My last overnight train essential is something I’ve never packed, but I will next time: binoculars.
I’ve probably had the thought at least once on every overnight train ride I’ve taken: “I want a closer view of the passing landscapes.”
But on my last trip on the California Zephyr, I thought about it at least a dozen times as we rode through forested mountains, deserts, and canyons. I spotted a few other passengers with binoculars and imagined what they were seeing — wildlife, distant valleys, and nature’s details, maybe.
From now on, I’ll bring my own, and I won’t have to wonder.
