An Outdoor Paradise
Two of the stops on the Amtrak California Zephyr Line are Truckee and Reno. Although the Zephyr runs from San Francisco, you climb through the heart of the Rockies. Further west it travels through the snow-capped Sierra Nevadas. Truckee and Reno are two of the most scenic destinations that you might take. It then goes on through Nebraska, Denver and Salt Lake City and on to Chicago. Truckee offers great access to the Lake Tahoe region with many outdoor activities such as skiing, fishing, hiking, swimming, boating and of course cycling. The Tahoe region offers world class road and mountain biking as well as a selection of e-bike rentals on both sides of the California/Nevada border. Reno is known as the biggest little city in the world and has many hotel/casinos to choose from as well as many sights to see such as the National Automobile Museum.
Our Train Trip to Truckee and Reno
On the day after Christmas in 2015, my wife and I took this line from Sacramento to Reno. The weather started out sunny with a chill in the air. The train was not crowded and we had plenty of room to move around. We easily explored the cars while looking at the views from different windows. The trip was a little over 4 1/2 hours and had stops along the way in Roseville, Auburn and Truckee. As we proceeded up the hill and then into the mountains, the terrain went from valley grassland. The landscape then changed to foothill scrub with oak and many other types or trees. Finally the scenery became a lush wooded forest filled with various pine trees. The terrain quickly turned to patches of white as we approached the Soda Springs area.
The Altitude Gave Us Snow
As the train climbed, we went under a ski lift with skiers on it. I’m pretty sure it was part of the Sugar Bowl Ski Resort. By this time the patches of snow had become solid and covered the ground with a few exceptions. The next view on our left was the magnificent Donner Lake. The snow was everywhere now. The dark waters of the lake were in stark contrast of the surrounding snowy forest. More tunnels and some impressive train turns later we slowed as we approached the town of Truckee. This small highway-side town has the charm of the old west. It also offered conveniences of the modern era when it comes to lodging, dining and outdoor activities. On this trip we stayed on the train and continued to our final destination of Reno.
The National Automobile Museum
While in Reno, we explored the Truckee River Walk which follows the River through the entire downtown area. It offers a mix of natural beauty with the modernization of an old west town. There was a mix of parks, shopping and of course plenty of casinos. The best choice we made was to visit the National Automobile Museum. We planned for a few hours, but it took more than half of a day. The museum is a well organized timeline of automobiles that are unique or have significant history in the United States. This included foreign cars as well. We found ourselves having a new appreciation for the automobile. Visiting the museum will take most of the day, so plan accordingly. There is something at the museum for car lovers or all ages. This truly is a gem in the high dessert mountains of Nevada.
The Return From Truckee and Reno
As we started back toward the California valley, the weather gave us a treat. It snowed as we chugged over Donner Pass. The train paused once or twice (I would assume to clear the track), but never for very long. The falling snow added a bit of magic to the already beautiful part of this adventure. It was almost surreal to be in the comfort of the warm train car and relaxing. We actually got to enjoy the snowy scenery as we traveled. A plane is nearly impossible to do that in. That is what we are all about. It will always be about enjoying the journey as well as the destination.
Tim by Train, Founder of Travel by Train – email: timbytrains@gmail.com