California Zephyr pulls into Emeryville, heading east

Even though Amtrak’s California Zephyr lacks the same style, not to mention the Vista-Dome, of the original train of that name, it does follow much the same route. I felt lucky to ride the Zephyr between Emeryville and Sacramento a year ago; back in 2000 my mom traveled on the Zephyr from Roseville through the Sierra Nevada and the Rocky Mountains on her way to visit relatives in Iowa.

This episode of California’s Gold, however, celebrates the original California Zephyr and those people who still lovingly remember the joy and elegance of that bygone era of train travel. Huell invites us to come along on a very special adventure, especially for those of us who get excited about a trip by rail through the scenery of the American West.

California Zephyr at Roseville, CA

Huell revisits the California Zephyr, a magnificent train which traveled between Chicago and Oakland from 1949 to 1970. Huell climbs aboard one of the original restored silver “Vista-Dome” cars and travels through some of the most spectacular scenery in the state, heading west fromLake Tahoe. Huell shares the ride with a group of people who worked on and rode the original Zephyr.

(Click on the linked image below to see the video.)