The Coast Starlight - Oakland to Los Angeles

Tuesday, January 5,2010, 8:35 am; We board the Coastal Starlight for the trip to Los Angeles. It is a pleasure to be back on the Starlight since it has become our favorite train thus far. This leg we are traveling in Coach for the 13 hour run to LA.

The Starlight heads down California's Central Valley, America's vegetable bowl then, turns West across the tortured spine of the San Andreas Fault, paralleling the Pacific coast to Santa Barbara before it turns back inland to make the final run into Greater Los Angeles.

Once the train leaves the sprawl of Silicon Valley, the terrain wrinkles into gently rolling hills which appear to have been covered with some verdant form of felt. They roll majestically and politely for miles until just before Gilroy, CA where they divide with one set of hills rolling toward the Eastern horizon and the other rolling to the West. In the space they create and spreading from mountain range to mountain range in both directions is a table-top flat valley which produces most of the vegetables consumed in this country. Row after row, mile after mile, separated by the occasional irrigation canal and punctuated by the occasional giant fan used to stir the air when the temperature drops to prevent freezing.

Mesmerizing in its monotony, it is phenomenal to believe so much land is cultivated in so many ways to grow so much food and we get to see only a small portion as the valley continues southward ever expanding until it is easily half the width of the State. We, on the other hand, begin to past the dinosaur-like structures that rhythmically feed insatiably on the oil deep below.. Turning slowly to the West we begin a long, slow ascent up and over the mountains as we twist our way toward San Luis Obispo. Descending on the other side of the mountains at one point the train makes a descending 'U' turn that almost appears to make a complete circle. Looking out the window the locomotive almost appears to be looking straight back at us as it twists it's way down the mountain. Passing a huge prison just outside of San Luis Obispo we soon came to the small but beautiful town which has long been considered the dividing point between geographic Northern and Southern California. If driving, it is at San Luis Obispo where you must make the decision to follow the Winnebagos up the Pacific Coast Highway to Big Sur, Monterey and on into San Francisco or to take the quicker route up US101.

Fortunately, the decision is made for us and we continue our trek toward the Pacific with Santa Barbara just ahead. We parallel the Pacific just long enough to catch the setting sun as our dinner reservations are announced. Tonight we shared a table with a couple from Perth Australia who had been in Seattle attending their son's wedding. He was a psychologist and she worked in Community organizing, just like Pres. Obama! They were on their way to LA to catch the long flight home to Perth. Bob, having made the flight to Sydney several years ago commiserated on just how miserable 22 hours on an airplane can be. He was on the same flight with McKensie Phillips during what now seems were her turbulent years so, in hindsight, the flight had more significance than he knew. Having flown 13 hours once myself on a flight from New York to Tokyo, I could only imagine what another 9 or 10 hours would have been like. There are not enough bad movies, airline food and cramped seats on any airline to make me ever want to stay in a flying toothpaste tube for 22 hours. Run tracks from LA to Sydney and we'll talk...

On both segments of the Coastal Starlight the food has been excellent, freshly prepared, creative and tasty. Back at our table in the observation car (oh yeah, I think we forgot to tell you as soon as the conductor checked our tickets we headed for the Observation car and spent the entire trip surrounded by the view). We have learned to find seats in an observation car and camp-out for the duration or at least until dark. It is the place for great views, good conversation and you can find a stable surface for working on your blog. Bob met a French woman who professed to being an intuitive and had a dashing conversation talking about a book he's reading on his kindle and then in stepped a handsome male PHD theology professor from Italy who seemed to corner the market with an interest on the woman so Bob made his excuses and came and sat with me while the dance of the minds took place with the two European adventurers.

After Santa Barbara, the route to LA takes you through the suburban communities of Oxnard, Simi Valley, Van Nuys and finally, Los Angeles' Union Station where we gather our baggage and hail a cab for our first night in a hotel since the trip began. We would have stayed at an Inn or B&B in LA but we arrive late on Tuesday night and leave mid-day tomorrow for Palm Springs so we opted for convenience over desire. Bags in tow we head off for a cheap night on the road. Checked in to the Kyoto Grand Hotel and Gardens ( a steal at $150/night ) and ready to unwind a bit we go down to the bar where the bartendress was born in Connecticut and her family currently lives in Brewster. C'est un petit monde, n'est pas?