Report from the Rails, vol. 1

After months of planning and sweet anticipation, I am finally on the train, and on an incredible journey across the country with a dear friend to see our other dear friend in San Francisco.  Philadelphia to San Francisco, via Delaware, Maryland, Washington DC, Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, New Mexico, Colorado again, Utah, Nevada, and California, all on Amtrak, and all in coach class.  For some, this may sound like a nightmare.  A few people asked me, “Why don’t you just fly to San Francisco?”  It’s a valid question; let me explain why we’re taking the slow boat to China. 

For starters, ever since I spent time in Colorado and Utah last year, I’ve been longing to return, if even just to pass through so that I could once again behold the incredible beauty and diverse landscape of the Wild West.  These places changed me; they removed my blinders and connected me back to wonders of the natural world.  I was ill prepared for what I saw in Colorado and Utah, and how those places would affect me, both in the moment, and in the moments since.  Those places and experiences have lingered, and have quietly yet continually beckoned me to come immerse myself in their wonder again.  

So, when planning a trip to SF, when my friend Sara asked if I might be interested in taking a train rather than a plane; a train called the California Zephyr; a train that travels through the Rockies and Utah, I was sold.  Going to SF and being able to travel through CO and UT was like a buy-one-get-one no brainer. 

Another reason why this trip appealed to me was the romanticized notion I have of riding the rails across the country.  There’s something to be said for the art of slow travel, the way it used to be, and all that comes with it.  While driving, all you see is the interstate and what surrounds it, and a seemingly endless row of golden arches at exit after exit.  While flying, all you see are clouds and the sprawling tapestries of land beneath.  Both offer interesting perspectives of this country, but both are limiting and fairly cut-off from the reality of the cultures, landscapes and communities that comprise our country.  The thought of seeing small towns that I otherwise would never see, witnessing the rolling vastness of the prairies, getting to see the majesty of the mountains and canyons from places where no cars can travel, and waking up to a gorgeous sunset over the desert, all the while meeting a variety of strange and wonderful folks from around the world; this my friends, is the experience I sought.  Also, just enjoying the journey rather than being hyper-focused on the destination is what appealed to me. 

The final reason why I agreed to join Sara on the train was because it’s Sara, and we always have epic adventures when we’re together, no matter what.  Truthfully, I would not take this trip with most people, but Sara and I travel so well together that I couldn’t pass it up.  I knew that even if we had an awful time by conventional standards, we would still have an awesome time according to our standards, and would create memories to last forever. 

So, that’s why I’m sitting here on a train, just west of Washington, DC, heading towards Kentucky.  This is our second train of the day; the first took us from our neighborhood in Philadelphia to 30^th Street Station, also in Philadelphia.  Then we hopped on the Cardinal, which will take us to Chicago.  We had a brief layover in DC, so we took the opportunity to marvel at the architecture of Union Station and even got a peek of the Capitol.  Prior to arriving in DC, we ventured into the Dining Car and had breakfast as we rolled over what we think may have been the Chesapeake Bay.  It was spectacular. 

Now we’re just outside of Manassas, Virginia, heading due west for the hills of West Virginia, and ultimately, California.  I’ll write frequently and will upload whenever I can get a signal.  Stay tuned for the next report from the rails…