If you ever dreamed of travelling across America by rail, stop dreaming and just do it. This gallery contains images from my Journey across America by Amtrak rail. I turned 50 this year (2012) and decided I wanted to ride the rails and see America. I was asked by numerous people throughout my travels what inspired me to take this trip. Well, back in early February or March, I read an article about the California Zephyr. The author wrote such an amazing article and his words were so alluring that I was immediately drawn to the idea of traveling thru the Colorado Rocky mountains and the California Sierra Nevada mountains. I did not imagine we would be that close to the landscape that make up these locations...the article did not disappoint at all, it was spot on. An added bonus was the first seasonal snowfall in the Sierra Nevada mountains. The train slowed and then stopped for just about 10 minutes at the top of Donner Pass. It was every photographer 's dream...but all the passengers in my viewing car were thrilled to be able to take some photos with everything from cell phones, to point and shoot to big and heavy DSLRs. I am sure someone had a film camera... Oh, I forgot to mention I captured 85 percent of my images with my Canon 5D Mark III and my Canon 24-105mm f4. Throughout Utah, I used a 14MM 1.2 for most of my location images.

The images will be of the views I experienced from the train as I travelled throughout the country. While I wanted to savor the views and not miss anything I could not help pulling out my camera and trying my best to get images as the train zipped by the landscape. I worked hard to get images as sharp as possible under the circumstances (moving train, hand held camera and rocking back and forth in some instances...lol) You will also see images from the locations I visited and spent some extended time photographing some of the landscapes specifically in Utah, California and Washington State.

I travelled on the Amtrak Capitol Limited thru Maryland, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana and into Chicago, Illinois. I then bordered the California Zephyr and travelled thru Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Colorado, Utah (I stayed there for 5 days - Salt Lake City, Moab, -Arches National Park, Canyonlands, Monument Valley), Nevada (interesting state) then California (I stayed there for 5 days - San Francisco, Monterey, Carmel by the Sea, Sausalito, Pebble Beach, - Muir Woods, Big Sur, Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, , 17 Mile Drive, Pebble Beach Golf Course, Golden Gate Bridge Park) After California, I boarded the Coast Starlight and travelled thru California, Oregon and Washington State to Olympia WA. After a one night/Day stay in Seattle and Olympia (Space Needle, Pikes Place Market, and Etta's) it was time to board the Empire Builder to head back towards Chicago, passing thru Washington State, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Illinois. Finally it was back on the Capitol Builder and homeward bound...After being gone for 19 days, travelled thru 19 states, covered 6, 971 miles by train and 1050 miles by car and motor coach ... 22 hrs by car and motor coach and 153 hrs by train, boosting the economy of many states by an undetermined amount of $$$$s (whose counting), created priceless memories....I finally arrived home on November 2.

Enjoy...

Check back often to the gallery as I will keep updating it as I complete the edits. Some prints will be available for sale so please email me if you have an interest.