The California Zephyr is an Amtrak Superliner — a two-story train with coach seating, bedrooms, roomettes (a private cabin that's about half the size of a bedroom), a dining car, and a lounge car. There are also larger, family-sized bedrooms and accessible bedrooms.

I'd ridden the California Zephyr a year earlier, but I took a shorter trip in a roomette. This was my first time riding the entire route from Chicago to California. It was also my first time booking a bedroom on an Amtrak Superliner.

The couch folded out to form the bottom bunk, and the top bunk pulled down from the ceiling.

The Amtrak bedroom sleeps up to two passengers, though I traveled solo.

The booking also included some perks. Sleeper-car ticket holders get a first-class attendant, priority boarding, lounge access at some stations, and complimentary meals on board.

During the day, the lower bunk was set up as a couch, and the upper bunk was folded up. A single seat faced the couch with a pullout table in between.

The table also had two foldout leaves for more space. I thought this was a smart space-saving hack.

The closet had two hangers inside. I used it to store my coat, sweater, and winter boots.

The sink and vanity had two power outlets and an overhead light. Although the cabinets were stocked with extra hand towels, tissues, and soap, there was still enough space for me to store my own toiletries. The paneled mirror made getting ready in the morning feel a tad luxurious.

Only bedroom accommodations on Amtrak Superliner trains have private bathrooms.

Showering next to the toilet felt odd, but I couldn't deny that it was a clever use of a limited space. And I certainly preferred it over having just a toilet or just a shower.

To use the shower, I set the temperature first. Then I pressed a button to start the water. There was another button on the showerhead itself to turn the water on and off. On the wall above the toilet, I spotted shampoo, conditioner, and body wash.

The mirror was not only useful for getting ready — it also made the tight space feel larger.

When I changed my clothes each morning and evening, I pulled my suitcase down to the single seat. Passengers can also store their luggage in a shared space in the sleeper car, but I prefer to keep my stuff with me.

Both sets of controls had a reading light. One had a power outlet and a temperature dial, and the other had an attendant call button and lighting options.

The night setting was a dim blue light, which I thought added a dreamy glow to the space before bed.

When I pulled the top bunk down from the ceiling, I found a ladder on the cot and attached it to the far side of the bunk. There were safety straps that I hooked onto the ceiling.

There was also a mattress topper, soft bedding, and pillows. I used a wall-mounted pouch to store a water bottle and my phone.

I liked sleeping on the top bunk — despite hitting my head on the low ceiling — because I could store my backpack and other belongings on the couch below, which kept the room neat. I got seven hours of sleep that first night.

I pulled a lever beneath each couch cushion to form the lower bunk.

Although the room wasn't as tidy, since I didn't have as much space to store my belongings, I appreciated that the lower bunk was slightly larger than the top cot.

I also liked being right next to the window when I woke up in the morning. I got eight hours of sleep in this bunk.

Unlike most overnight trains I've taken, the bedroom was comfortable enough to actually enjoy spending 53 hours in a confined space. I arrived in California feeling well-rested and squeaky clean.

I wouldn't splurge on a bedroom for just any long-distance Amtrak train. I think the smaller roomette is comfortable enough and worth saving money on shorter overnight journeys. But for rides that are more than 24 hours long, I'll book a bedroom every time.

Today, you can reserve tours on the Bannerman Castle website.

The abandoned castle is visible from the Metro-North Railroad's Hudson line. I took the train from Grand Central Terminal in NYC to the Manitou train station.

There, I met up with guides from the Bannerman Castle Trust, the group that oversees the castle's preservation and maintenance.

Pollepel Island is only accessible by boat. Two guides from the Bannerman Castle Trust met me at the dock.

I crammed into the boat with the guides and a handful of volunteer gardeners who do landscaping work on Pollepel Island.

From the dock, we climbed 72 stairs to reach the island.

My guide explained that the castle's towers are supported by external beams braced with steel. Each section weighs 250 pounds.

But even with this support, there's still a risk that the walls could fall. That's why all visitors must stay at least 100 feet away from the castle.

Luckily, observation decks are set up around the castle at picturesque vantage points.

Francis Bannerman VI, an arms dealer who lived in Brooklyn, bought Pollepel Island in 1900. He wanted a place outside the city to store an arsenal of munitions, according to The New York Times, so he built the fortress and an accompanying harbor.

Bannerman's sons took over the business when he died in 1918.

This shattered the castle's windows.

It eventually became part of the Hudson Highlands State Park Preserve, according to the park's website.

After that, Pollepel Island was deemed unsafe and declared off-limits by the State of New York.

The group raised money to restore the island; Caplan is its executive director.

Today, it serves as a theater, museum, and historical site.

The facade of the building also serves as the backdrop for the theater's stage.

Modest exhibits explain the site's history and the castle's construction. Drawings and documents are framed on the building's distressed walls.

The center also has a gift shop that sells art and T-shirts.

According to the Bannerman Castle Trust, much of the castle's shell collapsed one night in December 2009. Then, just a month later, more walls fell during a winter storm.

From the water, we caught glimpses of other pieces of the abandoned fortress, including its deteriorated harbor.

The combination of medieval architecture and overgrown trees and foliage makes Bannerman Castle a place worth visiting up close.