Travel Plans for the near future.

I came across an article on Nytime.com. Think of the possibilities! I don't know if being trapped in a train for 3 days would be comfortable. We'll see. Wonder how many stops there would be on the way. Hmm...

September 30, 2008, 12:23 pm

Traveling From New York City to Berkeley, Calif., by Train

I want to know if it’s possible to travel from New York City to Berkeley, Calif. by train. I am a single senior female. How long would the trip take and what would it cost (roughly)? Thank you.

Jeanne Blumberg,
Mamaroneck, N.Y.

Amtrak’s Empire Builder on its route from Chicago to Seattle and Portland. (Amtrak Travel)

Taking the train across the United States is a trip of a lifetime, especially since the rails travel through stunning areas of the country where highways don’t reach. It is possible to travel on Amtrak (www.amtrak.com) from New York to Berkeley, going through Colorado and northern Utah, but you’ll need to change trains in Chicago and Sacramento, Cal.

The trip will take at least 74 hours, or three days straight, so I suggest getting a private sleeping berth for at least part of the trip. I took a three-day cross-county train trip from Washington, DC to Seattle with just a coach seat and only slept well when the seat next to me happened to be empty.

The cost depends on whether you get the room. A coach-only reservation for a mid-October trip can cost as little as $265.20, with a senior discount. But if you add a Superliner Roomette (holds two) for the two nights on the California Zephyr (the Chicago to Sacramento leg), the price of the same trip is $809.95.

Be sure to check out the Berkeley destination guide in nytimes.com/travel, which includes “36 Hours in Berkeley, Calif.” by Joshua Kurlantzick. And if you have time in Chicago or Sacramento, our archives include destination guides to those cities as well. - DAVID G. ALLAN

JFK SUCKS & Five Guys Rule! enRoute to LA (LA Part 1)

I finally made it out to LA the day after an earthquake. Everyone became a seismologist the day the earthquake happened and forewarned me of an aftershock. I took it in stride and continued on.

JFK sucks. Long lines to check my bag and even longer line through security. They had a total of FOUR people checking people through security. It was pretty ridiculous. They needed at least eight to keep the congestion down. The dude that checked me in was really taking his time. It seemed as if he did it to spite the angry people online. I was not happy with his attitude but I again like the seismologists, I move on. I think it's best not to piss off or get short with the TSA.

The Air Train terminal is VERY NICE and super clean.

I finally arrive at my gate and there were lovely Samsung sponsored outlets for all your charging needs. I gladly plugged my iPhone in to get a full charge before boarding. I boarded the plane with two crying babies but it was a short flight to Dulles, my connecting flight.

I was told the line at Five Guys is usually very long. 20 minutes long according to the flight attendant. I went there and thankfully there were only 2 people online!

The view of the line after I got my food. Looked about 20 minutes long.

Five Guys in action.

Order of fries, bacon burger with mushrooms, onions, bbq sauce, lettuce and tomato.

Five Guys made my layover very bearable. I enjoyed every last fry I had.

The flight to LA was awful. The two crying babies were now seated in front and behind me. There was a symphony of crying throughout the whole trip. The young lady to my front right was also breast feeding her child and opted to change her baby's diaper on the food tray. They make bathrooms for a reason right?

More on my actual trip soon. I have work to catch up on.