Amtrak’s California Zephyr - the Winter Eastbound Journey (part 1)

In a debut video, after 50+ years of riding Amtrak trains I finally took the initiative to capture the one-of-a-kind experience of long distance train travel. In this first episode, I take you from the Bay Area to the dark underbelly of Reno (also known as the trench), passing a foggy Central Valley into the snowy Sierras and beautiful Donner Pass en route. I took the winter journey in February 2026, which was not the West’s finest show. Luckily, the landscape is always stunning on what is America’s most scenic east-west route. And while I would have preferred a Vista Dome and a true Roomette, the Sightseer Lounge and Superliner sleeper proved perfectly acceptable. There’s more planned for future installments - the spectacular Rockies, finally finding winter in the frigid Plains, and much more in-train footage and personal observations and tips than in this first scenery-heavy episode. I kept the camera rolling for the whole 52 hour journey - so there’s a lot of great footage to work through. Thanks to all who encouraged me to do this, my family for giving me the love of train travel, and everyone who took the time to watch. Can’t wait to share more!