Fancy Trains: The American Orient Express
By ERIC NOLAND | Orange County Register

Steel wheels sang on the rails and the Colorado River was a constant companion.

It was a lap-of-luxury tour on the American Orient Express, a line that revives a bygone era of the posh private railroad companies – with gourmet meals, Champagne receptions, piano music in the lounge car and white-gloved crew members fussing over passengers at every turn.

American Orient Express goes to great lengths to ensure that the journey is indulgent on many levels.

To begin with, the dining is first-rate: pan-seared scallop appetizers, luscious Dungeness crab cakes, and perfectly prepared filet mignon, duck breast, wild king salmon and even lobster tail. Hors d’oeuvres, for example, are laid out during the cocktail hour in the Seattle Club Car, which is outfitted with a baby grand piano.

Debra McKinnon was at the keyboard during this time and again after dinner, mixing pop standards and Broadway tunes with classical pieces. It provided a fitting soundtrack for the elegant setting, and I marveled at her ability to play a haunting Chopin nocturne on a rocking train without missing a note.