ISO scenic U.S. train trip in March

The California Zephyr from Denver to Salt Lake City is very scenic, I enjoyed Denver, and also had a stop at Glenwood Springs, there are hot springs there and snow fields you could visit. The train arrives at Salt Lake City at an awkward hour, 2am when I travelled there as it was late, but there were lots of people getting off the train. To rejoin the train at that time, or depending how late it is could be a problem. There is a good natural history museum in Salt Lake city and I enjoyed my visit. . Not sure that a roomette would be suitable when there are three of you. I found the seats easy to sleep in but I would spend one night on the train and one night at a stop as an overseas tourist we can make extra stops.

Funny you bring that up as the Chicago - New Orleans City of New Orleans used to be a daytime train and the current schedule used to be that of the all-sleeper Panama Limited (one of the premier luxury trains of its day).

Well, you definitely must go to the West for a scenic train trip: Denver - Oakland on California Zephyr is a good idea, or the Los Angeles - Seattle Coast Starlight, but beware that if any train is late you might miss scenery. I'm partial to the old UP City of Portland (or City of San Francisco); too bad they don't run anymore. Actually the CZ now takes the COSF route between Winnemucca and Emeryville.

I don't recommend stopping in Salt Lake City as the train could get there at 2:00 AM. You're better off just going all the way in 2 Roomettes. Of course I candidly point out that I find the Superliner Roomettes extremely uncomfortable with 2 people in each compared to the old ACF, PS, or Budd Roomettes or even open sections.

In the East the most scenic is probably the Cardinal or Lake Shore Limited, though neither can hold a candle to the West.

Trains in the USA rarely run on time and are old and not very nice IMO-

Anything running through Chicago will be late leaving or arriving as they have to share the tracks with freight trains, since the big freight trains owns the tracks now, not the USA/Govt or Amtrak.

The best train ride is Colorado Rockies, Seattle to LA along the coast.

Don't take too much notice of this OP

Far too Americans attack and disparage public transport - trains, buses, even planes. They are often conceived in cars, are possibly born in them, and then essentially live in them for decades. They cannot see any other way of travelling. Sad but true.

Coalcliff-

Well I take public transport when ever I can. I did not even own a car for 5 years living in downtown Chicago. Then I only a had a motorcycle. I did not buy a car until last year when we moved to rural Michigan. I now live in Florida, and only have 1 car, and ride by bicycle for most my errands and my wife takes the car to work.

I also took the Amtrak all the time from Chicago to St Louis, my home town. Its took 6 hours, to drive took 4.5 hours. (Always delayed)
I also use the Amtrak for NYC to Philly, Boston and DC for work (next week).

I use the metro transit all the time in Minneapolis, Atlanta, NYC, Chicago, DC, San Fran and Philly.

I lived in Shanghai and Beijing China and use their fast trains, city metro trains all the time, far superior to anything in the USA on all levels. I use the trains in EU when I ever I am there, mainly Italy, France and Germany for work. I have used the trains in Japan, Colombia, Morocco, Turkey, Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmar and Canada.

So, what are you saying about Americans and trains?

Amtrak sucks. They are about as bad as Myanmar or Vietnam, though those countries run on time, Amtrak rarely runs on time...

I endorse both the California Zephyr and a stop in Sacramento at the splendid railroad museum.

When you use Amtrak the US taxpayers are paying for part of your trip, as the system is subsidized. You will go over Donner Pass, so learn the lesson of the Donner Party and take extra food, or at least extra companions.

When you use Amtrak the US taxpayers are paying for part of your trip, as the system is subsidized.

As are the air industry, and especially the automobile industry!

Oh, jeez, don't let this degenerate into another emotionally-driven knee-jerk fight between pro-rail and anti-rail factions with little knowledge of the facts. The reality is somewhere in the middle:
1. Public transport includes planes, trains, and buses; however, most people erroneously think of it as only trains and buses.
2. Trains in the US are late all the time though this is irrelevant to the OP if she just wants a scenic train ride.
3. Some trains in the US are old, but so are many trains in other countries. As founder of Inland Streamliner, I prefer using older buses and firmly believe age has nothing to do with quality. That being said, I prefer old 1950s UP equipment to anything on Amtrak today.
4. "Big freight" doesn't exist. Private railroads like UP always owned the tracks and at one time ran all trains, both passenger and freight, on said tracks.
5. Americans aren't "conceived" in cars, we simply use cars when it's most practical and convenient, though cars are again irrelevant to the discussion because the OP simply wants a scenic train ride.
6. China, Russia, and Japan have great rail systems, though the same can't be said of Europe. While Europeans ride trains more than Americans, they still drive cars far more (especially in Germany), and end up traveling far less total miles a year due to high fuel taxes. In Europe, air travel is growing twice as fast as rail travel because it's faster and cheaper. Also, most Euro trains are short-distance, which is irrelevant to the OP who's looking for long-distance scenic trips.
7. While trains, planes, buses, and cars are all subsidized, Amtrak is subsidized far more per passenger-mile than planes, private buses, or cars. On the other hand, Amtrak is subsidized far less than failing city buses and light rail. However, urban transit is irrelevant to the discussion since the OP is not looking for urban transit.
8. Cars and Interstates are often blamed for Amtrak's woes, but they actually had virtually nothing to do with the demise of private long-distance trains. The UP Cities, America's first long-distance Streamliners, were marketed to through passengers, many of whom would fly today regardless due to the long distances involved. The Cities mostly followed Interstate 80, which wasn't completed until 1980; the Cities had already been discontinued in 1971 on Amtrak Day. The Cities suffered from competition from other trains and airplanes, not from cars or Interstates.
9. The only folks who might still ride the UP City of Portland today would be experiential travelers like our OP, but those were siphoned off by competition from the Empire Builder, Western Star, North Coast Limited, Mainstreeter, and (until 1961) Olympian Hiawatha. If the only train between Chicago and Portland / Seattle was the City of Portland, and if Amtrak were never created, perhaps UP would still be running it today. After all, according to financial reports, it was once profitable, and plenty of railfans (me included) would love to have it back.

Anyway, I doubt the OP is a diehard railfan or political lobbylist, so let's just all get along and enjoy some train rides.

I think you mis-stated some facts.

#7-The car, bus and plane industry is not subsidized by the govt, they may have had some bail outs or support in tough times, but the majority are publicly traded companies that are not subsidized. EU is another story, like Airbus...that is a consortium of countries that used public funds to build the industry in the EU.

As for the passenger rail system vs the Interstate/Roads/private vehicle, this was all due to the US never having a Energy Policy, that was aimed at reducing vehicles and transport as whole, for the last 80 years. The advent of the interstate system, as well as the suburb/urban planning when land was cheap and Americans wanted a nice lot, nice house, nice street and a nice commute, the car was the key, period. Mass transit was only viable and a profitable venture in the major cities, mainly the east coast. Though train travel was the catalyst of the great westward expansion, and the industrial age, as the east coast cities began to sprawl to other states and cities east of the Mississippi, two cites that were born into greatness, thanks to the train, was Chicago, and St Louis. The Grand trains station in St Louis is a museum style pice of architecture and art on many levels. This put the steam boats on notice. Once the Louisiana Purchase was complete and railroads were built to the west and California, the rest is history. After WW2, the 1950's was the beginning of modern America as we know it, from McDonalds to drive in theaters..the highway system was built as part of a huge Govt program for employment and also to spur the economy and GDP. The rest is history. Americans are all about their cars, California is the epitome of a car culture.

The EU in the 80's started putting tariffs and taxes on high displacement motors, high horsepower, and also it had high fuel prices, thats why Diesel was the mainstay until the last decade. But if you want to buys a big V8 500HP car, you will pay dearly....compared to Americans.

I love trains, but Amtrak is a joke. My freinds were planning to get thru the mountains during the daytime from Denver, but the train was so late they only 1 hour of light vs 5 hours...so much for a nice view :(

With all due respect, you're presenting assumptions and misconceptions as facts.
1. Cars, buses, and planes are subsidized through government-built roads and airports. 77% of road costs are covered by fuel taxes and most airport costs covered by landing fees, so subsides to cars, buses, and airplanes are much less per passenger-mile than to trains.
2. The demise of long-distance trains like the City of Portland had almost nothing to do with Interstates, roads, or private vehicles. It has nothing to do with density, "nice lot", "nice car", "nice house", or "Energy Policy". Planes are simply much faster over long-distance, so most City of Portland customers went to the plane.
3. What little customers were left on the train for scenic or leisure trips got split up between too many trains on parallel lines. Just between Chicago and the PNW alone there were at least 7 trains, the City of Portland, Portland Rose, Empire Builder, Western Star, North Coast Limited, Mainstreeter, and Olympia Hiawatha. After Jet Age 1960 there were simply too many trains with too few customers.
4. If all the other trains somehow disappeared in 1960, the City of Portland may still be profitably operating today, though combined with COSF, COLA, COD, and COSL. The other trains didn't have the option of being consolidated with so many other trains; only the COP (or Portland Rose) could do so. However the COP is dead so it's a moot point.