Exploring the Amtrak Journey from Maricopa to Los Angeles Union Station

We rolled up to Amtrak Maricopa station bright and early, ready to grab our rail pass and check our bags. I was a bundle of nerves since I had whipped up this entire plan in less than 24 hours, crossing my fingers for a miracle.

In a record-breaking five minutes, the agent at Amtrak Maricopa managed to smash my dreams into tiny pieces. First, he stared at me like I was speaking Martian when I asked about redeeming my California Rail pass, which I was told to pick up here. He mentioned something about paper books he hadn't seen since the dinosaurs roamed the Earth. I suggested we check it out at LAX to escape this conversational black hole, but nope, he kept going. With a grin, he informed me that thanks to a mudslide, my dream of seeing the CA coast via rail was as likely as seeing a unicorn. Trains were being rerouted like a game of musical chairs, and if I made it to my destination, I'd be lucky to return. Oh, and a refund for the pre-paid CA rail pass? Not happening. Stunned by this avalanche of bad news, we stumbled out in search of a diner.

We headed to a nearby diner for some comfort food. In hindsight, this was the trip's pivotal moment. If we had just ditched the train idea, driven to Cali, or gone home for a good night's sleep with an early morning car departure, this tale might have ended differently.

We went back, checked our bags, and waited for the train to show up. I even booked a ticket from Los Angeles to San Diego by rail, figuring if I got stuck, San Diego isn't the worst place to be stranded. Plus, it was away from the mudslide disaster. Departure was around 10 p.m., and we got to board early for the sleeper car. Our beds were already set up when we entered. I asked about using the chairs for part of the ride, but the attendant was clocking out and couldn't help with turn-down service later. What a rip-off! Exhausted and fed up, I decided to just sleep on it and hit refresh the next day. I tried to snag some last-minute video of us leaving town, but it was pitch black, so I only captured the sound. Funny enough, the sound and gentle rocking of the train turned out to be a lullaby, giving me a surprisingly good night's sleep.