On a recent visit to Southern California I rode Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner train from Solana Beach to Los Angeles. I enjoyed the spectacular ocean views on the most environmentally friendly, relaxing and affordable way to travel through Southern California.
August 8, 2013 -- The trip began in Washington, D.C. where I boarded the BoltBus intercity bus service for the four hour plus ride to midtown Manhattan. I stayed with family in Battery Park City for the night and early the next morning took the subway to Penn Station to get ready for the 11-hour, 381 mile (613 km) train ride through New York State and Quebec Province to Montreal.
Penn Station is always a chaotic scene with lines criss-crossing each other, confused passengers navigating the dank, dark corridors and riders scrambling to rush to their gate minutes before their train arrives once the gate is announced on the big board before they have to cram single file into one small escalator. The scene was no different as we waited in line to show our passports for the Canadian check-in to board Amtrak Adirondack train number 69.
The other observation I noticed was how militarized Penn Station still is a full 12 years after the terrorist attacks of 9/11. National Guard troops with weapons and K-9 dogs patrolled the station looking for suspicious packages or behavior. There had been a recent terrorist threat abroad that forced the closure of many U.S. embassies so it could have been related to that.
Thankfully a new 21st century high-speed rail hub is being planned to replace the old Penn Station.
Once on the train I sat next to a gentleman from Perth, Australia who was traveling around the States and Canada. We chatted for much of the trip which made the 11 hours go by faster. We also took lots of pictures on one of the most scenic train rides in the entire world. The route travels through the Hudson Valley and Adirondack Mountains and provides spectacular views of the mighty Hudson River and Lake Champlain where the train winds its way high above the massive body of water separating New York from Vermont.
I walked to the dining car where I talked to a professional photographer returning to Montreal from a photo shoot assignment in New York. She took a ton of pictures of the passing scenery.
In the state capital of Albany the train switches engines, which offers a chance for passengers to walk around the platform to stretch the legs and watch the engine change up close.
Amtrak does not own the right of way on most of the track along its Adirondack route so the service suffers from a high rate of delays and poor on time arrival. I experienced this first hand after a 20-minute delay just south of Plattsburgh, New York to allow a southbound Canadian Pacific Railway freight train to pass because CPR operates that section of track. The conductor explained the predicament in a resigned voice to the passengers. He must be used to these daily inconveniences.
We were also held up at the U.S.-Canadian border by a surprise security check at Rouses Point, New York. In addition to the routine check of our passports, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Field Operations Officers conducted a full baggage search with bomb-sniffing K-9 dogs as all passengers from each car were made to move back to the dining car while the extensive search was going on. After the long delay, the conductor apologized for the unusual outgoing U.S. inspection.
It was a relief when we finally crossed over into Canadian territory. We were welcomed by the much friendlier and less armed Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) officers. The border agent asked me a bunch of questions including where I was from, my profession and my reason for visiting the Great White North. He obviously liked my answers because he didn't even bother to stamp my passport.
The first thing I noticed as we rolled ahead into the Quebec countryside was how neat and orderly everything was compared to the New York State side of the border. The farmland was spectacular with picture postcard silos, barns and country houses framed against the setting summer sun. The scenery reminded me a lot of my train travels through the French countryside, except in France the scenery passed much faster since I was on a TGV high-speed train traveling at speeds up to 200 mph (322 km/h), whereas in Quebec I was riding the slow train at speeds of 60 to 70 mph (97 to 113 km/h).
After passing the Montreal Canadiens practice facility in Brossard and making a stop in St. Lambert, we crossed the mighty St. Lawrence River at dusk with the shimmering Montreal skyline guiding us to our final destination -- La Belle Ville, The Beautiful City.
Solana Beach is home to one of the finest little train stations in all of America. The station was designed by architect Rob Wellington Quigley, and was built in 1994 to replace the depot in Del Mar, California. The main terminal is a real gem with a sleek, modern design and the platform is sunken into the earth, creating a surreal environment in which you feel as if you are underground but you are outside, just lower than street level.
The station is served by Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner trains between San Diego and Santa Barbara via Los Angeles and Orange County; and Coaster commuter trains between North San Diego County and downtown San Diego.
Here are photos of the station:
And here is video of a Coaster commuter train departing the station, heading south towards downtown San Diego:
The ride north from Solana Beach to Anaheim on Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner provides passengers with some of the most spectacular scenery in the world. In North San Diego County and South Orange County the train tracks are placed within yards of the Pacific Ocean. The ocean and beach views are breathtaking. At times you feel as though you are riding on the water you are so close to the Pacific. In my view there is perhaps no better way to experience the beauty of Southern California then taking the train through North San Diego County and South Orange County before the tracks veer inwards towards Anaheim and eventually Union Station in downtown L.A.
Here is a video montage of the part of my train trip with the best views of the beaches and Pacific Ocean. The video starts just around Oceanside and ends at San Clemente.
