Los Angeles CA – New Orleans LA – New York City NY

March 7, 2026

Los Angeles to New Orleans via the #2 Sunset Limited, 44 hours 40 minutes

I retrieve my luggage from the back seat of the Waymo and head in to Union Station. I have some time to kill, so I decide to check out their Metropolitan Lounge. Amtrak’s lounges are primarily for travelers in sleeping cars, but it is possible to gain access with a lounge pass. Using the Amtrak app, a pass can be purchased using fifteen hundred points, which is worth approximately thirty seven dollars. There is no signage leading to the Metropolitan Lounge, but I learn it can be reached using an elevator that is off in the corner of the hall. Upstairs, the elevator opens to a room with a locked door and a door bell. After several minutes the door unlocks and I walk up to the front desk. The lady at the front desk greets me with “You can’t bring that luggage on the train. You need to check it.” I explain that the two main pieces separate and both meet Amtrak’s carry-on luggage dimension requirements. She says “I am telling you, you can’t bring them on the train.” and then moves on to someone else. I walk over to a luggage dimension display and start putting my Amtrak cooler in it to show that it will fit, but she yells at me “Don’t do that! That is my job! I’m calling some people and they are going to come up here and talk to you!” I’m thinking to myself “I’m spending thirty seven bucks for this?” I tell her I’ve changed my mind and I don’t want to use the lounge. As I leave, she yells “I’m still calling people on you!” I take the elevator downstairs, and sure enough, “the people” are walking toward me saying “You need to check your bags.” I explain again that they meet Amtrak’s requirements for carry-on and that I’ve taken them on many trains. She says “Are you refusing to check your bags? Because if you are, I can deny you access to the train.” I resist some more by saying “If you give me a logical explanation of why I need to check my Amtrak-approved carry-ons, I will do it, but not until then.” This brings a higher level of security, but also a higher level of service and competence. She listens to my explanation of the problem and walks me over to a luggage dimension display. I put my luggage in, showing that it fits, and she says “Yeah, your fine” and walks away. I head back to the main floor lounge, trying to calm down by saying to myself “If nothing goes wrong it’s not an adventure. If nothing goes wrong it’s not an adventure.”

Boarding for the Sunset Limited starts a full hour before departure. Perhaps it is because there are so many people boarding. This place is crawling with people! After standing with the throng for half an hour I finally get my chance to board. I easily find a place for my luggage (Take that, Metro Lounge Lady) and head to my seat. As expected, I have a seat mate. My surprise and disappointment is that he is also taking the full trip to New Orleans. Maybe it’s due to the PTSD from my lounge experience, but I don’t think I can hack two nights sleeping in a chair. Checking the app, I see one Roomette available for $857. Thats a lot of money, but I do have enough points to pay for it. I get up from my seat and walk from train to train, looking for the conductor to talk about the logistics of moving from Coach to a sleeper while in transit. But then, walking through the Siteseer lounge, I see my salvation. A grouping of three seats is calling my name. I run to my luggage, get my foam topper pads and blanket, and hurry back to the lounge car. I wake up to a sunrise over the Sonora desert. My sleep is divine and I still have my Amtrak points! I am back on track and happy to be here.

I move to a table, put out my “OK to sit here sign” and have breakfast. Nobody takes up the offer but I have a good conversation with the couple across the aisle. They are taking advantage of the Rail Pass sale to visit relatives in North Carolina. We talk about life before retirement and he tells me was in law enforcement. They are both in their mid eighties and have taken numerous Amtrak journeys. The teenagers behind them are playing rap music. Unperturbed, the man is tapping out the beat with his fingers on the table while his wife engages the teenagers in friendly conversation. They are veterans of Amtrak travel and apparently have learned what I am still learning. When riding Amtrak, go with the flow.

The scenery across Arizona and New Mexico does not excite me so I get plenty of reading done, with nap breaks in between. As we approach El Paso, the conductor announces “El Paso is a short fresh air and smoke break. If you go outside, stay close. If you are hungry, Miss Juanita is outside near the rear car.” Juanita has been serving burritos to Amtrak passengers at El Paso Station for over ten years. I stand in line, pay my three dollars for a bean, potato and pepper burrito and head back to my table.