Posted by It’s weird when something you’ve wanted to do your whole life is almost over. Quite honestly, I was having such a nice time on the train that I didn’t want to disembark. There is something very attractive about not having to do anything, and having the options you do have limited to what one can do on a train. When you arrive at a destination, there is almost this self-inflicted pressure to see all that you can in the time that you have. When part of your vacation is on a train with your own room, you can choose to stay there for some quiet, go to the observation car for views, drinks and the chance to meet people, or venture to the cafe for a snack. Then there’s the dining car for 3 solid meals per day. If all you do is stay in your room and read, write, play a game, listen to music, all while watching America race by, well that’s not a bad day. I love visiting amazing destinations like my upcoming stay in San Francisco… but then there’s the stress of what to wear, how to get to places, did I forget anything, how much time will this or that take, etc. On a train, your options are very nice, but very simple, and thus your brain can almost go into hibernation. I was enjoying that feeling very much.
I woke up on the last leg of our train journey to view the minimalist landscapes of northern Nevada. While vastly different from the lush green Northeast, there was a tranquil simplicity to the dry, shrub-laden foreground with mountains capturing the sunshine setting the glorious backdrop. Our last stop in The Silver State was Reno, which I quickly too a photo of as well.
As soon as we crossed into California, the landscape completely changed. This was a common theme upon leaving Denver. After nearly 24 hours of flat farmland, witnessing the landscape change in a matter of minutes was not uncommon here. Having never traversed this part of the country at the ground level, this was perhaps my greatest fascination.
And it wasn’t just the landscape… the climate difference in a short distance was absolutely astounding. As we rolled through Sacramento, the temperature on my Apple Watch registered a scorching 96 degrees. But when we arrived in San Francisco, under 90 miles away, the temperature was 20 degrees less.
Finally, we arrived in Emeryville California, where buses lined up to take us the final leg to downtown San Francisco.
Upon setting foot in downtown San Francisco, I said goodbye to my new friend Jeremiah, unfolded my little Dahon bike, secured my suitcase to the rear rack with MODL Infinity Tool straps (a must have for any true traveler!), and headed for the Handerly Union Square Hotel, which I would highly recommend. I paid $140 for the night in the heart of the city and enjoyed a clean comfortable room.
My train trip was absolutely amazing. I could not have imagined a better and more relaxing way to experience the diverse US landscape. But now it was time to experience the city that I had been dreaming of visiting since I was little. I could not wait to meet San Francisco.