Ignoramus30927 wrote:
Amtrak is made from metal. So there is some relevance. Anyway. My 6
year old wants to ride Amtrak from IL to CA (Chicago to Emeryville
CA) in summer.

I first dismissed the idea, but now I like it. I doubt that Amtrak
will be around for much longer, and 7 (he will be 7 by summer) is old
enough to remember, so perhaps this ride would be a memorable
experience. he may not have a chance to do it when he grows up.

My question is, has anyone tried something like this, is there enough
we can do on the train to keep this 54 hour ride interesting?

i

One of the few memories I have left from my childhood is a train ride
from Albuquerque to El Paso when I was somewhere around 6 or 8 years
old. My mom and dad put me on the train and I traveled by myself to El
Paso where my aunt and uncle picked me up. I had a blast, but that
train ride was certainly not any where near 2+ days. I think if it was
that long I would have gone bonkers. (bonkerser???)

A 2+ day trip he might remember for a very long time, and the way he
remembers it would come down to accommodations (sleeper car if they
still have such a thing), and his dad's preparation (books to read,
games to play, etc.). Even at that, 2+ days could be a looong time for
a 6yr old.

As others have suggested, you could break the trip into two parts.
Train to Denver for one part, spend a day or two there, and then
continue to Emeryville. It's been a long time, but I think the ride
from Denver would be a tour of the southwestern deserts. BOOOOOORING!!!
Perhaps you could fly to someplace like Salt Lake City or maybe even
some place closer like Reno Nevada and then take a train. That way I
think the train ride would go over the Sierra Nevada mountains instead
of around the southern end of them.

You have lots of options available to you. Any way you go he will
probably remember the trip for a very long time. HOW he remembers it is
going to be your job. Do your planning right and it could end up being
one of his fondest memories. A cross country adventure he had with his
dad. Do it wrong and it could be one of his worst memories. A cross
country trip his dad dragged him on. He probably won't remember that it
was HIS idea in the first place. :-)

Then, depending on how the trip out this way goes, you can decide about
going back. Maybe a 2++ day trip back with dad would be a good thing
too. Maybe you might want to just fly all the way. Who knows.

I also have another train story. This one isn't mine, but might be of
interest to someone. My 85 year old mother took a train from
Albuquerque out here to Califorlornia a few years back. The two things
that she talked about the most were 1) Having to stop out in the middle
of the interior valley for several hours in the middle of the summer
while waiting for a crew change. and 2) Having to stop out in the
middle of the interior valley for several hours in the middle of the
summer while waiting for a crew change with NO AIR CONDITIONING. She
refunded her return ticket and took a plane back home instead (AFTER her
visit of course).

Wayne