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The California Zephyr: Overland Route

Along with the Sierra Nevadas, a highlight of the California Zephyr is the old Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad route that winds its way through the Rocky Mountains between Salt Lake City and Denver. Unfortunately, on my trip a rock slide had closed the route, necessitating a reroute through the Union Pacific's Overland Route through Wyoming. However, this was not entirely bad as it gave us a unique opportunity to see areas that were part of the original transcontinental railroad and hadn't seen regular passenger rail service since Amtrak's San Francisco Zephyr had been replaced by the California Zephyr.

While certainly not as dramatic as a trip through the snowy Rocky Mountains, there was a certain austere beauty to the snow-covered landscape. And with numerous instances of deer and antelope playing, along with birds of prey and sporadic splotches of blood on the snow, the frosty scene was surprisingly full of life.

Next: The California Zephyr: Green River to Sinclair