Getting the flavor of … Paddling through Nebraska, and more

The Niobrara River Valley in the north-central part of Nebraska offers “an inspiring collection of conifers and hardwoods, 200-foot sandstone bluffs, and spring-fed waterfalls,” said Helen Olsson in The

Paddling through Nebraska

Nebraska often seems an endless prairie, said Helen Olsson in The

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

A slow train to Seattle

A train journey from Chicago to Seattle covers 2,206 miles and lasts 46 hours, said Tom Hundley in the Chicago Tribune. That works out to an average of 48 mph, or “about the same speed trains were traveling in the late 19th century.” My wife and I were in no hurry, and more interested in the journey than in the destination, so we booked a “bedroom” with sleeping berths, a sitting area, and a bathroom on Amtrak. The train set off exactly on time from Union Station, and supper was served just as the train began its 140-mile run upriver to St. Paul. “The upper Mississippi at sunset is a magical, majestic, and slightly mysterious waterworld.” The 1,000-mile stretch across North Dakota and eastern Montana offers an undulating terrain “as seductive as anything” in Tuscany. We spotted the Rockies at Cut Bank, Mont., and enjoyed dinner while passing through Glacier National Park. Most memorable of all was sitting in the observation lounge, taking in the country’s “simple vastness.”

Contact: Amtrak.com