COAST STARLIGHT – Taking a Train Across the Country on New Years Eve
December 31, 2021 – January 1, 2022
“The Lord has something for you in the mountains of Washington.” A close brother said this to me during prayer. This affirmed my desire to take a train across the country on New Years Eve by myself! So I did.
Amtrak train has many routes that go all over America. (You can view them here.) I picked the route, Coast Starlight. It goes from Washington to California and lasts about 35 hours. I chose this because it’s regarded as “one of the most spectacular.” Therefore, it would be the best way to view the mountains. I also chose this because… west coast, best coast…
I bought my ticket from Seattle, Washington to Los Angeles, California and made it official! (Shoutout to my employer for covering all the costs!)
You can buy a “Coach” ticket which will provide you with public regular seating. Or you can buy a “Room” ticket which will provide you with private comfortable seating, a bed with beddings, meals, and service. My advice is to buy a coach ticket. The room ticket is ridiculously expensive… And a coach ticket will still give you access to the public observation deck with big windows and the cafe where you can purchase decently-priced meals.
I sat in my seat to sleep, but was in the observation deck (pictured above) almost the whole time. It had lots of comfortable seating that faced the windows. It also had tables where you can eat meals, work on your laptop (although, there’s no WiFi), and more.
I was there with my journal and bible. I reflected on how many promises God has fulfilled in the past year and how many promises He WILL fulfill in the year to come. I did this as I looked out the window and I was in so much awe, wonder, and peace!
STUNNING VIEWS
One of my problematic habits is being sleepy in moving vehicles. When I fall asleep, I miss out on views. However, these are views (pictured above) I didn’t miss out on!
Here are train stops you’d definitely want to stay awake for:
• Klamath Falls, OR
• Redding, CA
• San Luis Obispo, CA
• Oxnard, CA
SAN LUIS OBISPO
As you can see why, San Luis Obispo was my absolute favorite stop!
If I could describe this trip in one word, it’d be: ROMANTIC. I looked out the window and watched the earth go from snowy pine trees to wide open fields to evergreen mountains. All of the creations I witnessed pointed back to their Creator. So I was reminded of God and how He loves so much, that beautiful things (including us) came into existence. In doing this by myself, I wasn’t lonely on New Years Eve… I was content, moved, and romanced!
