I love trains and I’m ready to travel everywhere by train. On my first visit to the United States at the end of the last century, I even took the 12-hour Starlight Express between San Francisco and Los Angeles to see the beauty of the West Coast of the United States.

When I mentioned a train ride, people in my circle of friends thought I was “Nuts” or typical Nat! People jumped in cars and drove on the highway or took a shuttle between these two airports in the city. Trains such as the BART or Caltrain commuted in the Bay Area. Nobody thought of Amtrak trains or the waste of a whole day. However, I had a lot of time and my son decided to enjoy it.

We went to San Francisco Station (I think it was Emeryville … but I’m not sure) and my son made me board the train. The train was an impressive two-story superliner train. There was a viewing lounge with panoramic windows on both sides, which allowed a panoramic view of the landscape. There was a dinner and the seats were spacious and I could lie down comfortably there. All this was a change of Indian features.

The train left early in the morning and gradually sank into the hills of the bay. After a brief glimpse of the Diablo Mountains, the route ran along the California Pacific coast. The landscape was amazing both on the coast and inland, where agricultural produce was abundant in the large agricultural valleys of California.

The next stop was Oakland and then it was lunchtime. As a vegetarian, there was nothing to eat zilch for me. I could get a packet of biscuits, a cupcake, if I recall correctly, and packets of tetrasaft … no tea for a non-coffee drinker.

The landscape distracted me from my hunger and we crossed San Luis Obispo. The sea was rough and we continued to watch dolphins and whales. And after Pismo Beach the next stop was Santa Barbara !! Remember that this was the moment the series was on with the same name and how all the starwatchers I gaped and gaped … but I did not see anything familiar with the TV screen.

A bit more Moviedom was waiting for us after Oxnard crossed the train through the valley of Simi, the outstation of the Hollywood Westerns. The terrain was popular with cowboys and Arab films with well-known rocks that marked the area. It was sunset when we arrived in Los Angeles … and the train was a few hours late!

This train ride is great in every season, but in September the hills are adorned with beautiful browns and browns as the wild wheat materializes. The California Scrub Oaks sprays the dominant landscape in her majesty.

The Coast Starlight is a wonderful way to travel. You can stretch your legs, no tight places and good toilets. Imagine … no annoying security lines, no shoes and jackets, no luggage restrictions. The added interest is people watching breathtaking sea capes, including an iconic lighthouse, coastal scenery and meandering quietly through the hills and valleys, fields and sea best way to make California.

There are times when the train stands on the tracks and waits for the freight trains. Nevertheless, the whole trip was along the sea, the train was great with observation decks, dining cars, sofa beds and other facilities. Vegetarian food? You guessed right. It was a nightmare because I was not equipped with my idli box, tamarind rice and quark rice!