Week in Review : EVENTS, IMAGES AND PEOPLE IN THE NEWS : CITIES : A New Wind Blows Through Fullerton

The Desert Wind blows through Orange County, now that Amtrak has begun routing the train through Fullerton on its daily run from Los Angeles to Las Vegas and points east. The new service, begun in a festive ceremony last Sunday, opens a county link in Amtrak’s long-distance routes.

The Desert Wind continues on to Chicago, but most Fullerton passengers are expected to ride only as far as Las Vegas. The six-hour trek to the gambling mecca begins at 1:55 p.m.; the fare is $63 round trip.

Jim Vanik, one of 12 travelers leaving Fullerton on the inaugural run, said, “If a city pushed this and really marketed it, it could be very successful.”