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Independent Amtrak Tours
Escorted Amtrak Tours
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California...Here We Come is not being offered this year. A variety of other spectacular tours to see America by rail are currently available for travel.
Westbound on Amtrak's California Zephyr takes you along one the United States' Great Rail Journeys. Take in the dramatic scenery of the Great Plains, Rocky Mountains and Sierra Nevada Mountains on your way to San Francisco. A taste of San Francisco, then head South on Amtrak's Coast Starlight. Visit Santa Barbara and the Danish town of Solvang. From Santa Barbara take the Pacific Surfliner to San Diego, where you will explore Southern California. Homeward bound on Amtrak's Southwest Chief.
Colorado Rockies • San Francisco • Santa Barbara • Solvang • San Diego
Call 877-929-7245 for air and rail fares and schedules from
your city to and from Chicago.
- San Francisco, everyone's favorite city by the Bay.
Sightseeing; ride the cable cars; free time to ex-plore.
Fisherman's Wharf, the Golden Gate Bridge
and the view from atop Twin Peaks will thrill you.
- Fall in love with beautiful Santa Barbara. The
flowers, the Spanish architecture, the parks and the
mild temperatures provide a wonderful experience.
- You may never visit Denmark; but, after your visit
to Solvang, you will have experienced perhaps the
next best thing. Danish architecture, windows,
gaslights and cobblestone streets abound.
- Two full days in exciting San Diego. What a
conclusion to your visit to the Golden State. You'll
tour the city, cruise its harbor and visit its world-famous
zoo.
- Westbound 2300 miles from Chicago to San
Francisco on the California Zephyr, including the
spectacular Colorado Rockies and the Sierra
Nevada Mountains (over the famous Donner Pass).
- Travel south on Amtrak's premier train, The Coast
Starlight, through the towering Santa Rosa
Mountains and along the picturesque Pacific
Ocean coast line to Santa Barbara.
- Return on the famous Southwest Chief through
Arizona and New Mexico. You'll follow the route
of the pioneers along the Santa Fe Trail.
- Round-trip transportation by Amtrak
rail and connecting motor coach.
- First-class hotel accommodations with
private bath for six nights.
- Private-room sleeping accommodations
on the trains for four nights ($695 additional
per person for an upgraded
Bedroom).
- Sightseeing in San Francisco, Santa
Barbara, Solvang, and San Diego.
- Admissions to many attractions.
- Baggage handling, taxes & tips.
- 17 meals.
- Services of a professional tour guide
Day 1: En Route
All tour members will meet the tour
director in the Metropolitan Lounge of
Chicago's Union Station. They will board
the famous California Zephyr in mid
afternoon. The Zephyr features the
double-decker Superliner equipment.
Relax in your comfortable private
Roomette bedroom sleeping
accommodations. Upgraded Bedrooms
are available at an additional cost. After
settling in, you may want to go to the
glass-walled Sightseer Lounge car. All
meals on the trains are included. Coffee
and bottled water are available for sleeping
car occupants in their car. Enjoy a full-course
dinner in the diner tonight. (D)
Day 2: En Route
When you awaken this morning you
may look out your window toward the
West and thrill to the sight of the
towering Colorado Rockies in the
distance. Plan to get up early, have a
piping hot breakfast in the dining car and
find a seat in the glass-walled lounge car
for the spectacular scenery that will unfold
before you the rest of the day.
The Zephyr will pull out of Denver this
morning and begin its climb over the ice
and snow-covered Front Range toward the
Continental Divide. The mountain vistas
continue until late afternoon. (B, L & D)
Day 3: En Route/San Francisco
Today's scenery will be almost as
spectacular as that experienced yesterday
in Colorado as the Zephyr climbs over the
high Sierra Nevada mountains through
the famous Donner Pass. From rugged
terrain and pine trees to lush greenery and
palm trees . . . this landscape contrast will
occur in just three hours. Your arrival in
the world-famous "City by the Bay" is
scheduled for early evening. You'll transfer
to the attractive, centrally located
Chancellor Hotel. It is located near Union
Square. (B & L)
Day 4: San Francisco
You're free this morning to ride a cable
car or just wander through Union Square.
After an "on-your-own" lunch,you'll
embark on a three-and-a-half hour
sightseeing tour of San Francisco,
including Chinatown, Golden Gate Park,
Jackson Square, Telegraph Hill, the
Presidio and Fisherman's Wharf.
The afternoon's tour will end at
Fisherman's Wharf. Some will want to
have dinner in this area and return to the
hotel on their own. Your tour director will
suggest some moderately-priced dining
options as well.
Day 5: En Route/Santa Barbara
You'll check out of Your hotel this
morning and transfer by motor coach to
the Oakland Amtrak Station. You'll depart
on the Coast Starlight, Amtrak's premier
train. Relax in a comfortable reclining
coach seat with leg rest. Lunch is available
in the Starlight's dining car. Snacks,
sandwiches and beverages are available in
the lounge car. The scenic highlights of
the day will be the traversing of a number
of mountain ranges and about 100 miles
of rolling along the awesome Pacific
Ocean coastline. Be sure to be in the
Sightseer Lounge car.
Your arrival into Santa Barbara is
scheduled for early evening. Your
delightful hostelry for the next two nights
is the former Virginia Hotel (now Holiday
Express) located in Center City. This classic, 1920s era boutique-style hotel is located in center city near many shops, galleries and fine restaurants.
Day 6: Santa Barbara/Solvang
You'll embark on a two-hour sightseeing
tour of what many consider to be
America's most beautiful city. You'll see
many examples of the city's Spanish past,
including the Mission Santa Barbara and
El Presidio de Santa Barbara State
Historical Park. The Court House, with
its massive murals and tile floors and
walls, is not to be missed.
After the city tour you'll re-board the
motor coach and continue on 45 miles to
one of California's most popular attractions.
You may never travel to Denmark, but after
your visit to Solvang you will have
experienced perhaps the next best thing.
Danish architecture, windows, gas lights and
cobblestone walks abound. Solvang's
distinctively Danish flavor pervades its
roughly 300 stores. There will be time for an
"on-your-own" lunch at one of Solvang's
attractive restaurants. The pastries are
awesome!
You'll have some time to explore Santa
Barbara on your own when you return to our
hotel at mid afternoon. Your tour director will
host dinner tonight at a nearby restaurant. (CB & D)
Day 7: En Route/San Diego
Breakfast in the hotel is included this
morning. You'll transfer to the Santa Barbara
Amtrak station for the morning departure of
a Pacific Surfliner for the six-hour, 232-mile
run along the coast to San Diego. At certain
points along the way, the train parallels the
beautiful Pacific Ocean. You'll pass through
the heart of Los Angeles and then travel along
the Pacific Ocean beach south of there.
Our home for the two nights in San Diego
will be the Courtyard by Marriott. The hotel
is conveniently located near Old Town, a
section of this beautiful city that preserves the
town's Spanish-Mexican heritage. (CB)
Day 8: San Diego
Breakfast will be included each morning in
San Diego. This morning you'll strike out on
a San Diego city tour. You'll get off our
motor coach at Cruise Ship Terminal, where
we'll embark on a one-hour cruise of the
fascinating San Diego Harbor. Your
additional stopovers include: downtown's
famed Gaslamp Quarter, the Hotel del
Coronado, the Embarcadero, Balboa Park
and Old Town. These are just a few of the
breathtaking sights on the popular narrated
tour. Enjoy an "on-your-own" lunch at
Seaport Village.
The afternoon is free to explore nearby Old
Town. (B)
Day 9: San Diego/En Route
Today is the day you'll visit the renowned
San Diego Zoo, one of the greatest zoological
gardens in the world. You'll depart from our
hotel at 10:00 a.m. First, you'll take a tour of
the entire zoo complex on a double-decker
conveyance. You'll have time to explore the
zoo on your own and have lunch.
At 2:00 p.m.you'll transfer the short
distance to the Amtrak station whereyou'll
depart at 3:00 p.m. You'll arrive in the Los
Angeles Union Station at 5:45 p.m. At 6:45
you'll board the famous Southwest Chief for
Chicago.
You'll again enjoy private-room sleeping
accommodations, all train meals and other
amenities experienced on the California
Zephyr. Enjoy a full-course dining car dinner
upon departure. (B & D)
Day 10: En Route
You'll want to take advantage of the
fascinating scenery of Arizona and New
Mexico the train will pass through during the
day.
You'll have time for a train side walk in
Albuquerque at noon. Native American
vendors will have attractive jewelry for sale.
(B, L & D)
Day 11: En Route
The Southwest Chief will roll across
Northeast Missouri, a corner of Iowa, and all
of Illinois before your late afternoon arrival in
Chicago. Some tour members will change to
trains bound for Midwest, Eastern, and
Southern home cities. Others will stay in
Chicago and fly home tomorrow. (B & L)
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