The Amtrak trip to San Diego is about two hours longer than driving, but it's a lot less stressful than maneuvering your car through Southern California traffic. I visited my daughter in San Diego over the weekend to see her new apartment, and took the train down on Saturday and returned on Monday.
The biggest downside to traveling south from Fresno by train is that you must take the bus from Bakersfield to Los Angeles' Union Station. But the trip from L.A. to San Diego is along the coast and you get a great view of the ocean out of your window. The photo above was taken with my cell phone out the train window.
It costs $48 each way so the train is close to what you would pay for gas from Fresno to San Diego. That's a drive I've made many times, and the train was a nice change. You can connect your computer or just enjoy the scenery. Now I'm sounding like an ad for Amtrak. That's OK. I'm a believer in train travel.
Jimbo...Dittos,as frequent commuters to San Diego my wife has taken the train the last couple times and it is now her favorite way to go.I cannot avoid experiencing mild road rage when I drive and plan on taking Amtrak the next time.Sometimes when it hits the fan as far as accidents or bad timing it can take 8-10 hrs and I am worn out by the time I get there and it takes a day to recover and then I am in angst anticipating the drive back to Shaver.You can take the Amtrak bus all the way to LA from Fresno and then the train to SD and my wife said that wasn't bad either as the bus is more comfy and nicer than the one with the dog on the side.Last time I went down a couple of weeks ago for the weekend I took a flight that cost $204 roundtrip and took mom to the Scripps aquarium,shopping and out to eat...I was fresh and we had a very enjoyable time.If I would have driven it would not have been as enjoyable.
Brian: I even wore my San Diego Padres sweater, which I purchased at a Padres game last year when the night game got much chillier than I had anticipated. You are so correct about the lack of stress when you arrive by train compared with driving. I was able to catch up on work, thanks to an Internet card on my laptop, and listened to a book on tape (actually on a CD). The time flew by. Jim
Jim: I didn't know that "Going Rogue" was already on CD.
The last time I took the train to San Diego, there were some young men with paper bags holding thier belongings, I then realized they had just got out of the County jail, ,,, then when the train got to Corcoran , a prision van was waiting and behold some men with orange plastic bags got aboard, they had just got out of prision. When we got to Bakersfield, and got on the bus to Los Angeles, they were also on the bus, I sat to the front, and they sat to the back and I could here them talk out loud. When I finally made it to the train going to San Diego, it was so full,it was the 5 o clock train which takes many folks home from work. I would not do that again unless I was old and could not drive. Yes it is a pain to drive thru L.A., but the drive from San Clemente is a dream and I like to stop at the rest area alon I5 at Camp Pendleton.
The span of time can be unusually short sometimes between parole from and return to prison Steve. Given a choice, the former group you shared a ride with is much preferable to the latter whom you were unawarely exposed to for the remainder of the trip.
Jim, when you were in San Diego, did you happen to notice the San Diego Trolley, Inc. light rail system? When I visited the home of the Chargers and the Padres a few years back, I stayed in Grossmont, and juxtaposed next to the motel where I stayed, was the line to Santee. LRTs came every ten minutes it seemed. On one of my first visits to S.D., I rode the Trolley to San Ysidro and back. The ride was quite pleasant.
This network is far-reaching, literally. Access to places like Qualcomm stadium as well as to Old Town and the former Santa Fe depot which now serves the San Diego Trolley, in addition to Amtrak and Coaster, is a breeze.
As it relates to congested freeway and air quality issues, below is a declaration I believe is very relevant. It comes from "Getting California on Track," a recent report from Environment California.
“People who use transit often travel more efficiently, and with fewer emissions, than if they had driven instead. In addition, the presence of high-quality transit service in a community is correlated with reduced vehicle travel – the result of more compact development patterns that often exist near transit stops and reduced vehicle ownership.”
From Peter Richmond's "A Better Way to Travel?" featured in the November 4, 2007 Parade magazine, trains “use one-fifth less energy than cars or planes,” and all things being equal, are more environmentally friendly than fossil-fuel-propelled motor vehicles and aircraft.
Can anybody tell me if any of these alternative travel methods are running in the black(aka.turning a profit or even breaking even).
Brian, some claim finacial stability, they all get tax funded grants etc. for one green reason or another.
(I need not say anything else because all the decent people on this blog understand ...Yes! Something else needs to said.)
Bart Turnipseed | November 22, 2009 11:07 AM | Reply
Sorry I fo[r]got to provide a source for that big secret I revealed earlier. This is a balanced story about one persons unbalanced idea. Movin' and Shakin' with the pot o' gold.
http://www.sdcitybeat.com/cms/story/detail/what_moves_you/7977/
Once these systems are in place, most vehicles visible from curb will have a gov't exempt license plate.
Alan: I've taken the trolley many times, especially when going to games at Qualcomm or Petco. . . It sure beats sitting in the parking lot an hour after the game is over trying to maneuver through traffic. . . San Diego is a great city. . . just wish the drive or train ride were a bit faster from Fresno.