A Train, Across the Golden Plains

One of my faovrite experience was a train ride across the United States at the peak of the Covid Pandemic. It was Christmas 2021, My wife and I lfew out the Los Angeles, California to visit my cousin and his family. We were scheduled to go on a cruise that week but due to an outbreak on the ship we decided not to risk it and cancelled and enjoy our time in California. After 4 days in California we made a last minute decision to cancel our flight back to Balitmore and instead, take a 3 day long train trip across to country back to DC.

Amtrak's overnight trains cabins included two seats that converted into bunk beds, a toilet and sink. Everyday in our rooms we received breakfast, lunch and dinner or we could choose to eat in the dinning car. The ride was beautiful and scenic. Not a day went by where we chose not to leave our cabin and gaze out the windows of the dinning car at the wonders of America's great plains.

After departing Los Angeles, we crossed over the broder to Arizona. Our first stop was in Albequerque, New Mexico. New Mexico was filled with beautiful red deserts painted with white snow. When we got off to explore Albequerque we could feel the crisp cold clean air of the desert hit our skin and travel down our lungs. We visited the Native American markets and ate at the deli. After about an hour we were back on the train Heading northeast toward Chicago.

This would be our second trip to Chicago. We had a layover train which gave us 4 hours to enjoy one of our favorite cities in the U.S. When we made it to the train station in Chicago my wife and I caught an uber to the Navy Pier and ate gormet popcorn at Garrett's. After grabbing dinner and one more stroll on ghe pier, it was back on the train we went for a final 12 hour stretch to Washington, DC!