SUNSET LIMITED
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The Sunset Limited pulls into Los Angeles’
Union Station at 5.35am. A ticket on the
city’s Metro will take you straight to Santa
Monica; the boardwalk, beach and pier are
within walking distance (US$2; metro.net).
There are several boutique hotels around
Santa Monica. Palihouse dates back to 1927
(lobby pictured above), and blends heritage
features like stag’s heads, stone fireplaces and
floor-to-ceiling windows into its gorgeous
suites (from US$350, palihousesantamonica.
com). AirBnB has apartments within walking
distance of the beach, starting at around
US$125 a night (airbnb.com).10
Santa Monica Surf School is the
outfit to contact for surf lessons (two
hours US$120; santamonicasurfschool.com).
It’s free to visit Santa Monica Pier (pictured
below; santamonicapier.org), but you have to
pay for the rollercoasters and ferris wheels of
Pacific Park (US$7.50 per ride; pacpark.com).5
Star Parties at the McDonald Observatory
are usually held three times a week on
Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays (US$12;
mcdonaldobservatory.org). They’re very
popular, so you’ll need to book. Other sights
worth visiting around Fort Davis include the
town’s eponymous fort (admission US$7;
nps.gov/foda) and the hiking trails of the Davis
Mountains State Park (admission US$6; tpwd.
texas.gov).6
Head back to Alpine and catch the train
at 10.38am as it heads west on Tuesdays,
Thursdays and Sundays. It travels through
western Texas and New Mexico before reaching
Tucson at 6.45pm the same day. For maximum
freedom, it’s worth hiring a car; Enterprise has a
couple of downtown branches (from around
US$38 per day; enterprise.com). It’s worth
spending a couple of days on White Stallion
Ranch trying the various activities on offer, like
trail-rides (pictured below), breakfast cookouts,
lasso-throwing and hiking (from US$175,
including meals; whitestallion.com). You don’t
need to be an experienced rider; the ranch will
give you a horse suited to your ability. The
rooms are lovely, with local touches such as
Indian rugs and adobe walls.7
On the edge of the ranch lies Saguaro
National Park, which is one of the best
places to see Arizona’s iconic cactuses (US$9.50;
nps.gov/sagu). Old Tucson is a movie studio
and theme park close to Saguaro National Park,
16 miles west of Tucson. Stunt shows run
throughout the day and are included in the
admission price (US$17; oldtucson.com).8
You’ll need to be back at the station for
7.35pm on Tuesday, Thursday or Sunday
to catch the last leg of the Sunset Limited’s
journey overnight to LA. While you’re waiting,
stop in at the Hotel Congress, famous as the
place where John Dillinger and his gang were
caught in 1934 (hotelcongress.com).3
Explore some of the city’s outlying
neighbourhoods, such as historic
Faubourg Marigny, bohemian Bywater and
elegant Uptown. Bikes are a great way to get
around: Free Wheelin’ Bike Tours hires them
out and also runs guided tours that include
the St Louis Cemetery, Louis Armstrong Park
and the Tremé neighbourhood (hire from US$9
for an hour, three-hour tours from US$48;
neworleansbiketour.com). Don’t miss
Frenchmen Street for live music, before heading
over to the Bywater for a late-night drink at
Bacchanal, a wine bar with great food and a
lovely garden with an outdoor stage (pictured
above; bacchanalwine.com).
4
The Sunset Limited departs New Orleans
at 9am, and passes through Lafayette,
Houston and San Antonio before arriving at
Alpine just after 10am the following morning.
Fort Davis is 21 miles away (pictured below);
there’s no public transport, so hire a car (from
US$36 per day plus US$0.07 per mile;
alpineautorental.com) or ask your accommodation
to arrange a taxi. Stone Village Tourist Camp
makes a comfy base, with simple motel-style
rooms, and an excellent deli next door (from
US$72; stonevillagetouristcamp.com).
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