By Nathaniel Adams, The Manual; December 10, 2018
One of the great advantages of American rail travel — what makes the length and expense of a long train journey worth it — is the opportunity to see the breathtaking beauty and sweep of the land as you pass through it. An airplane may afford a bird’s-eye views of city grids, patches of rotating crops, or the occasional canyon or mountain, but for appreciating the sheer scale and diversity in climate, topology, and more of the continental United States, nothing compares to a long-distance train. It’s true that on a road trip by automobile a person can stop where they choose and pick their own routes, but with the exception of noted scenic highways, the interstate system can be a soul-sucking tangle of concrete ribbons alleviated by characterless rest stops and an endless cavalcade of the same dozen-odd fast-food restaurants.
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