Riding This Train Through California’s Snowy Mountains Rules Right Now

Amtrak’s California Zephyr is a five hour journey through California’s mountains plus a great dining car.

Scenes from a ride on Amtrak's long-distance California Zephyr train through the northern Sierra Nevada. Javier Panzar/Los Angeles Times/TNS

By Javier Panzar From Los Angeles Times

Crossing up and over the fabled Donner Pass in the northern Sierra Nevada and descending to Lake Tahoe is one of those essential rites of passage for Californians.