORE
Farm to Fork, Vineyard to Wine Glass
RAILWAY JOURNEYS
BY JEFF GREENWALD & LAURIE WEED
All Aboard! Climb on for panoramic views and a blast of nostalgia
with train robbery reenactment) or take the whole family along for a BBQ and campfire sing-along, you’re sure to find at least one train ride that shakes your caboose.
Amtrak Adventures The gold standard of California rail trips is arguably Amtrak’s Coast Starlight. Before crossing the border into Oregon, northbound passengers experience the full spectrum of California’s greatest hits. Whether you board at Los Angeles’ Union
AMTRAK Founded in 1971 to provide intercity passenger train service across the country, Amtrak serves 46 of the 50 states and three Canadian provinces on 21,000 miles (34,000 km) of track. Passengers enjoy themselves in the lounge car, above; the Pacific Surfliner crosses the Gaviota railroad trestle above Gaviota Creek in Santa Barbara County, above right.
44 2 017
T R AV E L G U I D E T O C A L I F O R N I A
Can you hear that whistle blow? His-
you’ll pass snow-capped peaks, gorgeous
toric, romantic, immortalized in legend
forests and shimmering shorelines. The
and song, a train journey goes beyond mere
full trip, from Los Angeles to Seattle (or
transportation—it’s an experience, one that
reverse), takes 35 hours.
recalls the Golden Age of travel. With the
But accolades for the “most beautiful
historic completion of the first transconti-
train trip in North America” are lavished on
nental rail line in 1876, travelers could
Amtrak’s California Zephyr, a 51-hour
st
suddenly reach the 31 state from the East
adventure linking the Bay Area with
Coast in a seemingly magical four days—a
Chicago. The daily departure boards in
journey that previously took many perilous
Emeryville (right across the bay from San
weeks, even months, to complete. Cali-
Francisco) and crosses two mountain
fornia’s fame and fortune were built on
ranges—the Sierra Nevada to Reno, and the
those long lines of track, some would say,
Rockies to Denver—with unparalleled
and Californians still love their trains—not
vistas. You can also disembark at Truckee to
just for nostalgic reasons. There’s no better
explore Lake Tahoe, a stress-and-traffic-free
way to view the state’s magnificently
alternative to crawling over the summit in
diverse landscapes, from breathtaking
your own vehicle. If you’re drawn to a
coastal bluffs lapped by Pacific surf to red-
desert crossing, Amtrak’s Southwest Chief
wood forests, vast shimmering deserts,
connects LA with Chicago via the Mojave.
alpine lakes and towering mountain peaks.
The Sunset Limited/Texas Eagle—Amtrak’s
Whether you prefer to sip fine Napa
most southern route—joins LA with New
wines in a luxuriously restored Pullman
Orleans and Chicago via Tucson, San
car, ride the rails Old West-style (complete
Antonio and Houston.
AMTRAK; MARK WEBER
Station or Oakland’s Jack London Square,
RAILWAY JOURNEYS THE NAPA VALLEY WINE TRAIN south of Yountville, right; Indian Springs Resort & Spa, Calistoga, opposite.
Three other popular California train routes are operated by Amtrak, all of which offer free Wi-Fi service. The Capital Corridor, beloved by business commuters, runs from San Jose to Auburn (via Sacra-
train schedule and popular special events,
Second Childhood
mento), crossing the state’s agricultural
please visit the website (see sidebar).
Speaking of super-short train rides, a peren-
Central Valley. The much more scenic
Departing from Woodland, the family-
nial favorite is the Redwood Valley Railway
Pacific Surfliner, a six-hour run that skirts
run, family-friendly Sacramento RiverTrain
in Tilden Park, Berkeley, which is open on
the Pacific, joins San Luis Obispo and San
rolls leisurely through Yolo County on two-
weekends year-round. The 12-minute ride—
Diego (via Santa Barbara and Los Angeles).
to three-hour themed trips. In addition to
with hand-built steam locomotives pulling
Travelers can arrange trips to Yosemite via
offering wine, beer, food and live music on
open-bed flatcars—chugs through rustic
the San Joaquins line to Fresno or Merced,
some routes, there are several specialty rides,
tunnels and around wooded curves, with
where a waiting bus will ferry them to the
including Great Train Robberies, Beer Trains
(season permitting) panoramic views of San
national park. The San Joaquins trains run
and Murder Mysteries. Another option is the
Francisco Bay. Tickets are $3, a five-ride
between either the San Francisco Bay Area
Sierra Dinner Train, which runs on one of
ticket only $12, and children under two ride
or Sacramento and Fresno/Bakersfield.
several rail lines built in the late 19th century
free. It’s a real family experience—even dogs
to link the Gold Country with the Central
are welcome!
Valley. Today, the excursion “provides visi-
Until 1930, tourists visiting Mt. Tamal-
tors an opportunity to travel on the historic
pais—the Bay Area’s signature 2,574-foot
Sierra Railroad while enjoying a delicious
peak—could board the Mt. Tamalpais &
meal, beautiful countryside and a wide range
Muir Woods Railway: “The Crookedest Rail-
of entertainment.” Passengers board in Oak-
road in the World.” Though, sadly, that line
dale, 90 miles east of San Francisco (70 miles
was dismantled, there are still plenty of
south of Sacramento). Both the Sacramento
unusual
steam-and-theme
» CATCH A TRAIN! Amtrak amtrak.com
excursions
River and Sierra lines also offer Zombie Train
available to the 21st-century traveler. These
experiences: “One part passenger train, one
include Mendocino’s irresistible Skunk
part zombie killing machine.” Just sayin’.
Skunk Train skunktrain.com
Bragg, the Skunk navigates some 30
Historic Revivals
Napa Valley Wine Train winetrain.com
bridges, trestles and tunnels on its 40-mile
A variety of shorter train rides lace through the
journey between Fort Bragg and Willits. Fol-
California landscape, recreating (more or less)
lowing an old redwood lumber delivery
a taste of what travel was like for settlers of the
route, it’s said to be one of the “Ten most
1800s. Santa Cruz’s popular Roaring Camp
scenic train rides” in North America.
Railroad offers a Beach Train from Felton to the
Train. Starting at the coastal town of Fort
Book your tickets early for the popular
Santa Cruz shore, or a steam train into the Bear
Napa Valley Wine Train, with three-hour
Mountain redwood forests. With several trips
round trips in “meticulously restored rail
daily plus a regular “Moonlight Special,” which
cars” between Napa and St. Helena in Cali-
includes a BBQ and campfire sing-along, the
fornia’s wine country. Enjoy a la carte or
narrow-gauge Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine
gourmet dining, depending on your class of
Railroad recalls the days when logs harvested
ticket. Lunch trains run daily, with winery
in the Sierras were delivered to the fast-
tours available. For their frequent dinner
growing settlements in the Central Valley.
46 2 01 7
T R AV E L G U I D E T O C A L I F O R N I A
Sacramento RiverTrain sacramentorivertrain.com Sierra Railroad: Oakdale sierrarailroad.com Roaring Camp Railroad roaringcamp.com Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad ymsprr.com Redwood Valley Railway redwoodvalleyrailway.com
DREW JACKSICH/CREATIVE COMMONS/FLICKR. OPPOSITE: CALISTOGA CVB
Excursion Favorites