The Plan, In Too Much Detail

Amtrak Adventure 3/31 (about October 2nd, 2021)

Oct 03, 2021

Since I published our initial plan, many people have reached out with something along the lines of “I’d love to meet up! Are you coming through my town?”

Yesterday, while riding through the mountains and plains of Montana and North Dakota, I compiled a list of all our planned stops. It’s included below; hopefully this can help to answer those questions once and for all!

The train’s going great so far. We acclimated pretty much instantly, and it’s much more comfortable and generally enjoyable than we expected!

The only issue we’ve encountered is that coach-riding plebeians like us aren’t allowed to eat in the dining car, so we have to subsist on our snack stash until Chicago.

our (surprisingly comfy) home until Sunday

We thought it’d be difficult to sleep at night in coach. Turns out, the hard part is actually not falling asleep in the dark, quiet evenings! We resisted for a bit, but ended up going to bed around 10 PM—two hours earlier than normal.

We spend most of our time sitting in the lounge car, which was attached to our train around midnight in Spokane. Waking up early enabled us to claim two prize seats right next to a big window!

our personal lounge car window, where I’m writing this

In the background of that picture, you can see the plains of Eastern Montana. That was one of the two landscape themes we saw all day yesterday.

The other was the mountains and rivers of Glacier National Park, which our train went directly through during golden hour! We got some excellent photos; here’s my favorite:

an autumn sunrise in Glacier National Park

Another fun tidbit, though less photogenic: since the start of our trip, we’ve now passed through the two longest tunnels in America (#1 in the Cascades of Washington, and #2 in the Rockies of Montana)!

Appendix A: Notes On Appendices B & C

All listed stops are tentative, taken from Amtrak’s website. Amtrak is not known for punctuality; trains frequently run more than an hour early or late. This means that the listed stops might be off in start time, duration, or both.

If you want to meet up at any of these stations, be sure to let Mattea or I know so that we get off to see you! I’d also recommend downloading the Amtrak app to check the train’s actual arrival time as it approaches.

I listed all stations where we’re scheduled to stop for 5+ minutes during waking hours. I expect each of these to be a “fresh air break,” where we’re allowed to get off the train for a few minutes; but I’m probably wrong about some, where we can’t actually disembark. Any 10+ minute stop should be safe!

All listed times are local.

Appendix B: Routes & Minor Stops (Chronologically)

Empire Builder (Eastbound)

(mostly done by the time you’re reading this, so there aren’t many left)
Milwaukee-Downtown, WI — 10/3 2:07p — 8 minutes

Lake Shore Limited (Eastbound)

Cleveland, OH — 10/4 5:38a — 12 minutes
Erie, PA — 10/4 7:15a — 5 minutes
Buffalo, NY — 10/4 8:46a — 8 minutes
Rochester, NY — 10/4 9:48a — 5 minutes
Syracuse, NY — 10/4 11:15a — 8 minutes
Utica, NY — 10/4 12:15p — 5 minutes
Schenectady, NY — 10/4 1:53p — 6 minutes
Albany-Rensselaer, NY — 10/4 2:31p — 1 hour, 39 minutes

California Zephyr (Westbound)

Omaha, NE — 10/10 10:55p — 10 minutes
Denver, CO — 10/11 7:15a — 50 minutes
Glenwood Springs, CO — 10/11 1:46p — 7 minutes
Grand Junction, CO — 10/11 3:57p — 13 minutes
Salt Lake City, UT — 10/11 11:05p — 25 minutes
Reno, NV — 10/12 8:25a — 11 minutes
Sacramento, CA — 10/12 2:13p — 12 minutes
Martinez, CA — 10/12 3:26p — 6 minutes

Texas Eagle (Eastbound)

Tucson, AZ — 10/16 7:28a — 47 minutes
El Paso, TX — 10/16 3:10p — 25 minutes
Alpine, TX — 10/16 8:35p — 10 minutes
San Antonio, TX — 10/17 4:50a — 2 hours, 10 minutes
Austin, TX — 10/17 9:23a — 8 minutes
Fort Worth, TX — 10/17 1:58p — 22 minutes
Dallas, TX — 10/17 3:20p — 20 minutes
Marshall, TX — 10/17 7:01p — 30 minutes
Little Rock, AR — 10/17 11:31p — 8 minutes
St. Louis, MO — 10/18 7:24a — 31 minutes
Springfield, IL — 10/18 9:50a — 5 minutes
Bloomington-Normal, IL — 10/18 11:01a — 7 minutes

Cardinal (Eastbound)

Indianapolis, IN — 10/19 11:39p — 20 minutes
Maysville, KY — 10/20 4:50a — 2 minutes
Huntington, WV — 10/20 7:09a — 7 minutes
Charleston, WV — 10/20 8:14a — 7 minutes
Charlottesville, VA — 10/20 3:10p — 9 minutes

Crescent (Westbound)

Charlottesville, VA — 10/23 8:47p — 5 minutes
Lynchburg, VA — 10/23 10:00p — 16 minutes
Greensboro, NC — 10/24 12:25a — 7 minutes
Charlotte, NC — 10/24 2:30a — 25 minutes
Greenville, SC — 10/24 5:24a — 7 minutes
Atlanta, GA — 10/24 8:43a — 25 minutes
Birmingham, AL — 10/24 12:45p — 18 minutes
Meridian, MS — 10/24 4:13p — 6 minutes

City of New Orleans (Northbound)

Jackson, MS — 10/26 5:28p — 16 minutes
Greenwood, MS — 10/26 7:32p — 5 minutes
Memphis, TN — 10/26 10:20p — 20 minutes
Champaign-Urbana, IL — 10/27 6:05a — 5 minutes

Southwest Chief (Westbound)

Fort Madison, IA — 10/27 6:25p — 5 minutes
Kansas City, MO — 10/27 10:00p — 42 minutes
Dodge City, KS — 10/28 5:13a — 6 minutes
La Junta, CO — 10/28 7:49a — 5 minutes
Raton, NM — 10/28 10:25a — 5 minutes
Albuquerque, NM — 10/28 3:29p — 50 minutes
Flagstaff, AZ — 10/28 8:32p — 6 minutes
San Bernardino, CA — 10/29 5:37a — 5 minutes

Coast Starlight (Northbound)

Santa Barbara, CA — 10/29 12:33p — 7 minutes
San Luis Obispo, CA — 10/29 3:22p — 13 minutes
San Jose, CA — 10/29 8:11p — 12 minutes
Oakland, CA — 10/29 9:24p — 15 minutes
Emeryville, CA — 10/29 9:54p — 10 minutes
Klamath Falls, OR — 10/30 8:07a — 10 minutes
Eugene, OR — 10/30 12:29p — 7 minutes
Portland, OR — 10/30 3:32p — 24 minutes
Tacoma, WA — 10/30 6:45p — 5 minutes

Appendix C: All Stops (Alphabetically)

AL (Birmingham) — 10/24 12:45p — 18 minutes
AR (Little Rock) — 10/17 11:31p — 8 minutes
AZ (Flagstaff) — 10/28 8:32p — 6 minutes
AZ (Tucson) — 10/16 7:28a — 47 minutes
CA (Emeryville) — 10/29 9:54p — 10 minutes
CA (Los Angeles) — 10/15 8:30a — 13 hours, 30 minutes
CA (Los Angeles) — 10/29 8:00a — 2 hours, 10 minutes
CA (Martinez) — 10/12 3:26p — 6 minutes
CA (Oakland) — 10/29 9:24p — 15 minutes
CA (Sacramento) — 10/12 2:13p — 12 minutes
CA (San Bernardino) — 10/29 5:37a — 5 minutes
CA (San Francisco) — 10/12 PM → 10/15 AM — 2 days; 3 nights
CA (San Jose) — 10/29 8:11p — 12 minutes
CA (San Luis Obispo) — 10/29 3:22p — 13 minutes
CA (Santa Barbara) — 10/29 12:33p — 7 minutes
CO (Denver) — 10/11 7:15a — 50 minutes
CO (Glenwood Springs) — 10/11 1:46p — 7 minutes
CO (Grand Junction) — 10/11 3:57p — 13 minutes
CO (La Junta) — 10/28 7:49a — 5 minutes
DC (Washington) — 10/7 2:33p — 31 minutes
DC (Washington) — 10/20 PM → 10/23 PM — 3 days; 3 nights
DE (Wilmington) — 10/7 12:56p — 4 minutes
FL (Jacksonville) — 10/8 6:39a — 20 minutes
FL (Kissimmee) — 10/8 10:39a — 5 minutes
FL (Miami) — 10/8 PM → 10/10 AM — 1 day; 2 nights
FL (Orlando) — 10/8 10:06a — 14 minutes
FL (Tampa) — 10/8 12:23p — 14 minutes
FL (Winter Park) — 10/8 9:38a — 5 minutes
GA (Atlanta) — 10/24 8:43a — 25 minutes
GA (Savannah) — 10/8 4:13a — 5 minutes
IA (Fort Madison) — 10/27 6:25p — 5 minutes
IL (Bloomington-Normal) — 10/18 11:01a — 7 minutes
IL (Champaign-Urbana) — 10/27 6:05a — 5 minutes
IL (Chicago) — 10/3 3:55p — 5 hours, 35 minutes
IL (Chicago) — 10/10 9:18a — 4 hours, 42 minutes
IL (Chicago) — 10/18 PM → 10/19 PM — 1 day; 1 night
IL (Chicago) — 10/27 9:15a — 5 hours, 35 minutes
IL (Springfield) — 10/18 9:50a — 5 minutes
IN (Indianapolis) — 10/19 11:39p — 20 minutes
KS (Dodge City) — 10/28 5:13a — 6 ga
KY (Maysville) — 10/20 4:50a — 2 minutes
LA (New Orleans) — 10/24 PM → 10/26 AM — 1 day; 2 nights
MD (Baltimore) — 10/7 1:48p — 5 minutes
MO (Kansas City) — 10/27 10:00p — 42 minutes
MO (St. Louis) — 10/18 7:24a — 31 minutes
MS (Greenwood) — 10/26 7:32p — 5 minutes
MS (Jackson) — 10/26 5:28p — 16 minutes
MS (Meridian) — 10/24 4:13p — 6 minutes
NC (Cary) — 10/7 9:13p — 10 minutes
NC (Charlotte) — 10/24 2:30a — 25 minutes
NC (Greensboro) — 10/24 12:25a — 7 minutes
NE (Omaha) — 10/10 10:55p — 10 minutes
NJ (Newark) — 10/7 11:16a — 4 minutes
NM (Albuquerque) — 10/28 3:29p — 50 minutes
NM (Raton) — 10/28 10:25a — 5 minutes
NV (Reno) — 10/12 8:25a — 11 minutes
NY (Albany-Rensselaer) — 10/4 2:31p — 1 hour, 39 minutes
NY (Buffalo) — 10/4 8:46a — 8 minutes
NY (New York) — 10/4 PM → 10/6 AM — 2 days; 3 nights
NY (Rochester) — 10/4 9:48a — 5 minutes
NY (Schenectady) — 10/4 1:53p — 6 minutes
NY (Syracuse) — 10/4 11:15a — 8 minutes
NY (Utica) — 10/4 12:15p — 5 minutes
OH (Cleveland) — 10/4 5:38a — 12 minutes
OR (Eugene) — 10/30 12:29p — 7 minutes
OR (Klamath Falls) — 10/30 8:07a — 10 minutes
OR (Portland) — 10/30 3:32p — 24 minutes
PA (Erie) — 10/4 7:15a — 5 minutes
PA (Philadelphia) — 10/7 12:28p — 5 minutes
SC (Greenville) — 10/24 5:24a — 7 minutes
TN (Memphis) — 10/26 10:20p — 20 minutes
TX (Alpine) — 10/16 8:35p — 10 minutes
TX (Austin) — 10/17 9:23a — 8 minutes
TX (Dallas) — 10/17 3:20p — 20 minutes
TX (El Paso) — 10/16 3:10p — 25 minutes
TX (Fort Worth) — 10/17 1:58p — 22 minutes
TX (Marshall) — 10/17 7:01p — 30 minutes
TX (San Antonio) — 10/17 4:50a — 2 hours, 10 minutes
UT (Salt Lake City) — 10/11 11:05p — 25 minutes
VA (Charlottesville) — 10/20 3:10p — 9 minutes
VA (Charlottesville) — 10/23 8:47p — 5 minutes
VA (Lynchburg) — 10/23 10:00p — 16 minutes
VA (Richmond) — 10/7 5:07p — 10 minutes
WA (Tacoma) — 10/30 6:45p — 5 minutes
WV (Charleston) — 10/20 8:14a — 7 minutes
WV (Huntington) — 10/20 7:09a — 7 minutes

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