Train trip ..... part IV

The next morning we woke up in Nebraska, resulting in a dramatic change in the scenery from the mountains of the West to the expansive farmland of the Great Plains, described as “America’s Lingering Wild” by author Michael Forsberg.  While some may consider this part of the trip boring, I found it both beautiful and comforting as we travelled through the seemingly endless fields that feed the world with its agricultural bounty. Also, mingling with the good-natured Midwesterners gave me joy and reminded me of the good fortune I have had to spend most of my adult life in this region of the United States.   

The Plains have their own allure, and one of the more memorable moments of the trip was the crossing of the mighty Mississippi, the river border between Iowa and Illinois. The Mississippi is the largest river in North America, from its origin in Lake Itasca, Minnesota to its mouth near New Orleans at the Gulf of Mexico, spanning 2,320 miles or 3,712 kilometers. The train stopped for 10 minutes so we could see bald eagles perched on the trees along river’s banks. I noticed that several of the passengers on this part of the trip were Amish, a close-knit community with their unique traditional culture and populations in the central and eastern states of the country. It was heart warming to see them enjoying each other company and showing respect to their elders.  

As we continued east, we made a brief stop in Naperville and began passing by Chicago’s western suburbs. The suburb which brought back fond memories was Hinsdale, Illinois; where I bought a charming little house in the middle1980’s to start our family and raise our three little boys at the time, George, John and Mark. 

Our train then eased into our final destination of Chicago, Illinois; one of the World’s great cities. 

Chicago is home to the iconic Union Station, one of the busiest railway stations in United States. The current building went into operation in 1925, contains 24 railroad tracks, 10 of which come from the north and 14 from the south, and handles over 120,000 passengers daily.  Several famous lines; such as the Empire Builder, which links Chicago to Seattle, the California Zephyr, the one we rode from San Francisco to Chicago, the Southwest Chief that takes passengers from Chicago to Los Angeles, and the City of New Orleans, which joins these two great cities originate or end at the Union Station. In addition to the functionality it provides for the city and the country, the Beaux-Arts styling of this great terminal reflects Chicago’s strong and unique architectural heritage.