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After two years of waiting for the perfect moment, Julien James finally set out on a trip he’d been longing to take: a 35-hour train ride from Los Angeles to Seattle aboard Amtrak’s Coast Starlight.

Summer was giving way to autumn as the train traveled north, trundling past the stunning natural scenery of the Pacific coast and the Cascade Range.

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James didn’t intend to document this journey; he simply had “the urge to take the train.” For many, such a lengthy trip by rail might sound daunting – but he “liked the idea of doing nothing, but also doing something at the same time.” He was chasing that “weird liminal space of moving forward, but staying stationary.”

Left, a view of rolling hills through a window with a journal entry layered on top. Right, the exterior of a train car.
Left, a view of rolling hills somewhere between San Luis Obispo and Paso Robles, overlaid with an excerpt from James’ journal: “I see the wind dancing – quietly in circles across dusty fields.” Right, an open door on one of the Starlight’s cars, awaiting new passengers.

On a long sleeper train everything is communal away from your berth. You’ll likely take a seat next to someone who comes from a completely different walk of life, having conversations that you’d never normally have. ”The beautiful thing about the train is that everyone is a stranger until they’re not strangers,” reflects James. 

He recalls a 6:15am breakfast with a fellow passenger, ”somewhere between sleep and sunrise. At first, we didn’t say much – just quietly shared the view as Mt Shasta came into frame, its peak catching the earliest light. But somewhere between coffee and the last bite of eggs, the conversation opened up. What started in silence turned into something thoughtful, unexpected and humane.”

Left, a set table in the dining car. Right, passengers sit at tables.
Left, a table in the dining car is set for a meal and bathed in sunlight. Right, passengers sit at their tables.
Passengers in the observation car.
The observation car is always busy during the day. Some passengers sit in silence, while others enjoy a conversation as the landscape moves past them.

The Coast Starlight’s cars are the perfect place for people-watching. From overheard conversations to observed gestures, your environment becomes your entertainment. 

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James reflects on his time “in the observation car, light spilling in through wide windows as we drifted through Oregon. A retired teacher on her way to visit her son in Eugene, a Canadian traveler heading north to see old friends, and me – three strangers in motion. We spoke about parenting, ideology, the quiet art of wandering. Eyes scanning the trees for small waterfalls as our conversation meandered just the same – slow, open and unexpectedly generous.”

Left, train tracks through the back window. Right, a young child and older woman stare out the window.
Left, train tracks receding through the back window, with a journal entry by James: ”I’ve borne witness to nothing, yet I saw everything.” Right, a young child and and an older woman stare out a window at the passing scenery.
Left, blurry plants and trees with mountains in the distance. Right, a man sits at a table and looks off through a window.
Left, the train drifts past the Cascade Mountains near Eugene, Oregon. Right, a seated passenger looks off into the distance.

Journal in hand, he sought out moments of introspection, jotting down musings and fleeting feelings:

I’ve seen sprawling foothills, an elderly couple snuggling in a chair, as if time forgot to age their love...

The ocean ceaselessly colliding with the shore,

Cattle in their silent vigil,

Water suspended in its stillness – reflecting life for those who dare to peer...
A triptych of a man and woman sharing a hug and a kiss on a train platform.
A heartfelt goodbye on the platform at one of the train stations along the route.
Left, looking through a window at a blurred landscape. Right, two men sit at a table in the dining car with food and drinks.
Left, the train races past golden hills. Right, two men chat at a table over food and drinks.
Left, a view of a couple leaning into each other as they stare out a window. Right, a woman faces a window and reads a book.
Left, a couple leans into each other as the landscape rolls by. Right, a woman, bathed in sunlight from the window, catches up on her reading.

Time flows and space shifts around me, yet I remain in stillness. I observe the land attuned to its rhythm and the subtle changes it undergoes. It is what it is – instant in its nature…even as everything else moves and evolves. Maybe now, I’m starting to understand what it all really means…

Left, a book, binoculars, and coffee cup sit at a table alone. Right, a view of a woman from behind as she stares out of the window.
Left, a passenger’s belongings sit on table in warm sunlight. Right, a woman in the observation car peers out at the Santa Ynez Mountains and coastline.
A silhouetted passenger in front of a window.
Silhouetted by the light, a passenger sits in front of a window as golden hills pass by.

A ride aboard the Amtrak Coast Starlight reminds one to revel in the journey. The energy is calm, the experience low-key. For James, it was “reminder of the beauty in stillness and the power of observation.” While it might be quicker to hop on a plane, “you take the train knowing you’re not going to get there really fast." It’s a conscious choice to slow down. 

A view of a beach through a window.
A quiet beach along the coastline of the Santa Ynez Mountains, just north of Santa Barbara, CA.

All photographs by Julien James. 

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