Trip Report: The Great “Rail” Journey of April 2008

by Ted & Sylvia Blishak

Day 7 of 26, Saturday, April 12, 2008

Oakland to Paso Robles

We find out that the Waterfront Plaza Hotel is offering special low rates because their dining room is closed for renovations.  However, an outside contractor has been hired to prepare and serve a breakfast buffet in a meeting room just off the lobby.  The hot buffet, at $14.00 is adequate, and probably far superior to whatever will be available on the Coast Starlight snack bar.  For reasons never made public, Amtrak chose not to operate a dining car on its temporarily truncated Coast Starlight even though the trip from Sacramento to Los Angeles takes 15 hours and includes all meal periods.  Passengers must make do with whatever is made available in the take out snack bar.

Although our hotel has strict rules against guests using the complimentary shuttle on Saturdays and Sundays, the bellman has been most amenable to taking us to the station both Saturday and Sunday morning, for which he is rewarded greatly.   Although the Amtrak station is named Jack London Square Station, it is far removed from any amenities of Jack London Square.  One would never attempt a walk from the Waterfront Plaza to Amtrak with anything but the lightest wheeled luggage.  And never at night.

We check one unneeded bag to San Luis Obispo, as there is no checked baggage service at Paso Robles.   Our trip is uneventful as we have requested seats in the lower level of one of the three coaches, an area which offers a quiet place to work.  The trip is so much easier than gripping a steering wheel down Highway 101, we often wonder why anyone bothers to drive, especially now with $4.00 gasoline.    The train arrives early at every station stop, offering chances to get off and stretch our legs, and of course the tobacco addicts can catch a quick smoke.

The Coast Starlight arrives at Paso Robles a few minutes early, so a smoking stop is announced, and smokers swarm off to light up.  There is actually a traffic jam in the vestibule and on the platform all around the exit, making it difficult to get our baggage off loaded.   The Paso Robles station has been beautifully restored and maintained.  It is manned by local volunteers, but has no Amtrak agent, and therefore no checked baggage service.

Ted's nephew, Greg Blishak, who had driven home from Oakland after the Domes Down the Valley trip with us, drove up right at No 11's arrival time, surprised to see the train and the crowd on the platform.  He drove us to our lodgings at the spanking new Courtyard Marriott, arranging to pick us up for dinner later.

On our last visit to Paso Robles we stayed at the quaint Paso Robles Inn, with its wonderful gardens and hot spring fed swimming pool.  We chose a different place this time because the Paso Robles Inn's rooms were small, dark, and not suitable for setting up a work station.  The rooms at the Courtyard are large and light with a well designed work station.  But the pool is located on a treeless concrete pad overlooking busy 4-lane US 101, and the water is too cool for comfort.  Life is a tradeoff.

We dined again, as we did on our last visit with Ted's nephew and niece and their spouses, at McPhee's, with its wonderful menu, including the famous tender tri-tip steaks of Central California

As we drift off that night into satiated slumber, we anticipate our picnic tomorrow at a Central Coast winery.