I'm going to be taking the Coast Starlight all the way from Seattle to LA in March. Could anyone tell me what geographic areas (approximately) we will travel through at night (the train departs at 9:30 AM). Is there anything else I should know about this trip before I embark on it? Many thanks.
Daylight savings time starts in March, so when you go might make a bit of difference. Also, weather events, (cloudy versus clear), will change when it starts getting darker and lighter outside. You should roughly get a couple of hours south of Eugene in some daylight. From there, closing on Sacramento before good daylight is coming back.
South of San Jose, you get a ride down to Gilroy, then a quick jaunt to the coast, followed by a very long ride up the Salinas Valley, culminating in the Cuesta Grade. That descends into San Luis Obispo, where the train heads south, past Vandenberg AFB, and then along the Santa Barbara coast to Ventura. It is unfortunate that (in my opinion) the best part of the ride, past Mt Shasta, Dunsmuir, Shasta Lake, is all done in the dark (in both directions)
If the train is running on-time, you will probably be in darkness, (or at least a dim dawn) as you travel through one of the most scenic part of northern California (the Sacramento River Canyon and the Cantara Loop). Should be in good shape by the time you reach Lake Shasta. Enjoy your ride.
