Yosemite's Bridal Veil Falls. (Mila Zinkova/Wikimedia)

For a summer vacation that puts the wonder back in travel and is good for the environment, Amtrak has service into Yosemite National Park.

 The service into the park is provided via Amtrak's Thruway Motorcoach connecting service, as there are no rails near the park itself. The motorcoach service is purchased in conjunction with the train ticket and easy connections are maintained at the Merced Amtrak Station along the San Joaquin Line.

The motorcoach service arrives at the Visitor Center in about two and a half hours. This ride is through some beautiful country as it climbs into the High Sierras towards the park.

The Merced station is two stations south of Modesto and is only about 45 minutes. From Modesto it costs $42 round trip.

Passengers who are coming from San Diego would take the Pacific Surfliner to LA's Union Station. Those who are arriving from the Texas Eagle, Sunset Limited, or Southwest Chief also arrive at historic Union Station. At that location they will transfer to a Thruway Motorcoach to Bakersfield where they will catch a northbound San Joaquin to Merced.

Passengers from Washington or Oregon would take the Coast Starlite as far as Sacramento and catch a Throughway Motorcoach to Stockton where they will join a southbound San Joaquin to Merced.

From the Bay Area, the San Joaquin leaves the Oakland-Jack London Square station and stops in Emeryville, Richmond (Easy BART connection), Martinez, and Antioch before entering the delta.

For more on Amtrak and National Parks see Gene Bowker's article on Trails and Rails .

 For reservations and schedules see amtrak.com or call 1-800-USA-RAIL

For more info check back daily at Railroad Examiner.

You can also find Patrick Patterson's writing on the Oakland Raiders on Examiner.com and Thoughts from the Dark Side.

By P A Patterson

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