ride a train across america

driving or by train

Amtrak is poorly managed and the trains never run on time. But the Empire Builder from Seattle to Chicago makes you feel special and like a pioneer. Seeing Glacier National Park from untouched territory is indescribable. I also saw two wolves just frolicking together from the train window and a wild horse (so, I don’t know that it was wild, but that’s my story). Chicago to Boston/NY is way more crowded and doesn’t quite fulfill that nostalgia.

The sleeper car is incredibly more costly than coach and, if you’re lucky like I was, you probably won’t have anyone sitting next to you anyway. Bring a pillow and a light sleeping bag to really curl up. I did this from TX to Chicago and it made all the difference. And earplugs allow you to enter your own little world. Look for the scarce seats with electrical outlets if you have an iPod to charge.

They actually serve vegan burgers at the snack bar, but the whole spread is pretty crappy and the restaurant is pricey. Pack some food. The human can live on peanut butter and bread alone. Trust me. And dried fruit is wondrous.

I started in New York City (Penn Station), made a short stop for a few hours in Chicago (long enough to visit the Aquarium), stopped for a couple of hours in Albuquerque, NM (the burritos at the train station are amazing!) and ended up in Beautiful Los Angeles, California.
The total traveling time was approximately 60 hours on the Lakeshore Limited and the Santa Fe Super Chief.
It was amazing, but a little too long for me, especially since I get motion sickness pretty easily. Needless to say, we cashed in our train tickets and flew home, but it’s definitely worth it at least once one-way!!

In the summer of 2005 I went on a road trip with my father. It was awesome. We visited National Parks and planned as we went. We used a GPS and laptops to find hotels (with web access heehee) and our basic plan was to go clockwise. It was great. I would love to get a rail pass and just GO in a similar fashion.