That sounds fabulous!
The steak dinner and the coconut shrimp are both great and what I got my first night on the Empire Builder. Did you go with baked or mashed?
Well, we can track @Czarcasm 's train real time:
They are probably/hopefully sleeping right now at 12:20 am Pacific, but I am wide awake, sadly.
Me too. I’d like to hear how the trip is, as it goes along.
Well, I am wide awake in the observation car right now. By the way, some people say there are better flat iron steaks to be had…but I am beginning to think that some people are talking out of their ass, because that was a damn fine hunk of meat.
Oh, we just pulled into Chico.
At 5:50am there is a 1 hour stop in Sacramento. Is it worth getting off the train? Is there coffee near by?
Breakfast was a ham and cheddar 3 egg omelette, roasted potatoes, and a couple of 3 pepper chicken sausages with a wonderful young couple from London. We are stopping in Martinez, then continuing on.
Thanks for the culinary update. 
How is the USA measuring up against the London couple’s expectations?
Lots of flatland with visible horizons and blue skies, and they are enjoying the bits of water.
I know it’s too late now, but technically yes, there’s a Sourdough & Co. in the station, but as I recall from when I got off the train in Sacramento at that time a few weeks ago, they’re not open that early. The platform’s pretty far from the station in Sacramento, too. They relocated the tracks in the early '10s for some reason.
Yeah, We decided to stay on the train.
Just finished lunch with a couple of people also going to LA Worldcon. I had the patty melt (it was delicious) and iced tea, and My Beloved had had a toasted ham and cheese. The views going through California are perfect, as is the weather.
San Luis Obispo is a cute little town, midway between San Francisco and Los Angeles…which means it is close to nothing, unfortunately.
Sounds good so far. Have you any photos of the journey?
We might have a few to show when this whole fiasco…er, I mean Grand Adventure is over.
Get yer camera ready - from the train map I linked above, it looks like you have entered Vandenberg. The tracks emerge on the Pacific shortly - be on the right-hand side if you can - these are the unique miles where there are no roads until you emerge along the Santa Barbara coast. Should be very scenic for the next few hours - all the way to Ventura!
Ate dinner with the ocean on my direct right. Seabirds and surfers sand, Oh, My!
Wave hello when you pass through Santa Barbara
It’s close to Pismo Beach!
I’m just south of SB, as you go through the Miramar Hotel!! I should come down and wave!! Where are you now? (edit , oops too late, train is in Los Angeles, it looks like…)