The Sunset Limited crossed into California around 1am and pulled in the Los Angeles Union station at 7 am. The Coast Starlight leaves at 10:10, so I ate breakfast in LA in a national chain breakfast restaurant with free wi-fi, from which I uploaded my first few blog posts. Sated from a greasy breakfast, I checked in and got my seat assignment for the Coast Startlight train taking me to Sacramento.
As this was the starting point of the train, it was empty when I boarded and I was able to take some pictures of the amenities.
Leaving the Los Angeles con-urbation takes longer than leaving Houston, passing Burbank and Van Huys stations in the San Fernando valley. After three tunnels through a western movie scenery we emerged into the Simi Valley and slowly wound our way to the coast.
Unfortunately the overcast weather I picked up in Arizona is following me, so nothing is quite as bright as it would usually be on a July day. I’m sure the locals are grateful for a bit of a reprieve from the heat, but I would have preferred a bit more California sunshine. Our first glimpse of the pacific was not too bright
Fortunately by the time we reached our first fresh air stop in Santa Barbara, the clouds were starting to break up and as we approached the section of coast which can only ever be seen from this train, the skies were blue. I took many pictures along this part of the coast and will prepare two photo only posts, one of pictures of the sea, the other of pictures of the flora along the sea. The train travels right along the edge of the coast, there is no road along here. Apple Maps on my phone tracked where I was travelling and you can see the lack of navigable infrastructure (and phone reception!) on the hybrid map.
travel tales 