Train across USA: #10 Amtrak California Zephyr--Across Iowa & the Mississippi for Chicago 2016-05-12
An eastbound
Amtrak California Zephyr speeds past farm fields, towns, and cities of
Iowa before crossing the
Mississippi at
Burlington, Iowa to continue past a similar landscape of
Illinois until it reaches its eastern terminus at
Chicago's subterranean
Union Station, ending a 50-hour journey from its western terminus at
Emeryville (next to
Oakland), California.
0:01
Leaving Creston, Iowa
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Creston,_Iowa
3:10
Arriving Osceola, Iowa
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Osceola,_Iowa
5:22-5:59 Day 3 (last) breakfast on board
California Zephyr
6:00
Entering Ottumwa, Iowa (on
Des Moines River)
Elevation: 673 ft / 205 m
Pop; 25,023 (
2010)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Ottumwa,_Iowa
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Des_Moines_River
7:40 Leaving Ottumwa, Iowa
16:00
Mount Pleasant, Iowa
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Pleasant,_Iowa
19:15-19:30 Burlington, Iowa
Elevation: 696 ft / 185 m
Population: 25,663
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Burlington,_Iowa
19:30
Lunch call from dining car
21:50-22:30
Crossing Mississippi River into
Illinois
24:10-24:20
Crystal Lake,
Gladstone Township, Illinois
24:33-24:40
Last meal (lunch) on board this three-day California Zephyr trip: an all-American cheeseburger
26:05-27:25
Kirkwood, Illinois (no stopping)
27:49-31:30
Galesburg, Illinois
Elevation: 771 ft / 235 m
Population: 35,750 (
2015)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Galesburg,_Illinois
34:30-35:40
Princeton, Illinois: 104 miles / 167 km to Chicago
Elevation: 780 ft / 237.7 m
Population: 7,700 2014 (2014)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Princeton,_Illinois
36:10-
Malden, Illinois
Elevation 700 ft /
213 m
Population: 362 (2010)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Malden,_Illinois
37:15-38:48
Mendota, Illinois
Elevation: 741 ft / 226 m
Population: 7,372 (2010)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Mendota,_Illinois
38:50-39:05
Earlville, Illinois
Elevation: 698 ft / 213 m
Population: 1,661 (
2013)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Earlville,_Illinois
39:12-39:45
Somonauk, Illinois
Elevation: 686 ft / 209 m
Population: 1,893 (2010)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Somonauk,_Illinois
40:00-41:10
Sandwich, Illinois
Elevation: 669 ft / 204 m
Population: 7,421 (2010)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Sandwich,_Illinois
42:30-44:00
Aurora, Illinois
Elevation:
718 ft (219 m)
Population: 199,963 (2013)
45:00
Naperville, Illinois
45:35 Cafe-lounge car closure announcement
Elevation:
702 ft /
214 m
Population:
144,864 (2013 estimate)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Naperville,_Illinois
53:10 Entering
Chicago, Illinois
Highest elevation:
– tip of
Willis ("Sears")
Tower 1,729 ft / 527 m
–
Ground near
Blue Island 672 ft / 205 m
Lowest elevation:
Surface of
Lake Michigan 578 ft / 176 m
Population: 2,695,598
1:05:30 Detraining at
Chicago Union Station
Total time from
Sacramento: 49 hours 41 minutes (spread over 3 calendar days)
Total time from Emeryville (
Western Terminus): 51 hours 40 minutes
Total meals (included in sleeping car tariff):
3 X lunch
2 X dinner
2 X breakfast
Alcoholic beverages are extra
Sleeping-car passengers may bring own alcohol on board for consumption in own sleeping compartment
(not as
BYO to dining car with meals or brought to observation car)
Access to rest of videos (playlist) of this entire trip:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZiOqJL_FqTSj1PPw8GEm7SKv-CZ7-8-9