I rode the Southwest Chief route on an Amtrak train last week, taking just over 30 hours to get from Hutchinson, Kansas, to Fullerton, California. My journey was in the Coach section, featuring spacious seats with leg support, a footrest, and pull-out tray. I lucked out again and had two adjoining seats to myself for the entire trip. Getting on the train at 3:00 AM isn’t wonderful, but catching the sunrise on the prairie is really special. I’ve been asked why I wouldn’t take a sleeper car. The price difference is the reason. I paid $123 for a one-way ticket. Had I booked a roomette (intended for two people), my fare would have been close to $1000. I can neither afford nor justify that price. After our family reunion, celebrating my 70th birthday, I was able to join my son and his husband on a flight back to Kansas, using mileage he’d accumulated, so my trip was within budget.
Pictures in the below gallery were taken along the way with my iPhone. Please excuse dirty windows, reflections, and lack of sharpness on the shots. While I did manage to finish reading a book along the way, I often couldn’t drag myself away from just gazing out the window. It’s beautiful scenery that’s only visible through a train window. ~SueBee
SueBee Arts 
Fascinating, thanks for sharing. Even without the sleeper car, riding the rails in coach is infinitely better than riding the rails in freight. Which is how I did it the last time I took a train that far.
That was a real adventure. The views look wonderful. How long was the train trip in miles?
It’s about 1350 miles.