There and Not-Quite-Back Again.

A Cross-Country Amtrak Photo Essay

A few weeks ago, I rode the entirety of the California Zephyr Amtrak line.

The trip from Chicago to San Francisco lasts three days, and the train runs through some of the most spectacular natural beauty in the Western United States.

Here are a few views captured from my spacious coach seat window.

1. Long Drive
   
   After an early-morning stop at Denver’s Union Station, we started a long climb up and into the Rocky Mountains. I caught this solitary pickup driving a stretch of highway as the train tracks weave along this particularly stunning stretch of the Colorado River.

   

2. Amtrak Postcard Department, Hit Me Up
   
   When the Amtrak Superliner traverses one of many winding bends along the Zephyr route, you’re able to catch a glimpse of the engine pulling everyone along.
   

   

3. Moehn Brewing
   
   One of our first stops was Burlington, Iowa. The small city along the Mississippi River bank has a surprising density of old brick buildings. I wish I had time to walk around the historic core, but this shot of a dilapidated brewery is good enough.

   

4. Looking Up
   
   Long train rides, similar to road trips, offer a terrific awareness of the country’s incredible scale. Looking up at silhouetted mountains, that feeling is strongest.

   

5. Home on the Range
   
   After the dynamic peaks of the rockies, we crossed into Utah, where the sloping rock formations feel a bit more laid back. The observation car emptied out, and I listened to some William Tyler to enjoy a restful afternoon.

   

6. Sweet Factory

   Arriving in the Bay Area, there’s a lot of incredible natural scenery. While we passed through mountains, vineyards, and sea foam, this C & H sugar factory caught my eye. Perhaps it’s my Rust Belt upbringing, or an urbanist appreciation for massive infrastructure, but I really do love these old factories.

   

7. Making Friends
   
   Much of the journey follows the Colorado River, and passes through more touristy areas of Colorado. One particularly infamous stretch of the waterway is nicknamed “Moon River” for a reason I’ll leave you to speculate on.
   
   As I made conversation with strangers in the lounge car, we waved to fellow travelers in the river below us. Most of the time, we were greeted with a similar hand wave. Most of the time.

   

8. Roadside
   

   The Nevada desert can be cold, too.

   

9. America Keeps Moving
   
   At roughly 2,500 miles, the Zephyr is Amtrak’s longest daily route. It’s a big, big country, and it takes a lot to keep things running.
   
   A FedEx park in rural Utah is a good reminder of that. (And also a good reminder that cargo rail in the U.S. is sorely in need of improvements.)

   

10. Grand Junction
    
    Italian Renaissance architecture composes this old depo in Grand Junction, CO. The structure is no longer be in use, but its ornate windows and bright roofing are a reminder of how glamorous rail travel used to be, and active plans from a preservation committee might mean a glamorous future, too.

    

11. Left For Dead

    
    I wonder how it got there.

    

12. M-A-L-C-O-L-M

    
    Traveling through places, you only see a single moment in time.

    
    In some places, you may only see abandoned buildings or depopulated downtowns right now, but that doesn’t encapsulate the whole of the place.
    
    It takes living somewhere, caring about it holistically, to understand a vibrant history and to know its true character.
    
    Visible construction reminds me that places are constantly evolving. It demonstrates the active role people take in changing their surroundings. Not every construction project is a beacon of the future, but it’s a reminder that we all play a part in making sense of our spaces.

    

13. Outside of Town

    
    The Sacramento skyline, from not-too-far away.

    

14. A Long Way From Home

    
    I took this from the rear car as we pulled into the station in Emeryville, CA.
    

    It’s funny. After almost 3 full days on the train, I wasn’t sure what to do when I stepped off the platform. I spent 60 hours living between the cafe car and my coach seat, talking to people of all ages and backgrounds, making fond acquaintances, only stopping for a fresh air break every 3 hours or so.
    
    Looking out the back of the train, the tracks I traveled are a physical reminder that the path we choose for ourselves shapes the person we become.
    
    If you have the opportunity, I would highly recommend the California Zephyr.
    

    It’s a path worth traveling.

    
    This photo essay was shortened to fit email requirements. To view an extended photo gallery, visit the full post archive here.