Sad to hear that Amtrak apparently can't improve its on-time performance...it's been that way forever. In fact, I don't think I've ever taken a West Coast Amtrak trip that's been on time, except for a couple of short hauls between LA and San Diego.

As you can tell from my report, we've been making up time since Salinas. I didn't check its eventual arrival time in Seattle, but when I got to my hotel in SF, they were projecting on-time arrival at Portland and an hour early into Seattle. So, this train could have been on-time or even early. It's just that during part of the trip, it was 3+ hours late. That's all.

Dayenu - I've done overnight Greyhound rides. It was not fun. And in fact, I won't do overnight in coach on AMTRAK either. As for seat assignments, yes, the conductor gave me a little slip when I boarded my car. This way, people wouldn't fight for their seats onboard. :)

Nice report Rkkwan! I will be leaving Chicago on Saturday aboard Amtrak's Southwest Chief. I have a sleeper room reseved and my final destination will be San Diego on Monday afternoon after changing trains in LA. I have 2 movies rented from netfkix to watch plus thre audio books to listen to on my I Pod. Other than that I will sip wine and relax as my train journeys across the frozen tudra of the midwest to warmer and hoplefully dry southern california.
I will try to get a report out sometime next week about my experiences.

I didn't read the report, but I'm surprised by how cheap prices are. NYC-Philadelphia routinely sells for over $50 and it's over $100 to go to DC, especially if you want the fastest train. Trains seem quite expensive along the Northeast corridor, but I guess so are the air shuttles.

111op - It's not uncommon to find $49 + tax airfare each way between Southern California and the Bay Area, especially LAX and SFO. AMTRAK needs to stay competitive.

In contrast, Los Angeles to San Diego on the Pacific Surfliner - a much more popular ride - is not that cheap. It is $29 for just 128 miles (2:45).

Ray - great report as usual - thorough and lots of details. With delays and all, that's still a very nice trip. And it's still so much more relaxing and fun than flying. And maybe one day we will recognize its potential benefits and create some high speed trains. Thanks

Well, looks like they are starting the California highspeed train project for real this time. But even after all the initial 4 sections are completed in 2017 or whenever, one still can't go from L.A. to San Francisco. Wonder if I can live long enough to see it completed.

Nice report, Ray! Thanks for sharing.

Slow travel just isn't my thing, but it's fun to read of your adventures.

Thanks for the report. I have often wondered about doing the train ride but like others have experienced so many delays and issues just between OC and SD that I am reluctant to do so all the way up the coast. It might be fun if one were to break it up - coming from OC to Santa Barbara and then some place else... hummmm...fun trip for dh and I someday.

Pictures of the train trip has been posted! No comments yet, but you get the "picture"...

http://rkkwan.zenfolio.com/sanfrancisco0110

Your photos are not only beautiful, they tell a story. Love the night shots and the lonely station, they really give the feeling of the trip.

The dining car and the plated foods looked really nice.

Oh, you didn't have A/C in your car? WOW! That never happened to me/to us!

Nice report Ray. I'm disappointed in the pix though. You typically include a photo or 2 of the same one subject in every photo trip report you post, but none here. :)

On time = 41mph? Imagine how one of those high speed rail links zipping along at a lightning fast 60mph would cut the travel time!

Loved the photos. Thanks for the trip report.

J62 - Didn't you see a couple of photos of them standing on the platform at San Luis Obispo? :p

Beautiful photos and interesting trip report, thank you.

Great trip report - thank you for sharing it! We drove from SF to the OC (and back again to avoid a huge one-way rental car penalty) when visiting my parents in December - seriously thinking about doing the train one way and now I feel more inspired to do so!

ROFLMAO. Curvaceous indeed, in an Amtrak sort of way.