By Ali Wunderman, Conde Nast Traveler; August 25, 2020
It was hard for me to stay awake as Amtrak’s Empire Builder—a superliner that runs between Chicago and Portland, Oregon—chugged along through the wilderness of northwest Montana. I had planned to watch the full moon rise over a passing still, black lake, but thanks to the gentle rocking of the train, I was lulled into a deep sleep in my Amtrak roomette just after sunset.
Taking a train across the country is a dream trip for many, myself included, though I never expected to check it off my bucket list during a pandemic. Of course, it’s the ever-present threat of COVID-19 that caused me to research safe travel solutions, which led to my embarking upon the two-night, two-train trip from my home in Whitefish, Montana, to see my family in California’s Bay Area.