The train station in Lamy, only a few miles from Santa Fe. Board Amtrak’s Southwest Chief here. Westbound Train #3 goes to Los Angeles, and Eastbound #4 goes to Chicago. Photo by David Griggs/ladailypost.com
By DAVID GRIGGS
Los Alamos Daily Post
Good news for train travelers: You can book a reservation through Amtrak to travel to and from Los Alamos and White Rock.
Heading for Chicago or Los Angeles? You can take Amtrak from either Los Alamos or White Rock. Calling them “Thruway Bus Connections”, Amtrak goes the extra mile and delivers you to many destinations that are not on the rail lines.
I made the discovery on my recent trip that I could add on an “Amtrak Thruway Bus” segment to connect from the train station in Lamy to either Los Alamos or White Rock. For years I have struggled to get to or from the train station in Albuquerque using public transportation. Now the shuttle removes that difficulty.
You make the reservation through the Amtrak system. The actual shuttle from Lamy is a 12-passenger van run by run by Roadrunner Shuttle & Charter of Santa Fe.
There are two listings in the Amtrak system: Los Alamos White Rock Area Bus Stop (code LOH), which is the Hampton Inn; and Los Alamos Central Area Bus Stop (code LOS), which is the Los Alamos Chamber of Commerce. However, Roadrunner will actually drop you off or pick you up at your home or hotel. Just call Roadrunner at 505-424-3667 over 24 hours in advance to give them your physical address.
I am having a great time in retirement riding the rails. The railroad equipment and tracks are continually being upgraded, and the food and service was good. For lunch and dinner, the club cars now have a prix fixe box meal that they deliver to the seat of passengers in coach. I prefer to go to the diner, of course, because of the interesting fellow individuals who you get to know over a meal. A few new food items have been added, both in the diner and the club car, which is a pleasant change for frequent travelers. I was pleased to see employees washing the outsides of the windows during our longer stop in Albuquerque.
There are two listings in the Amtrak system: Los Alamos White Rock Area Bus Stop (code LOH), which is the Hampton Inn; and Los Alamos Central Area Bus Stop (code LOS), which is the Los Alamos Chamber of Commerce. However, Roadrunner will actually drop you off or pick you up at your home or hotel. Just call Roadrunner at 505.424.3667 over 24 hours in advance to give them your physical address.
Ordering Tickets
You can order your ticket online at https://tickets.amtrak.com/itd/amtrak
If you feel more comfortable ordering over the phone, call Amtrak 1.800.872.7245. When you connect, you will get Julie, the Automated Agent, who will try to help you. Be patient: if she is not able to answer your questions, she will transfer you to a live agent. From that point, it will be much easier.
Remember when you are traveling by train, you must have a government issued photo ID with you. Make sure the name on the ticket matches the name on the photo ID.
The change from bus to train and then train to bus is very easy. The bus drivers and conductors will be able to point to where your new chariot awaits. You can usually see it, and it is only a short walk.
Try to make your reservations as far in advance as possible, as space is limited on some segments, and prices can be higher at the last minute. Make sure that you sign up for the Amtrak Guest Rewards program, and that each trip you take gets credited to your account. As you accumulate points, you will be able to cash them in for free travel.
After you make your reservation, Amtrak will send you your ticket by email. Print the ticket on paper or bring it with you on your smart phone.
The National – Amtrak’s new onboard magazine
Check out The National, Amtrak’s the new onboard magazine. The magazine aims to celebrate the culture and industry defining life along America’s rails in Amtrak’s 500 destinations and everywhere in between. The bi-monthly magazine features in-depth reporting and beautiful photography from across the country, as well as fiction, poetry, and essays from some of America’s most acclaimed voices.
In the name of full disclosure, I should note that Alex Hoyt, the Executive Editor of The National, is the son of one of my college roommates.
Making the most of layovers
One of the joys for me of long-distance train travel is arriving in the downtown part of a city with time to kill, and multiple opportunities surrounding me.
Chicago is a key railroad junction, and I am getting to know the treasures of the Windy City. Over the years I have used layovers to visit the Sears Tower (back in the day), the Tyrannosaurus Rex “Sue” at the Field Museum, the Art Institute of Chicago, wonderful Greek, Italian, and Mexican restaurants, and Navy Pier.
On my recent trip from Northern California to New Mexico, I took the spectacular Coast Starlight from Martinez to Los Angeles. With part of the day on my hands, I took an inexpensive subway/bus ride from Union Station to La Brea Tar Pits. Over the millennia, thousands of creatures were trapped in ponds of liquid asphalt: Wooly Mammoths, Saber-toothed Cats, Mastodons, Giant Sloths, Dire Wolves, Vultures, and Eagles, as well as small birds, mice, and insects. Located in downtown Los Angeles, this is the most spectacular urban Ice Age treasure trove in the world.
An old woody, seen from the window of the Coast Starlight near Santa Barbara, with the sparkling blue Pacific Ocean in the background. (Anyone want to ID the vehicle?) Photo by David Griggs/ladailypost.com
A Wooly Mammoth skeleton dwarfs the author in the museum at La Brea Tar Pits in downtown Los Angeles. Courtesy/David Griggs
