Tuesday, November 5, 2024

Riding Amtrak Coach from Chicago to Salt Lake City

 

                                                     Chicago's Union Station.


A strong desire to see more countryside than one can see out of an airplane prompted a California Zephyr train ride, in coach seating, from Chicago to Salt Lake City on October 3-5, 2024.

While my wife flew home from Chicago, I went solo, on the train. This is the story of my trip….

The Chicago Train Station is simply huge. Amtrak took just a fraction of it. And, there were all kinds of food options available at the station, including McDonald’s and Chick-fil-A. It took some wandering, but I finally found the Amtrak section. (I had months earlier paid $167 for my ride, which included $18 insurance extra, to get a complete refund, should I cancel my ride.)




Surprisingly, there were zero security checks. No one even glanced at my bags. I was given a piece of cardboard with my coach seat number on it and I boarded. (I chose riding coach, because the “roomettes” are way too small and the actual rooms are way overpriced.) I lucked out and not only got a window seat, it was on the second floor, mid-train car and on the left side of the train (best overall view for the trip).

I quickly realized that all the YouTube videos I watched of this ride really didn’t enough pertinent information…. I was one my own.

The train left on time – 2 p.m. and a woman sitting next to me was only going to western Illinois and used the Zephyr as a commuter train, not a scenic train. Once she left, I was sitting along until Denver.

                                          California Zephyr as it leaves Chicago.


One of the most important things to learn is how to safely and efficiently walk down the aisles as the train is moving. Unless you are really short, grabbing onto the ledge of the upper compartment hold works best. That way, you keep your balance, but do not disturb passengers in the seats below.




                                        Wide open farm fields of Western Illinois.

It is also important early on know where the rest rooms are, plus the observation room, cafĂ© and dining car. (Being frugal, I brought many snacks, drinks and sandwiches, so I never spent a penny on the train.) As a passenger nearby said, if you ate every meal through the train’s dining, you would pay $85 a day and at least compared to a coach train face, would surpass that total cost by about your fourth meal. (Breakfast was $20; Lunch $25 and dinner was $40.)



                  Amtrak crossing the Mississippi River.


I really enjoyed watching all the little Illinois and Iowa towns go by from my window view. When we crossed the Mississippi River, near Burlington, Iowa, only I seemed to even notice that. I didn’t go to the observation car until near the end of my ride, because, yes, it was crowded and my window seat already had good views.

The leg room was slightly bigger than what I had on my first-class airplane ride to Chicago and the seats reclined back a long ways. There was also a fold-out tray for food or a computer, an electrical plug nearby and room under my seat for a carry on bag and my other bag was above my seat in the storage area.

All passengers around me were rather quiet and most kept to themselves. The rest rooms were about the size of those on an airplane, but one was larger for the handicapped and another one was larger because it included extra space to change one’s clothes. There was no shower – just a sink, mirror and toilet.

The first conductor was firm about no passenger changing their assigned seats and one woman got kicked out of her seat three times by him, as at night she sought a seat be herself. (The later conductors just cared about knowing where one moves to, as a tag above your seat states where your final destination is and they simply didn’t want anyone to miss their stop.)



It got dark outside just before the train hit Omaha, Nebraska. (The lights get turned down by 11 p.m., until about 7 a.m., during the quiet period).

I should have used earplugs as the train whistles kept blaring all night going through small crossings in Nebraska. It took over an hour because I dozed off. When I woke up about 6:30 a.m., we were in Colorado. I shaved and refreshed in the bathroom and was soon back in my seat looking at N.E. Colorado.

The train had to do some fancy switching and reversing to get into the Denver Train station, but it arrived about 10 minutes ahead of schedule.

                                                            Denver's Union Station.

I went in the Denver Union Station to use a real rest room and stretch. I was gone just 20 minutes, but there was an unannounced “mechanical problem”) and we sat an extra 70 minutes before we moved again. (We were not an hour behind schedule and looking at what others have said about this ride, it is almost never on time, so plan on that scenario…)

Three women from Salt Lake had taken the Amtrak to Denver two days earlier and got on at Denver. One of them sat next to me, but the trio spent ample time in the dining and observation cars, so I had plenty of solitude…

All my pre-made peanut butter sandwiches tasted great, but some donuts I have brought were smashed into small pieces.

Now came the best part of the ride. Looping through the Denver foothills to climb through the Rocky Mountains offered the best scenery so far.  The train had to climb almost 4,000 feet to enter the Moffat Tunnel, a 6.2-mile-long conduit through the mountains, to Winter Park. Surprisingly, there were a dozen or more small tunnels to go through to reach the Moffat Tunnel.





The fall color scenery was excellent and the train was nearly full, because of that reason.

I was amazed how much loose rock was on the mountainside above the railroad tracks and yet we were sailing along smoothly. Also, every time I thought we were above paved roads on the Colorado mountainside, I’d spot a different, new road, that cut through the Rockies.



The Moffat Tunnel ride seemed quick and Winter Park, 9,000-feet above sea level, was reached. For the rest of the trip, I was amazed at how many passengers got on—and—off at little towns in Colorado. The train soon followed the Colorado River all the way to Utah. About half of that was in an area north of Interstate 70, where there are rarely paved road nearby. A lot of river rafters were spotted and the fall colors were at their peak. When the train left Glenwood Springs, it was full to capacity again …



         Utah's La Sal Mountains (east of Moab), as seen from the Amtrak observation car.

When the train reached Utah, it was only about half full again and I sat in the observation car for the rest of the trip. The train was about 90 minutes behind schedule at Price, Utah. By then, it was pitch dark outside and there was little one could see. The train stopped almost a half-hour again partway through Spanish Fork Canyon, for some unknown reason. Now, we were two hours behind schedule.

When the train reached the Provo, Utah station, I was alone in the observation car and got a kick out of seeing the Wasatch Front zoom by. It was supposed to take 72 minutes from Provo to Salt Lake, but the train moved faster than any previous point on the trip and was going 79 miles an hour all the way – and did the trip in about 58 minutes.

The train was supposed to reach Salt Lake City at 11:15 p.m., but it was 1 a.m., when it finally arrived. A line of three dozen passengers were waiting there to get on the train to the Nevada-California segment.

Mission accomplished, I saw scenery I wanted to see. Would I do the ride again? Probably only if my wife or another family member or friend was with me. It was inexpensive and a rather unique ride.

 

 

 

Wednesday, August 14, 2024

Taggart's Grill -- Worth the Weber Canyon Drive on I-84

 


SADLY, the lifespan of local restaurants is that they usually come and go. Few such eateries, even seemingly popular ones, last for more than a few decades.

Utah Noodle, in Ogden, my wife’s favorite, closed for good in 2012. The Oaks in Ogden Canyon had more than a century old history, but it closed in 2023, seemingly for good. And, in 2024, Annie’s Diner in Kaysville shut its doors forever. Both of the latter two were favorites of the author.

So, looking for new restaurants, my wife and discovered Taggart’s Grill in Weber Canyon, six miles east of Morgan and four miles west of Devil’s Slide. It is barely visible from the I-84 freeway and does have limited parking, but it does offer great, upscale food. Its chocolate fudge cake is to die for, as is its carrot cake. Both are made from scratch on-site.

  Take exit No. 108 to access the grill.

                                                              I-84 exit No. 108.

  The grill began in the year 2000. It began earlier, just offering sandwiches to local rafters and tubers down the Weber River, as the area has long been a launching location into the river. Most menu items are in the $15-$20 range and children’s portions are under $10. The grill offers a Sunday brunch (11 a.m.-3p.m. only).

  There is limited patio seating, but only for adults, ages 16 and up.

  Our food was great and the service excellent. We arrived on a weekday, just before noon and by 12:30 p.m., all the tables around us were filled.

Several peacocks live in the grill’s yard and are a delight to watch through large glass windows. Located miles from any town, the grill’s setting is quiet and peaceful.



                                                   A warning sign at the Grill.

  It is worth the drive east on I-84, from South Weber. From my house, in Layton, it is a 40-minute drive (29 miles) to Taggart’s Grill.


                      Part of my extended family eating at Taggart's Grill.

 

   The same area at the Taggart exit used to have a service station and at one time offered cabins for rent, as well as ice cream to buy (see the two pictures below, that are framed on the grill's walls).




NOTE: The author has no financial ties or connection to Taggart's Grill, other than being a patron.

 

Wednesday, May 22, 2024

A Sad Farewell to Annie's Diner in Kaysville, Utah ...


 

Sadly, my wife and I had our last visit to Annie’s Diner in Kaysville, Utah on May 22, 2024. 

This locally owned eatery is closing by June 1, 2024, or before, as it has lost more than $93,000, according to the Salt Lake Tribune. (Thanks to one of my Facebook friends, Valerie Phillips, for posting first on Facebook about the closing.) 





I haven't felt this sad about a restaurant closing since Utah Noodle of Ogden called it quits in September of 2012. (I also didn't like it when The Oaks Restaurant in Ogden Canyon closed either.)

  Annie's had probably been open about 20 years, under three different ownerships. It opened in the late 1990s as Jonnie's Restaurant and was bought and switched to Annie's in 2002.



My wife and I made one last late lunch visit to Annie's. We had to wait 22 minutes to be seated and 30 minutes for our food, but worth it. Lots of high school kids there with yearbooks on the last full day of public school  (including 4 young men we saw who left without paying). Many people before us had to apparently wait 60 minutes for their order. 

                                         The Cadillac Burger, with bacon and fries.



The staff was so far behind that they locked the doors 5 minutes after we got there. We saw at least 6 people turned away. For me, the Cadillac Burger (their most expensive regular item at $16.99) was what I always ordered. And, it was as great tasting as ever,



                                   The author and a Cadillac Burger.

A waitress said they only found out about the closing the night prior. She said the owner had stopped coming in much recently was the only pre-warning sign, as the restaurant seemed plenty busy.

 



The owner stated on Facebook that he was essentially subsidizing each meal ordered by about 7 percent. And, when he tried a price increase before that, business went down significantly. He had already saved the restaurant from closing a few years ago when he bought it from the original owner, who was set to close it.









Other than some very small local eateries, except for fast food now, Kaysville seems to only have Orlando’s Mexican restaurant as its lone major sit-down restaurant left. 

Annie's was kind of a rough equivalent of Sill's Restaurant in neighboring Layton City, though more upscale.

  All in all, it is one less locally owned restaurant in an eatery world dominated more and more by chain restaurants.


              A Jack in the Box restaurant under construction, south of Annie's in Kaysville.

A new Jack in the Box (my favorite fast food place) is ironically under construction next door, and to the south of Annie’s. – (some consolation for me.)

 

Tuesday, August 15, 2023

A Tribute to the late Chuck Gates

 


  Charles "Chuck" Joseph Gates, Jr., 66, passed away on August 9, 2023 in Ogden, Utah.

He and I first crossed paths in 1981 and initially, we talked a lot about dating problems with current and past girlfriends, as we were both single then. We created a bond early on.

 Chuck always seemed so cool and calm, someone special to respect and look up to. We worked at the same place for some 27 years. He was one of my bosses for 15 of those years. We both eventually got laid off just a few months apart. He wanted me to invest in a possible business with him a few weeks after I was let go. I said no, as it seemed too risky.

On the other hand, I don't think anyone else had ever trusted me enough to partner in a business adventure. We both eventually landed on our feet, got other jobs and moved on. With his passing, I wonder more and more how that business venture might have gone?

Chuck died followed an accident -- he fell off the roof of his house and went head first into the ground. He had to be put into an induced coma to have any hope of recovery, but after three days, there was no hope and all plugs were pulled. Apparently, the edge of his roof collapsed, which resulted in his fall. 

(This is at the least a stern, first-hand  reminder to always be careful when atop roofs or ladders!)

His funeral service proved we had more in common than I thought. And, surprisingly, he had years ago moved northward, from south Salt Lake County, to northern Weber County. I wish I had realized that and got some connection going again, as I had not seen or talked to him for some 11 years, even though he lived just 9 miles away for almost the past decade, instead of 50 miles or more for the previous years.

This should be a lesson to myself (and those who read this), to not let relationship lapses go on, or you may regret your lost chances one day!

Chuck was a deep thinker, very innovative, a great writer and editor. He always treated me fair. I felt a better person for his friendship and wish I had not not let it go inactive.




Sunday, March 26, 2023

Is Lagoon Park too expensive?



IS Lagoon Park in Farmington, Utah too expensive?

It is tricky to compare all parks and their prices, as some parks' prices vary by month, time of the daily entry, the season or what's included.

Look at the basic rankings/dollar numbers below for the regular adult admission and you decide this query (as of April 2023 prices):

1. Disneyland. Single park/single day pass from *$104 and up; Three park/1 day hopper pass $209; Season pass $400 to $1,600; Parking $30.

2. Lagoon: Single day pass **$101.69; Season pass $207.79; Parking $20.

3. Knotts Berry Farm. Single day pass $89.99; Season pass $145; Parking $25. Soak City water park is separate $56.78; Season pass $145.

4. Six Flags Magic Mountain. Single day pass $85.91; Season pass $114.99, plus tax; Parking $40.

5. Silverwood, N. Idaho. Single day pass $79; Season pass $221-$715; Parking $10; (Boulder Beach water park is separate admission with a season pass.)

*Varies by day/season, by which park, Disneyland or California Adventure.

**Does not include any discount offers.

-----------------------------------------

Recommendation:


-Lagoon should return to what it originally did -- Separate the cost for Lagoon-A-Beach, as its own individual entry price. This would significantly reduce the cost for a day pass for rides only. This is only fair, because in summer doing the "Beach" reduces the number of rides a patron can do; and in the pre-season (April and most of May, plus fall), Lagoon-A-Beach is NOT even open.



Saturday, August 7, 2021

Hello West Point Utah High School -- Coming Soon?



                            The view looking southeast into the larger, 50.76 acre school property.

                                        Another view of the future high school site.

A PREDICTION----

SOMEWHERE  in the near future, welcome to the new West Point Utah High School.

The next new high school in Davis County (No. 10) will may well be in West Point.

The Davis School District owns a total of 84.16 acres in the extreme northwest corner of West Point. That's near the intersection of 4500 West and 1800 North.

In fact, the school district owns land on three of the four corners there, with only the northwest corner not belonging to their property cluster there.

Why would the District buy this much land, unless it has big plans there? And, there's way too much land for just an elementary and/or junior high school there.

                        A makeshift map showing acreage that the Davis School District owns,

Eighty-four acres is more than enough for a new high school and then some. An elementary school and a junior high could also be built there, along with the high school. (Elementary schools usually require 11-13 acres of land and junior highs a little more than that.)

How much land is needed for a new high school? Layton High sits on 36 acres; Northridge High boasts 48 acres and Farmington High has about 43 acres. So, the West Point cluster has about an extra 36 acres.


                                        Another view of the 50-plus acre school parcel.


Davis County started buying this land back in about 2012. The Syracuse Islander newspaper reported in 2013 that the Davis District had purchased 30 acres there, in West Point, at that time -- and desired at least another 20 acres. So, it has now surpassed that by some 34 acres.

Ironically, just to the west, as the 1800 North Street (Utah Highway 37) curves northward, that area has been nicknamed "Pig Corner" for more than 70 years. That's because a fragrant pig farm used to exist on the corner.


       The southeast field that could easily house a new junior high, or elementary school.

  The northeast field that could easily house a new junior high, or elementary school.


What would the mascot be for West Point High?  Cadets is a very suitable choice. That's the West Point Naval Academy's alternate nickname, with "Black Knights" being their primary mascot.

Since the three tracts of land straddle the 4500 W-1800 N intersection, some parking and/or the school's stadium may have to be built across the street. The main school buildings would be on the 50.76 acre site, the largest of the three sections, on the southwest corner of the intersection.


                                                      Still another 50-acre property view.

1800 North is a main corridor in northern Davis County and will also likely have its own I-15 freeway exit and entrances one day.

4500 West Street is main north-south corridor, going from Antelope Drive north.

One shortcoming is that the 4500 West intersection at 1800 North doesn't squarely line up with its continuation northward, as there is a slight deviation required to the west. That means that a traffic signal for the intersection cannot be a standard one, unless the intersection is widened to create a more direct path.

Clinton City missed out on an LDS Temple, as neighboring Syracuse landed that asset. And, it looks as if Clinton will also miss out on its own high school -- and likely most Clinton residents are probably going to eventually attend this new high school.

The view looking northward from 5000 West Street. The Davis School District's 50.76 acre parcel of land is on the right (east) side of this narrow roadway.

NOTE: This article is based on the author's opinions, taken from factual property ownership searches. The author is not affiliated with the Davis School District and does not speak for the District.


Thursday, January 14, 2021

The legacy of the Grand Canyon’s Roaring Springs – Water salvation from a giant cave


Roaring Springs, as it appears from the North Kaibab Trail, 4.7 miles from the North Rim.


ROARING SPRINGS is the reliable source of water that keeps visitors quenched at both the North and South Rims of the Grand Canyon.

Today, if many people think of a cave in the Grand Canyon, they may actually envision Grand Canyon Caverns, located along High 66, southwest of today’s Grand Canyon village.

However, “Cave of vast size is found in Grand Canyon” was an April 11, 1928 headline in the Tucson Citizen newspaper.

This cave was actually Roaring Springs.

Three workmen employed on building a water pumping station for the new lodge being built atop the North Rim went inside the cave for an estimated two miles. They only turned back, because a boat was needed to go deeper inside the mountain.

“Roaring Springs emerges from openings in the cliffs and the water cascades down in falls,” the story stated.


    Driving south on the Kaibab Plateau, toward the North Rim of the Grand Canyon  in mid-May. Is there an actual huge lake of water beneath this plateau? Some believe there is.

One of the apertures is large enough to permit a man access and Bill Denson of South Dakota went inside with a small flashlight. Seeing vast spaces and tunnels inside, he returned outside to tell co-workers, Mack Jensen of Toquerville, Utah and Paul Swain of Salt Lake City, what he had seen. The three secured gasoline lanterns and extra fuel bottles and went exploring inside for four hours.

“There is a regular labyrinth of tunnels in there,” Jackson said. “And, we didn’t try to explore all of them.”

They found four connecting tunnels.



                            A sign highlighting the importance of Roaring Springs on the North Rim.


“At the place where these four tunnels come together, there’s a big river coming down one of them, dividing among the other three. These divide again and again, so that all the waterfalls you see in the canyon that we call Roaring Springs are just the ends of smaller tunnels. The one big creek supplies them all,” Jackson said.

One place, the walked along the river on a narrow ledge and estimated the water below to be at least 20 feet deep.

Finally, two miles in, they came to a large room filled entirely by the river.

“As far as we could see, the cave and the river got bigger and bigger. The river is too deep to wade and too cold to swim, or we would have gone further,” he said. “The inside of the cave is very beautiful. It is filled with stalactytes and stalagmites …”



                             A sign along the North Kaibab Trail, just above Roaring Springs.

The story concluded that since the caverns of Roaring Springs are so vital a natural resource to the area, that the National Park Service may prohibit future exploration inside.

It appears that is the case, about a century later.

The story also said some believe that there is a huge underground lake beneath the Kaibab Plateau and that is what fuels Roaring Springs.

There are no streams on the Kaibab Plateau, north of the Grand Canyon, and none on the South Rim either. 

That’s because the limestone rock below and many sink holes absorb almost all the surface water and take it underground.

Some tests in the 21st Century have shown that as little as six days is all that was required for some rainwater on the Kaibab Plateau to exit through Roaring Springs.

A section of the trans-canyon pipeline from Roaring Springs, as it appears above Indian Gardens, along the Bright Angel Trail. Note how vulnerable the pipeline is.


The 12 or so miles of pipeline from Roaring Springs to Phantom Ranch suffer frequent leaks and breaks, whereas the pipeline across the Colorado River and up the South Rim are much more stable.

Roaring Springs supplies a vast majority of the water for both the North and South Rims.

Even as recent as the early fall of 2022 there was a brief stint of rationing water on the South Rim, when some breaks in the trans-canyon pipeline diminished the outgoing water supply.