You might recall a scene from the 1976 film “Silver Streak,” about a murder on the California Zephyr train heading from Los Angeles to Chicago. That route has since been retired. But you can still take Amtrak’s Zephyr train from San Francisco to Chicago, which passes through the heart of the Rockies and the snow-capped Sierra Nevadas in just two days.

LA Times audience engagement assistant editor Javier Panzar recently took that trip and joined host Lisa McRee on “LA Times Today” with more on why this is the best time of year to climb aboard the California Zephyr. 

Panzar took the train solo to from the Bay Area to Truckee, California, to meet the rest of his family for a ski trip. He detailed the route.  

“Once you leave Sacramento and Roseville, you slowly start to climb up the grade and you can look to your left and right, and there’s these amazing canyons that are carved out by the American River. Around Colfax, you start to see sprinklings of snow,” Panzar said. “And then, eventually, you go through some of the ski resorts. And on the way there and the way back, there were snowboarders stopping to make snowballs and pelt the observation car. So you’re getting a great overall experience.”

Panzar recommended ordering the cheeseburger and butter cake from the train’s dining car before heading to the observation car to take in the views. But, as he explained, some of the views can be obscured. 

“There are a lot of tunnels. They don’t tell you about every one,” he said. “And when you’re going kind of fast, they come suddenly. There’s a bit of a noise to it. So all of a sudden, it’s dark, and you don’t know what’s going on. And then, you start thinking about the Donner Party and what happened to them, you know? But thankfully, there are cheeseburgers aplenty in case I get stuck up there.”

Panzar also noted that the Amtrak service often runs late, so it’s wise to pack snacks of your own rather than depending on the train’s dining services. Prices for the trip may vary. 

“I was looking at buying a ticket tomorrow if you bought in Richmond, which in the Bay Area, it’s got a connecting, station with the Bay Area Rapid Transit,” said Panzar. “It’s like $26 to get to Truckee, which is a pretty good deal. I bought it the day before the train came, and it was $62. Some days it’s a lot, and some days it’s a lot less.”

Click the arrow above to watch the full interview.

Watch “LA Times Today” at 7 and 10 p.m. Monday through Friday on Spectrum News 1 and the Spectrum News app.