In February 2016, I was visiting Los Angeles and Palo Alto for work. While the rest of my group flew, I took the Coast Starlight from Los Angeles to San Jose.
I had booked a roommette to give myself more room to do some work during the journey. The Los Angeles station is a grand way to start the trip, and I took some time to explore the station and find my way onboard.
After escaping through the suburbs of Los Angeles, the train hugs the Pacific Coast for the first half of the trip north. The tracks are just above the waves.
The train stopped in San Luis Obispo for a short break and I got to stretch my legs on the platform.
North of San Luis Obispo the train heads inland through the hills. Because this was February with short days, this was just as the sun was setting and I got some gorgeous colours. The tracks follow several loops and tunnels up through the hills including the Stenner Creek Trestle and the Cuesta Grade.
Once we reached the Santa Clara Valley south of San Jose we zipped along through the fields before reaching the city.
Unfortunately, I had to disembark in San Jose to join my colleagues for the work meetings while I watched the train continue north. The Coast Starlight connects all the way to Seattle – some day I’ll continue the trip!