Flying over the Rockies is an awesome, bumpy ride. My wife and I decided to take Amtrak thru the Rockies to get a close-up view of what we had been seeing from 30,000 feet. Here are some of the highlights.
Yes, our train: The California Zephyr rounding one of many bends.
And yes, that is snow on top of the Rocky Mountains in June.
The Zephyr stops to let passengers on/off and for a short stop for picture taking.
Rapids anyone? That’s a long way down!
These pictures don’t capture the majesty of the Rockies. Many, many times the train slows to a crawl because we are so close to the mountainside. There is a 3-wire barrier next to the track that protects the Zephyr from the mountain boulders that could come crashing down at any time because of the train’s movement.
Looks like fun. Maybe try that next time.
Leaving the spectacular Rockies behind, we ride into Utah and the Wasatch Mountain range as the sun sets.
We are scheduled for a 11:05 p.m. arrival time in Salt Lake City, however, freight still rules the rails, so we wait outside of SLC as the freight trains clear out. So, at 11:45, we detrain and head for our hotel, the itch having been scratched for now. I’m wondering how the Rockies would look under a pure white blanket of snow in winter.
Our adventure continues the next day, as we explore downtown Salt Lake City.
