Scene From the Train: January 2025

San Luis Obispo, CA, Coast Starlight from Los Angeles to Sacramento

During the pandemic I visited San Luis Obispo on the Coast Starlight and that was the first time I learned about the Nine Sisters. What makes me happy about this image is the sunlight, fairy light, and green landscape that only appears after winter rains.

Lompoc, California, Coast Starlight from Los Angeles to Sacramento

The coast portion of the Coast Starlight is magical. Here the nuances of the flora along California's coast can easily be passed off as meaningless brush unless you take the time to look at the colors and textures. Sea mist brings a mystical edge to the image.

Goleta, California, Coast Starlight from Los Angeles to Sacramento, CA

This image looks like glass art with color fields that meld into each other as the dry sand meets the wet sand and transforms into waves, then ocean, off into sea mist, and sky.

Los Angeles, California, Union Station, Southwest Chief to Coast Starlight towards Sacramento.

The interiors of Los Angeles Union Station have southwestern styling and I am not sure what this period of architecture is called, so I will need to do some research. This room was closed off to passengers but you could look in and admire the beauty. I am always inclined to frame for symmetry.

Laguna, New Mexico, Southwest Chief from Albuquerque to Los Angeles

This was my first time on the Southwest Chief and it was New Year's Day. What a wonderful way to start the year. The painterly features of the sky light and clouds in contrast to the textures of the terrain are an ideal framing for this Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) train. It seemed like I was looking at a toy train set traveling a parallel journey in a parallel universe.