Wine Train and Monterey 2003

Fine Food and Drink on the Rails

November, 2003

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The Trip

Our plan was to do the Wine Train after we completed our high performance driver's education at Sear's Point.  We had been trying to do the Wine Train for many years, but due to the fact that it is so far away, we had to wait until we were in the area.  Since Sear's Point is just a few miles from Napa Valley, this seemed like the ideal time to do it.  We did the Wine Train at lunch, then returned to the station around 330pm.  Then we loaded up the M5 and did a speed run to Monterey.  The plan was to say one night in Monterey and then drive the cost highway back to San Diego.  This would be a pretty long day.

The wine train is a restored loco and pullman cars.  The deluxe service is in the vista dome car with the windows.  That is where Kathleen got tickets.

Ready for lunch.  The service was excellent and so was the food.

My ticket to lunch.

A stranger was nice enough to take this photo.

The loco is an ALCO PA-7 vintage 1965.  Top speed on the trip: 5 mph.

Looking forward from end of train.

Nice accomodations, but this is the second class dining car.

Seats in the bar car.

The bar car had live entertainment.

Slums along the tracks.

Finishing the meal with coffee.

View from our hotel window of the pier at Monterey.

The fleet at work in the bay.

Deer on the golf course along the 17 mile drive.

Ocean view from the 17 mile drive.

Waves crash on the rocks.

Wind swept cypress tree.

Road through the low rent district.

View from the cliff.

At one of the view points.

Looking north along highway 1.

Green rolling hills.

Bridge on highway 1.

Closeup of the bridge.

This was a great trip.  The food on the train was much better than my expectations and the drive along highway 1 was spectacular.  But, making it all the way from Monterey to San Diego in one day was pretty arduous.

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Copyright Bill Caid 2004