In Conclusion...

 

Would I do the trip again? No way. But there are aspects of it worth considering for another go-round. First, though, some "must pack" items:

1. Flip-flops. Even if you have a shower in your suite, you really don't want to go paddling around a train car with bare feet.

2. Humidifier. I don't know whether it was the altitude, the recirculating air or...but I have never been so dehydrated in my life. It would'a been good to have a little water vapor machine in my cabin.

3. Eye mask & Ear plugs. I had the mask, I didn't bring ear plugs. Might have made the occasional train announcement more tolerable.

BUT

All that said, I think there's the possibility of putting together a delightful journey. 

1. Fly to Chicago (or Toronto) and take the train(s) west from there. The left two-thirds of this country are beautiful, the overnight trains are bigger and newer, and the entire trip is over a lot sooner. Three ways to go:

a) The route I took (Southwest Chief) Chicago to LA;

b) Across the middle of the US (California Jephyr) Chicago to San Francisco

c) Canada Rail - from Toronto to Vancouver. There are more than a half-dozen options that include "get off for a day or two" along the way. The rooms like way more civilized and the scenery is heroic.

2. Travel with someone. It could be quite the romantic adventure.

3. Get a USA Rail Pass so you can get off anyplace you feel like exploring the region. The deal is "10 stops in 30 days," so more planning is required.

4. Spring for the bigger roomette. While two people can share the space I was in, it's bunk-beds at night and nothing romantic about it. The larger suites looked a lot more civilized.

All in all, a good learning experience. I'm glad I went. I'm glad it's over. I hope you enjoyed the trip through this sparse, but snarky, blog. Thanks for reading! 

All aboard!