On the Pacific Surfliner to San Diego

Although I didn’t take the Coast Starlight along its entire route from Seattle to Los Angeles, I did the next best thing. The Pacific Surfliner covers the same route from San Luis Obispo to Los Angeles, plus it goes all the way to San Diego. I spent the entire day on the Pacific Surfliner. That day started very early, as the train departed at 6:55 am, before the sun had even risen.

I knew that I would not be walking from my hotel to the station, so I considered my options. Confession time! I realized that either Uber or Lyft was the only way, but I had never had the occasion to take either one. I had loaded both apps on my phone last night and crossed my fingers that I would get to the station on time. I was a bit nervous when Lyft showed no available drivers, so I tried Uber. I had to hustle when it showed that Vincent would arrive in less than ten minutes. I had a delightful ride with him and confessed that this was my first time. Success!

Boarding the Pacific Surfliner at Dark-Thirty!

I had booked a seat in business class, partly because coffee, pastries, snacks, and water would be provided since I had no time for breakfast. It took me a few tries to figure out where I wanted to sit, but I soon sat back, waited for the sun to rise, and get my first glimpse of the Pacific Ocean. It was worth the wait.

The most breathtaking section of the entire journey was the stretch between Surf and Goleta where the tracks hug the ocean. Here, there was no highway between the train and the ocean, unlike the stretch south of Los Angeles. In fact, there was virtually nothing manmade here at all. It was sublime, especially in the early morning light.

My time on the Pacific Surfliner was much more social than any of the previous sections. Although I was sitting by myself, I still had a delightful conversation about retirement with a lady originally from Chile and another woman who was still working as we made our way to Santa Barbara.

Then at the stop in Ventura, an African-American gentleman, probably in his mid-50s, sat next to me, and we seemed to talk about everything under the sun. He was a fellow train aficionado, although way more versed about the current state of rail travel than I. He pointed out sights along the way, suggested which seats we should move to when the train reached Los Angeles, and offered to give me a quick tour of Los Angeles Union Station when we stopped there. Without his help, I likely would have been hesitant to venture into the labyrinth of Union Station, not knowing if I would make it back to the train in time.

I never asked, but I wondered if he had any hesitation in selecting a seat next to an older white woman. Would she have an issue with his sitting there? Was she a Trumpette or a racist? Of course, I was neither, but he would not have known that just by looking at me.

The two highlights of today’s trip were the scenery between San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara and my interactions with this gentleman. It was a great day – perfect weather, gorgeous scenery, and great company.