The Southwest via Amtrak — Coasting Toward Blue

I fell in love with long distance train travel last year, when I decided to attend a creative retreat and travel there and back—from Boston to Washington State—by Amtrak*. Through train windows, I watched the country’s vast and varied landscapes pass me by; the miles ticked by as the train rocked, swayed, and chugged its way forward. Those trips hooked me; I vowed that I’d choose train travel when possible and feasible, given that train travel is by far both more expensive and more time-consuming than air travel.

So this year, when I decided to join G in Chicago for a few days before heading out on a solo trip for a few days, I decided to travel by train. This time, I’d travel from Chicago’s Union Station to Lamy, New Mexico and then on to Santa Fe, New Mexico, via a shuttle. Then, a few days later, I’d shuttle from Santa Fe back to Lamy, where I’d rejoin the route and travel to Flagstaff, Arizona. My route would be the Southwest Chief, and this trip would take me through 6 states: Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona.

First Leg: Chicago (IL) to Lamy (NM)

Heading out from Chicago, the Southwest Chief followed pretty much the same route as the California Zephyr through Illinois, but then crossed the mighty Mississippi into Iowa for just a bit before heading toward Kansas City (MO) and Topek (KS), and then on into the southwest. I boarded on time at 2:50p and settled comfortably in my roomette for the 24-hour ride. As I room in a sleeper car, my meals were included; for this leg, that included the first night’s dinner, and then breakfast and lunch the following day.

The train lost a bit of time overnight and continued to run late throughout the day, but I was in no rush. I ended up arriving in Lamy around 4p; from there, I met the shuttle that would take me to Santa Fe, where I’d spend 1.5 days exploring before again boarding the Southwest Chief toward Flagstaff (AZ).

Second Leg: Lamy (NM) to Flagstaff (AZ)

After 1.5 days spent wandering around Santa Fe, I was headed back to Lamy via the shuttle, which Amtrak contracts for connections to/from Santa Fe. I had originally booked a coach seat for the 7.5-hour trip, but I’ll be honest: I’m hooked on roomettes. I love the quiet and being able to spend the time in my own little cocoon. I can stare out the window to my heart’s content, or I can relax and read or spend time writing. While I’m sure I could do all of those things in coach, I’ve decided that when I’m able, I’ll try for a roomette. But there’s a big difference when it comes to shelling out the cash; I won’t lie. A coach seat cost me about $100, while roomettes were running more than $400. A few days before my scheduled departure, however, I decided to try my luck with Amtrak’s bid-up process. If my bid were accepted, I’d be upgraded to a roomette. I submitted one of the lower amounts—$125, deemed “fair” (up one step from “poor”). Lo and behold, 36 hours before my departure, I got the text and email that my bid had been accepted! I had scored the roommate for about half price—sweet!

This particular leg of the trip—from Lamy, NM, to Flagstaff, AZ, was pretty scenic. Plains gave way to some spectacular landscapes, with red cliffs in the distance. The route follows the Santa Fe Trail, crosses the Continental Divide, and passes through Native American Reservations, the Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona, and just before Flagstaff, the town of Winslow (AZ), made famous by the Eagles’ “Take It Easy” (1972). By the time I arrived in Flagstaff, about 8 hours after I had boarded in Lamy, I was only more deeply in love with the landscape of the southwest.

While Flagstaff marked the end of this particular train journey for me, the Southwest Chief continues on to California, ending in Los Angeles. One of these days, I’ll have to revisit the route and travel from Flagstaff to Los Angeles at some point so I can tick another route off my Amtrak list. And honestly, I can’t wait, because this route does not disappoint.

Last year’s journey, the one that got me hooked on train travel:
Westbound:
Boston to Chicago via the Lake Shore Limited
Chicago to Emeryville (CA) via the California Zephyr
Emeryville to Portland (OR) via the Coast Starlight (stayed in Portland for a few days)
Portland to Seattle via Amtrak Cascades.
Eastbound:
My travel home took me across the northern tier of the country, from Seattle to Chicago via the Empire Builder and then, again, Chicago to Boston via the Lake Shore Limited.