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Best train stops in California and Northwest?

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[quote user="trainsBuddy"]We checked the weather and looks like Essex will still be chilly in May (50s). G/f want to see some sun, so we'll see if we still leave Northwest as an option. As far as your recommended stop on Starlight, is it public transportation friendly or would I need a rental. What about beaches?  [/quote] Several years ago I took the Texas Eagle from Dallas to Chicago, from whence I caught a Hiawatha  train to Milwaukee.  I stayed over night in Milwaukee.  It was cheaper than staying in Chicago.  And since I had stayed in Chicago many times, I wanted to try something different.  Milwaukee turned out to be a pleasant surprise.  From Milwaukee I took the Empire Builder to Portland, which is a beautiful city with one of the best public transit systems in the United States.  I flew home from Portland.  I did the trip during the first week of December; the winter scenery was magnificent.  And the fares during the first two weeks of December are usually great.  The Thanksgiving crowd has returned home, and the Christmas crowd is still in town along with most of the business people who have come off the road for the holiday season.  Demand is down and so are the prices. In January I took the Texas Eagle from Austin to LAX and a Surfliner from LAX to San Diego.  I reversed the route for the trip back to Austin.  The biggest drawback on the Eagle is the long overnight layover in San Antonio.  It is not too bad if you are in a sleeper, but I would not want to do it in a coach.  In either case, there are several good watering holes near the San Antonio station.  If the train is on time, they are easily accessible. San Diego has an outstanding public transit system.  And the San Diego Model Railroad Museum in Balboa Park is something to see.  It is the best model railroad display that I have ever seen.  It is so realistic that I thought for a moment that I was trackside in the real world as opposed to looking at model trains.  In addition, there are several beaches near San Diego that can be reached by public transport.  Or one can take the train to Oceanside, get off the train and walk to the beach in less than five minutes. This May I am flying to Albuquerque, where I will catch the Southwest Chief to LAX.  From there I am taking the San Joaquin service from LAX to San Francisco.  I plan to spend five days in San Francisco.  Then I am taking the California Zephyr from San Francisco to Denver for a few days before heading back to the Austin area.  San Francisco is my favorite American city.  I have been there five times over the past year.  It has excellent public transit.  Moreover, the trip from San Francisco to Denver on the Zephyr is arguably the most scenic train ride in America.  I did it in February when there heaps of snow were on the ground.  I am keen to see what the countryside looks like in spring.
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