Departing California

Today is my 63rd birthday, I will be enjoying it by riding the California Zephrye, here's a video if you have 10 minutes to spare,  Calif Zephre video  ,to Salt Lake City.
Brother Craig takes us to the Sacramento train station, for our 11:09 am departure.

Its a beautiful old station, with a mural of the driving of the Golden Spike, the old long benches, chandeliers, beautiful woodwork, very open.

We board the train right on--time. We're beginning to feel like train veterans! A mode of transportation we really enjoy.  California Zephyr route   The coach seats are so far apart you can stretch all the way out, recline you seat like your LazyBoy. Snack bar, dining room, observation cab, fairly clean restrooms, and changing rooms. Try a quick trip as a test.AMTRAK Website

We climb into the beautiful Sierra Nevada mountains. Our first stop is Colfax, Ca. What a cute mountain town. Historical fact: Colfax was the home of President U.S. Grant's Vice President. The main street has the old buildings, renevated, the old train station. There is an antique car show. Towns people walking around, kids riding their bikes..truly Americana.

We climb to an elevation of 11,740 feet. Passed the American River, see the area where they did hydrolic gold mining. We're told back during the Gold Rush the RR had to hire guards to keep the miners from digging out the gravel under the tracks.  We travel parallel with I-80.  Our sister train
NO. 5 goes by us. We get a great view of Emmigrant Gap, where the pioneers had to pull their wagons over the cliffs.
We see the Donner Pass, where the great tradegy of the stranded pioneers leading to cannabilism.

We go thru a two mile tunnel, descending to the Truckee River. Wow, looks great for trout fishing.

 This is a water flume that runs for miles along the Truckee River.

We enter into Verdi, our first community in Nevada. Thought to be the place of the first train robbery of the wild west days.

We continue on through the night till we arrive in Salt Lake City at 3:30 am. Catch and cab to Riverton, UT, Gingers's sister Fran, and husband Bob's home. Quietly we are in bed by 4:30 am