Took our second ever train travel trip from DC to the Midwest, on the Capital Limited,  to poke around Chicago. (Our first trip was from Salt Lake City, UT to Dallas, TX on the California Zephyr)  For the Chicago trip we purchased a roomette with two beds for the 17 hour trip.  This slow travel allowed lots of talking, ample leg room and picturesque creeks, rivers sunsets and sunrises floating by.  I found once again, the rocking motion helps lull you to sleep; however, trains in the East have to change frequently onto freight lines, makes it a rougher ride on the rails than out West. But if you can take the jostling, you are rewarded as Amtrak gives you meals in First Class and the stewards are friendly and try to make the journey pleasant.

We weren’t disappointed seeing the steel mills on the outskirts of Chicago but were surprised at seeing some beauty in the blight on the land. There is something mythical about these mills. We thought the river would be dirty and clogged with freight boats. But the Chicago River itself is clean and bordered with beautiful architecture. There are water taxis along the riverwalk if you want to hop off on the other side or informative architecture sunset cruises with highly rated companies like Shoreline.  This was better than any beach vacation with sharks being a concern of late. There was food and music and beauty everywhere we looked.

We poked around the Gold Coast, the Lake Michigan Beach and Lincoln Park, cafe, zoo and conservatory. It was a casual trip with only one day schlepping down the Magnificent Mile of high end shops and old castles. The rest of the time was spent in green space enjoying the flowers and birds with the gorgeous skyline.

The train trip took us past many towns: South Bend Indiana looked promising vacation destinations as well as Pittsburg and Toledo.  Even a few of of the small towns piqued our interest, and we are driving back to explore the history, museums and buildings.  Erie Lake at sunrise was incredible. Cumberland had the most beautiful skyline of churches.  Cumberland is where George Washington walked and fought and pioneers cut through the gap to head West.

Here are the list of towns we rumbled past on the train tracks, (not all inclusive). We have visited Harpers Ferry, hiked part of the C&O Trail, and are planning on visiting Cumberland next weekend.  Will update this as soon as we visit Martinsburg and Pittsburgh.

Chesapeake & Ohio Canal Trail – Hike this trail to Harpers Ferry

Knoxville, WV – Potomac River

Shenandoah Junction, MD – Rolling hills and fields

Londonderry Junction, MD 

Martinsburg, WV-   White water rafting and zip line; Adam Stephen House – colonial home- free entry , fossils and from caverns beneath the house Eastern Panhandle; B& O railroad museum Recreations trail  11 mile paved trail; sleepy Creek Lake

Harper’s Ferry, WV – Climb up crooked steps to town & Churches

Great Cacapon, WV

Springfield, VA

Ridgeley, WV

Cumberland, MD – Outpost manned by George Washington; pioneer trail west, C& O Canal hike through Paw Paw tunnel, 6 mile trail along Potomac River, churches

Hyndman, PA

Pittsburg, PA-  Dark at 3 am when we stopped

Erie, PA – Water looked like gold at sunrise; Bicentennial Tower, Maritime Museum, Presque Isle State Park

Waterloo, OH

Sandusky, OH– sunset on water

Port Clinton, OH -Sunrise reds

Oak Harbor, OH –

Rocky Ridge, OH – Music Festivals, local produce,

Graytown, OH

Martin, OH

Clay, OH

Genoa, OH  Limestone quarries; civil war supplied troops to Union Army

Cleveland, OH – Rock N Roll hall of Fame, West Side Market , ‘A Christmas Story” House, USS Cod Submarine

Toledo, OH – Steel, Knives made here; shores Lake Erie, Museum of Art with 19^th century glass

Swanton, OH

Delta, OH

Wauseon, OH

Archbold, OH – graineries

Kendallville, IN – water

South Bend, IN – Notre Dame, Studebaker Museum, Perte Buttigieg running for office

La Porte, IN

Burns Harbor, IN – Steel Mills

Gary, IN – Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore

Whiting, IN – Calumet river