By Train & Boat

If there ever comes a time you doubt the beauty, variety in nature, and magnificence of this country, take AMTRAK further than simply along the Northeast Corridor. And if you ever want to see how those folks who live in the middle of the country get along being so far from the ocean, take a cruise on any of our big rivers.  While I barely got into the Mississippi on this trip, the Illinois river offers more charm and beauty that I anticipated.

Better than just a train or a boat, do both and you’ll also find some pretty amazing people, some great employees of big companies who can’t do enough for their customers, and some orators…they call them Riverloreans… who know so much about the natural environment and can explain it in such a friendly, easy way so everyone can understand.

I did both this month, taking Amtrak to Chicago, then boarding the American Queen Countess for a five day cruise down the Illinois River.

Was it fun? You bet!.

Did it keep me happy? Deliriously!

Where there any disappointments? Of course there were, including one major one. But we all survived and can look forward to visiting Hannibal Missouri on another cruise in the future.

There are two Amtrak routes between New Jersey and Chicago and I opted to take the shorter, more direct train, the Cardinal, on my way out, and the longer, make a connection or two trains, the Capitol Limited and Pennsylvanian, back home after the cruise. That part of the trip actually included three trains, since  I needed the Texas Eagle to get me from Alton, Illinois to Chicago and the Capitol Limited before boarding the Pennsylvanian in Pittsburgh for the final leg to Newark. But it’s all worth it and the opportunity to see so many little nooks and crannies as well as huge metropolitan areas like Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, and Indianapolis from the comfort of large comfortable seats with enough room to stretch out and relax  is rather wonderful .

Of course the more expensive and more private way of traveling to Chicago on Amtrak is with a roomette or bedroom, but there have been so many changes and diminished perks for that higher priced ticket, I’m not certain it’s a bargain anymore. Certainly not worth the extra money.

Besides, sitting in those comfortable seats, possibly with a seatmate who shares similar interests or  presents new ideas, adds one more level of unexpected pleasure to any trip.

Going to Chicago on the Cardinal is a moving video of magnificent mountains of the Blue Ridge and Allegheny chains, charming valleys such as the Shenandoah  and others, and window side seats to the white waters of West Virginia.  They say, and it’s true, on the Cardinal you see parts of nature and its beauty that you can’t see  anywhere else, and that includes the white waters ­of ­West Virginia and the lush riverside grounds. Getting a nighttime view of charming towns like Ashland and Maysville along the Ohio river, or the skyline of Indianapolis are only possible if you’re awake during the night. The Cardinal, if running on time is a 27 hour trip from Newark that reaches Chicago at 10 a.m. the day after you board.

Do the trains always run on time? Of course not, but they try. Amtrak only owns the track along the Northeast Corridor, so traveling on other railroad’s property means having to accept a siding and a delay occasionally to let freight trains pass.

Certainly for daylight views, the  Cardinal is the better choice. The Capitol Limited doesn’t leave Chicago until after 6 in the evening, arriving in Pittsburgh at 5 a.m. the following morning. Then there’s an hour or so wait in a train station that offers nothing except very helpful and pleasant employees for the Pennsylvanian and the final leg of the trip nine hours later in Newark.  Add to that the four hours on the Texas Eagle from Alton to get to Chicago for the Capitol Limited, it’s a three-train, two day trip well worth if for charm and beauty if you can spare the time. It’s about 25 hours on the train, but wait times between trains can add another seven or eight hours.

The Café cars on Amtrak are terrific, with hard working staff that try to keep everybody happy. There’s a large variety of sandwiches, hamburgers, hot dogs, dinner meals, and side treats, to say nothing of all the beverage choices, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic. The $7.50 hamburger with melted cheese, lettuce and tomato goes well with that $15 bottle of pinot grigio that fills a glass more than twice.

So for land travel, Amtrak has it all; fast travel, beautiful scenery, nice people, relaxing atmosphere, reasonable prices, and the opportunity to share conversations with folks you’ll probably never see again.

Ah, but then there is the Countess,  American Queen’s way of letting guests see the beauty and charm of communities along the Illinois river, be entertained 20 hours a day, learn few things about what happens when the Mississippi is too shallow for a paddle boat steamer, eat far too much food too delicious to turn down, and be pampered royally by happy staff members.

NEXT:  Decks, verandas, staterooms and fewer than 200 guests!