Note: My best efforts at embedding flickr albums does not seem to work properly, so I’m editing the embedding out and simply putting in links if folks want to see the full meal deal. If you just want to look at all the pictures, visit here: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjAGsMj

We decided to vacation via train! So, metaphorically, we took our training wheels off and away we went! Using the Amtrak, we could travel from Seattle to LA and back making stops along the way. Using the train, not as a destination provider, but as a cruise. A land cruise, if you will.

Our train journey started with a jaunt from Seattle to Sacramento. It is an enchanting experience with breathtaking landscapes. The Amtrak goes from Seattle southward with a few stops along the way.

Bing summarizes the Coast Starlight train this way:

The Coast Starlight is a train created by Amtrak that runs daily between Los Angeles and Seattle, passing through Santa Barbara, the San Francisco Bay Area, Sacramento, Portland, and Tacoma. The train uses Superliner rail cars that have two levels and offers business class seating as an option. The route is widely regarded as one of the most spectacular of all train routes, with unsurpassed scenery along the West Coast. The trip takes about 35 hours and includes two days and one night aboard the train. The name is a combination of the Southern Pacific’s Coast Daylight and Starlight trains that both ran on the former SP “Coastal Route” from Los Angeles to San Francisco. The train started in 1971 and has been a fan favorite for nearly 50 years.

We didn’t go through the entire route in one step! We traveled from Seattle to Sacramento, driving to San Simeon. Then driving to Paso Robles and hopping onto the train again and traveling to LA. After a couple days in Hollywood, we rejoined the train and went back to Santa Barbara for our longest stay and then back onto the train and home to Seattle

Seattle to Sacramento: May 20/21

The train trip to Sacramento leaves Seattle (King Street Station) at about 9:30 a.m.

We had two meals – lunch and dinner. I was really worried about the gluten-free-ness of it all, but we managed! They had a vegan loaded baked potato with vegan chili for lunch and a delicious chicken dinner that was quite juicy.

The advantages of the roomette is that you get a regular old bed. And, as someone with a CPAP, that was quite important. It would be hard to set it up in the aisle of a coach or business train car. Additionally, you get all your meals (not snacks), coffee and water service, and a porter to see to your needs if you have any (like a forgotten toothbrush!). We did sleep in a downstairs roomette going south and an upstairs roomette going north. My preference is for the downstairs roomette.

Snaps from the train: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjAGsEJ

The funny thing is, the train gained speed as it traveled towards Sacramento. Oh – why Sacramento when our intent was San Simeon? To rent a car on a Sunday, you have to go to an airport car rental place. I looked at the prices at Sacramento, San Jose, and San Francisco along with the opening times and alignment with the train schedule. The train was supposed to arrive in Sacramento at about 6:30 a.m. which is a great time to get to Enterprise at the Sacramento airport by a 7:00 opening. But guess what! With an early train arrival (5:30), we got to the airport at 6:45 or so. And it only took us that long because our uber driver got lost. Yes, on the way from the train to the airport (a 15 minute drive at worst), our 20-year experienced (not age, experience) uber driver got lost. Ugh.

Anyhoo…we got a lovely car and great service at Enterprise Sacramento. Being first in line does have its perks. We got a free upgrade! The other factor for the car rental was the ability to drop it off in a city closer to San Simeon that has a train station. That would be Paso Robles. But more about that later.

San Simeon: May 21/23

It took about 5 hours to get to San Simeon from Sacramento with a detour to San Jose for a gluten free bakery and a stop in King City for lunch (salad at Subway for the gluten free win!). We also chose to take 101 rather than I5, simply for the scenery. I have to tell you, it felt super odd driving 60 mph on a road similar to Avondale Rd in Redmond, WA.

We arrived in San Simeon at our hotel, The Cavalier Oceanfront Resort . They had been texting us so we let them know we were coming in early and would be there around 1:00. We asked if there might be early check-in. Since we asked about 7:00 a.m., they had plenty of time to make that accommodation and we were able to get into our room straight away.

This day of driving and arriving, btw, was one of the few days of sunshine we had. We have since learned of California’s May Gray and June Gloom.

On our arrival day, we browsed around local attractions. The first was simply our backyard. We went and got a good look at the coast along with the windsurfers that were there.

Snaps of wind surfers and random San Simeon stuff: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjAGsnh

Then we drove a few miles up the Pacific Coast Highway (state route 1) to the Elephant Seal sanctuary with a brief stop at a vista point. It is molting season for the seals. Elephant seals are known for their impressive size. Adult males can reach lengths of up to 16 feet (4.9 meters) and weigh up to 5,000 pounds (2,268 kilograms). Female elephant seals are smaller, with lengths averaging around 10 feet (3 meters) and weights around 1,500 to 2,000 pounds (680 to 907 kilograms). The behavior we observed was a lot of resting, a little swimming, a little posturing (no fights), and a lot of digging in the sand and throwing it onto their own backs!

Snaps of the Elephant Seals: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjAGwd2

After we returned, we were pleasantly surprised with a delivery of champagne from the hotel!

We enjoyed a relaxed evening in preparation for the three Hearst Castle tours we were going to do in the morning. So far, we had not experienced May Gray! We were soon to be corrected.

But that did not stop us from going to Hearst Castle! I think we assumed that the gray would burn off like it does in Seattle and that we’d have full sunshine by noon. Well…we were kind of correct. The day was in and out of gray all day. But they had sunbreaks as we say in the Pacific Northwest. However, the more up the mountain we went, the more sun we had.

Snaps from the Grand Rooms Tour: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjAGwkG

The Grand Rooms tour “provides visitors with a comprehensive introduction to Hearst Castle by showcasing the most opulent and grandiose rooms of the estate. It covers the social and entertaining spaces of the main house, including the Assembly Room, Billiard Room, Refectory, Theater, Gardens, and Neptune Pool. The Grand Rooms Tour offers a glimpse into the lavish lifestyle of newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst and his guests.”

Snaps of the Upstairs Suites Tour: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjAGsDj

“This tour takes visitors to the private quarters of Hearst Castle, providing a behind-the-scenes look at the living spaces used by William Randolph Hearst and his famous guests. It explores the bedrooms, sitting rooms, and private suites of the estate, giving visitors a sense of the personal side of Hearst’s life. The Upstairs Suites Tour allows guests to see the luxurious design and unique collections within these exclusive areas.”

Snaps of the Cottages and Kitchens: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjAGsEN

“This tour focuses on the buildings outside the main house, specifically the guest cottages and the Casa del Mar, which was the home of William Randolph Hearst’s long-time companion, actress Marion Davies. Visitors get to explore the cottages and the Casa del Mar, as well as the estate’s kitchen, where meals were prepared for Hearst’s guests. The tour offers insights into the daily life of those who lived and stayed at Hearst Castle.”

So many steps! When I booked the tours, the website cautioned us about the steps. Certainly not an overall accessible place for folks to go to, however, they do have accessible tours for the Grand Rooms. Between each tour, we had to take the tour bus from the bottom of the mountain (visitor center) and up to the castle. Can you imagine what it took to build this from 1919-1947? They had to create everything! Water reservoirs, roads, electricity, etc. Before building this with architect Julia Morgan, they family camped on the mountain by setting up huge tents every summer and bringing their art and servants. This happened until Hearst was getting older and decided he wanted something a little more permanent. Or as he put it when talking to Julia Morgan, something like, “I want to build a little something.” She had a small room, nearly a hut, next to the kitchens from which she worked.

Julia Morgan was Hearst’s mother’s architect. I’m astounded that she was able to thrive during this time period. And she was definitely part of the LGBTQIA+ ACE community. She said, “My buildings will be my legacy…they will speak for me long after I’m gone.”

Our next stop was dinner at Linn’s Restaurant in nearby Cambria. Linn’s even had gluten free pie! Wowee! It was probably our best meal on the trip. Maybe.

Travel Day (San Simeon-Paso Robles-Los Angeles-Hollywood): May 23

The closest train station to San Simeon is in Paso Robles and there is an Enterprise car place there so we can drop off our car. However, there were challenges! First, the Enterprise lot was completely blocked in by construction. Finding the path took creative driving. And second, the train station was closed down. Really. We got there an hour and a half early thinking we’d encounter a train station and it was completely boarded up and the Amtrak sign was removed. I double, triple checked the Amtrak ticket and it said to go where we were!

So we walked around to the back and could see an outdoor bathroom (like at a park) and a couple benches behind the building next to the tracks. The masc bathroom was occupied by someone sleeping there and had all the toilets blocked up with spillage onto the floors. The fem side was completely perfectly clean. I totally zoned out while we were waiting (and I was kind of worried and doom scrolling on my phone to make sure we were in the correct spot). While in this zonage, apparently officials came and escorted the sleeping unhoused person out of the bathroom and got a full scale bathroom clean up operation going!

Then, finally, the train arrived. We were in the correct spot after all! We kind of wished that we had taken the train into Paso Robles if only to give us the comfort of knowing that it was the correct spot and that we wouldn’t need to arrive early at all. The train stopped for five minutes for us to board into coach.

We were off to LA/Union Station!

From Union Station, we headed to Hollywood/Dream Hotel to sleep and prepare for our trip to Universal Studios. The Dream Hotel gave us a bottle of wine (it was very good) delivered by Alfred, the robot.

Universal Studios Hollywood: May 24

Onward to Universal Studios Hollywood and Super Nintendo World. We were excited to be going to Super Nintendo World which is primarily themed around Super Mario and Super Mario themed games. Why? For me, because I’ve been playing Super Mario games since it’s first release. Rescuing the princess was no joke with no saves as an option!

We opted to get the Express Pass for Universal proper which lets you express pass once for each ride and for early entry into Super Nintendo World. We were grateful for this. The one hour in Super Nintendo World got us through one ride (in which the Express Pass is not an option!) which is based on Mario Kart. We did not buy the magic wrist bands that essentially turn the entire Super Nintendo World into a virtual video game.

Above and beyond the games, the artwork and effort behind creating an environment that feels like you are inside a videogame was outstanding!

Snaps of Super Nintendo World: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjAGt2e

After our hour, we left and started towards the rest of the park. As we were leaving, the staff there were escorting hundreds of people to Super Nintendo World! It looked like quite a crowd! We were grateful to have bypassed that. We did return to the area for lunch at Toadstool Cafe as we made our lunch reservation when we got to the park. It took about 1 hour for all the reservations to be completely full. The meal at the cafe was basic – tomato soup and a caprese salad. That was the gluten free options. The meal was basic but it was delivered in a collectible box and mushroom bowl. We didn’t expect the collectibles and really didn’t want to carry them around. We gave them away to two young kids who looked like they would love them.

The rest of Universal Studios Hollywood was great. We always enjoy our time. The Express Pass got us through all the rides we wanted.

Snaps of May Gray at Universal Hollywood: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjAGt6C

We were able to head back to the hotel around 3:00 p.m. or so. We went back to the Uber pick up spot in the Frankenstein parking deck.

That evening, we had gluten free pizza brought to us via Uber. It was tasty but cold. We got prepped for our train ride to Santa Barbara in the morning!

Santa Barbara Bound: May 24/27

After settling in at the Inn by the Harbor (who let us check in early & provides bicycles), we biked out to the wharf and around the area just a bit. Also, it gave me a chance to tinker with a beautiful photo inn Lightroom and make it very cool.

We discovered the best gluten free bakery – Lilac Patisserie. Belgium waffles, pancakes, sandwiches, grilled cheese, cake, tortes, pies…the possibilities were endless.

Snaps of Santa Barbara: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjAGtUN

We poked around Santa Barbara a bit and then decided we’d go on a trolley tour. We’ve done that before and enjoyed it! We thought the tour was fine but we would definitely swap out the tour guide. He told us more about himself than about the tour. Okay, that’s a bit of an exaggeration, but it felt true.

Trolley Tour Snaps: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjAGyf2

The next day, we decided to Uber to the Santa Barbara Arboretum. Unfortunately, they have a reservation system UNLESS you are a member of the garden. We decided to go ahead and “join” so we could do the tour. Ugh. Quite the money grab. But, it is for a good cause, I suppose.

The arboretum’s mission is to “conserve native plants and habitats for the health and well-being of people and our planet.” I think it is a success.

If I lived there, I’d take littles there every day as there is a fantastic area for small ones.

It was a beautiful place to be! A little challenging to get back online to get an uber to pick us up, though!

Snaps of Santa Barbara Arboretum: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjAGu2X

After our time at the arboretum, we uber’d back to Lilac Patisserie for lunch and then decided to go to the zoo. Luckily, they neither required reservations nor membership! It was a lovely zoo but a bit twisty turny in it’s paths so make sure we wandered around enough to get into all the nooks and crannies was a challenge. My favorite snaps are below and then there is a link to the full album.

Snaps of Santa Barbara Zoo: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjAGtph

Homeward Bound: May 28/29

We left Santa Barbara on May 28th at about 12:30 p.m. We were slated for five meals and one overnight. We again got a roomette. Traveling home, I was fascinated by the yellowness and greeness of the vegetation. And! We saw SpaceX in the distance.

The California, Oregon, and Washington countryside is beautiful. Seeing it this way was a bit like driving without the responsibility!

Snaps from the train: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjAGttM

We arrived home at about 8:30 p.m. and took an Uber home. Thus bringing an end to our land cruise through the west coast.

Overall, we loved our land cruise. We’d definitely do it again! The biggest home runs were Hearst Castle (San Simeon in general) and the Santa Barbara Arboretum and the Zoo. We are considering traveling again this way. It looks like November is a great time to land cruise from Seattle through Utah and back again–hitting the national parks.

All the photos from this trip-leaving this widget embedded even though it shows up strangely:

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