The first time I passed through Urbana, Illinois, I was making my way from Bellingham, Washington, to Cape May, New Jersey, on a month-long Amtrak trip. The route took me east over the Cascades, the Rockies, and eventually through the surprisingly idyllic landscape of Central Minnesota. While most of my cross-country traveling has happened via buses, vans, and SUVs, I still think fondly back to those long, slow stretches on the train.
After nearly two full days on the Empire Builder—the most popular long-distance passenger train in the country—my first official stop was Chicago. I only had a few hours to explore, but I still remember the city feeling sleek, sparkling, and incredibly tall. From there, I headed south with an old friend to their childhood hometown in Central Illinois.
Despite having traveled quite a bit through the rest of the country, I was new to the Midwest and had no idea what to expect. For all I knew, the Land of Lincoln was
