“There’s something about the sound of a train that’s very romantic and nostalgic and hopeful.“
– Paul Simon
Reflecting upon my first cross country trip via train, Amtrak’s Texas Eagle has a special place in my heart. What would have taken a plane 3.5-hours, took the train 2.5-days. Nonetheless, that train chugged me across more than half of the United States, and back, from Maricopa, Arizona to Chicago, Illinois, in one piece, and for that I am grateful!
Ever since my first Amtrak experience on the Pacific Surfliner, the rail has always been my preferred method for domestic travel. This modest 3-hour trek carries you along California’s coastline from Anaheim to San Diego. It was the perfect introduction to the opportunities to be had aboard an Amtrak train. Inspiration strikes from all sides watching the variety of landscapes pass by. It elicits a feeling that blends nostalgia with freedom, paying homage to those who helped build this nation.
Until now, I had only taken day trips on Amtrak. The longest of those day trips being an 8-hour ride from Vancouver, BC to Portland, OR. However, the thought of taking a cross-country Amtrak trip had always lingered in my mind. When I found out I needed to be in Cincinnati for a wedding, I pounced on the opportunity to bring this idea to life. I had plenty of Amtrak points saved in the bank. The majority of these points came from the sign-up bonus for the Amtrak World MasterCard. I booked the trip on the Texas Eagle line by paying cash for the departing leg, and points for the return trip. It cost $117 to travel from Maricopa to Chicago, and 5,037 Amtrak Rewards points to return.
Day 1 (Morning): All Aboard the Texas Eagle
The train arrived in Maricopa nearly 45-minutes late from its scheduled time of 5:45 a.m. This did not surprise me because the rail sees its fair share of traffic from passenger trains and freight trains. I have taken enough trips on Amtrak to learn that sharing the railroad takes a great amount of coordination! Want to know what was surprising? The fact that the Maricopa station is still in operation despite the amount of street traffic it causes.
We all know what it’s like to be stuck at a railroad crossing while a train passes by. The bells are ringing, the train’s flying by, and we count the carriages as they pass. Now, imagine getting stuck at a railroad crossing for up to 30-minutes while a train loads and unloads its passengers. This was the case at the Maricopa Station. A lot of factors contributed to this mess of a system.
First, the station platform is too small to service the entire length of the train. Therefore, the train must make four separate stops in order to load and unload bags and passengers. Secondly, the tracks intersect the busiest highways in Maricopa, which happens to also be one of the only major roads going through the city. Third, Maricopa is primarily a residential community. A large amount of its residents commute to either Phoenix or Chandler, meaning a lot of drivers are on the road. And finally, Amtrak does not travel directly through Phoenix. Maricopa happens to be its closest Amtrak connection. Thus, you have this tiny station within a relatively small city, blocking that city’s busiest highway, all the while servicing the population of the fifth largest city in the country. I can only imagine what a perfect storm this is in the eyes of a transportation planner.
The good news is that the issue has been addressed and, as far as I know, there is a proposed solution! You can read more about it here. So, after a 25-minute boarding process, I was eastbound on the Texas Eagle.
The Texas Eagle is one of Amtrak’s longest routes and runs from Los Angeles, CA to Chicago, IL. It generally follows the path of the I-10 between California and Texas, before changing directions in San Antonio where it starts heading northeast towards Chicago.
Day 1 (Afternoon): I’m Prada You
If you are heading eastbound on this route, get familiar with seeing a lot of desert throughout the first leg of the trip. There is no shortage of it. You will also get some up-close glimpses of Mexico as the train makes its stop in El Paso. Between El Paso and San Antonio, this route will climb as high as 4,700 feet taking you through the mountainous cities of Marfa and Alpine. Marfa is definitely a city I would like to revisit. It boasts a thriving minimalist art scene, including the famous, out-of-place, Prada installation built in the middle of the desert. Many major movie productions have also been filmed in Marfa, such as Giant (1960), There Will Be Blood (2007), No Country for Old Men (2007), and many more.
Day 1 (Night): Texas Eagle or Sunset Limited?
The Texas Eagle glides through a few more small towns before arriving in San Antonio, the primary layover of this route. Depending upon which type of ticket you purchased, you may have to step off the train during this layover. If you booked your ride on the route’s 421 or 422 trains, then you can remain in your seat during the San Antonio layover. Otherwise, your ticket will be the 21 or 22 trains, which shares with the Sunset Limited’s route (Los Angeles to New Orleans). This means you will have to step off the train while they add and take away carriages.
Depending which direction you are traveling, the Texas Eagle will either split with the Sunset Limited or join it. If you are in a carriage that is shared between the two lines, you are out of luck and will have to transfer carriages. I was lucky enough to have booked the 422 Texas Eagle en route to Chicago. Unfortunately, I had less flexibility booking my return trip, and was forced to book a mixed itinerary on the 21 Texas Eagle and the 1 Sunset Limited. This meant my night in San Antonio was spent standing beside the train with my carry-on bags for 2-hours waiting for the switch to take place.
Day 2 (All Day): Texas Flexing
Texas is big. Very big. Whether you are traveling through or over Texas, it’s safe to say that nearly half of your trip will be crossing the Lone Star State. The Texas Eagle is no exception. Nearly a day and a half of the 2.5-day trip was spent in Texas. I thought our journey was nearly at its halfway point as we departed San Antonio the morning of Day 2. Texas had other ideas.
My trip happened to coincide with a month-long renovation project. This renovation created detours that started in Austin and took the Texas Eagle through central Texas, skipping over some major stops such as Dallas, and Fort Worth. To some, this might have been an inconvenience, but to train enthusiasts (ME!), it presented an opportunity to discover part of the rail system unfamiliar with passenger trains, and rack up some coveted and uncharted miles.
Day 2 (Night): Arkansas in the Dark
After sleeping through the entire state of Arkansas (they definitely drew the losing hand when Amtrak created their schedule for the Texas Eagle) and much of Southern Missouri, I woke up in St. Louis, MO in, what was now, the morning of Day 3. St. Louis is a major stop for the Texas Eagle, so we had an hour layover before departing.
Day 3 (Morning/Day): Get Your Kicks
Now, I do not want to rush this part of the journey, but it’s a relatively smooth and uneventful ride from St. Louis to Chicago. And believe me, that’s a good thing! The train follows the world-famous Route 66 for this entire leg of the trip, giving a peek into Midwest life. Small towns sprawl every few miles throughout the route, complete with farms and grassy fields to fill in the gaps. This pattern repeats itself several times with a few bigger stops in between. After familiarizing myself with this pattern, we were suddenly reaching the outskirts of the Windy City itself, Chicago. As soon as it came into view, I turned my attention towards the city skyline, primarily the Willis Tower. It stole my focus as the train meandered through the urban jungle and into Union Station. I had arrived.
It had been quite the journey and such a unique experience. Taking Amtrak across such a long distance may not have been the most practical option. But I would be a liar if I said it did not have its benefits. If your goal is to get from Point A to Point B in the quickest, most efficient, way possible, then I cannot recommend you take the train. However, if flexibility is on your side and you have a firm belief that “the journey is greater than the destination”, then there is much joy to be found aboard a train.
Know Before You Go: Texas Eagle 101
Would I do it again? Absolutely! But not without following the guidelines below. Follow these tips to ensure your experience aboard the Texas Eagle is a pleasurable one:
- Book the 421/422 only trains when buying your tickets. This will avoid any inconveniences during layovers.
- Only check in the bags that you do not need for the entire duration of your trip. Once you check in your bags, you will not have access to them until your final destination.
- Bring a charger for whatever devices you anticipate on using. There are outlets all throughout the train, including your seat!
- There is no Wi-Fi access on the Texas Eagle, so I recommend downloading movies, music, or any other media prior to your trip.
- Bring a blanket and a sweatshirt, even if it’s summertime! The Amtrak can get pretty cold at night and it’s not always possible to avoid the cold air blowing from the vents.
- Bring lots and lots of snacks! You can bring food aboard the Amtrak and I cannot stress it enough. People even bring coolers as part of their carry-on baggage and fill it with drinks, sandwiches, and all sorts of goodies. Otherwise, prepare to empty your wallet on overpriced microwaveable food at the cafe car, or overpriced adequate food at the dining car.
- Beef Jerky, Granola Bars, Nuts, Cookies/Crackers, Tuna Pouches, Candy, Gum, Apples/Oranges are all great options.
- I spend nearly all my time in the Observation Car. There are outlets, plenty of space to stretch, a cafe downstairs, a bathroom downstairs, and floor to ceiling windows that more than justify your decision to take the train. I would only be in my reserved coach seat to sleep, otherwise, you would find me in the Observation Car.
- There are no showers unless you book a room. Keep your cosmetics easily accessible. Brushing your teeth goes a long way in feeling fresh and comfortable. Applying deodorant will ensure your fellow passengers are comfortable too!
- There are fountains throughout the train where you can access drinkable water and tiny cups; however, I would suggest bringing a reusable bottle that you can carry around the train. You can always ask the cafe attendant for a cup of ice if you need it.
- The conductors will periodically check and re-scan your ticket. Either keep it handy, or take a picture of it on your phone (including the barcode) if you are prone to losing things.
- If you have an Amtrak Guest Rewards co-branded credit card, be sure to use it when making any Amtrak purchases. The World MasterCard will earn you 3X points for every dollar you spend on Amtrak. Its no-annual fee counterpart, the Platinum MasterCard will earn you 2X.
- Otherwise, Chase does categorize Amtrak purchases as “Travel”. So, using one of Chase’s Sapphire cards for Amtrak purchases earns up to 3X the amount of Chase Ultimate Rewards points.