Year 4, Day 157, “Living the Dream”. Friday, 10/04/2024. Day 24 of 25-night Alaska to Las Vegas. Yesterday in the late afternoon near Las Vegas, NM we passed by Beck & Bulow Ranch. This is a free-range Bison ranch. It was a surprise to see those massive beasts out in the field. There were once as many as 60 million bison roaming American soil. They could be found across the majority of the country, even venturing north into Canada and south into Mexico. During colonial times, their population was decimated to less than 1,000. Over 100 years ago, hunters killed the last wild bison in New Mexico. This event occurred in the very same area where this ranch is now.
At 6pm we are halfway to Chicago, Illinois. All day yesterday from 9am till 7pm we traveled through New Mexico. It was a ten-hour train ride through New Mexico. We even went through Las Vegas. Las Vegas, New Mexico that is.
Life on an Amtrak train across the United States – Watch scenery, eat, watch scenery, read, and repeat.
You can also take lots of pictures and do some videos. Here’s a video of the dining car.
Here is a link to a Southwest Chief train 4 car 430 detailed video review.
At 7pm last night we passed into Colorado.
At 10:21pm we passed into the central time zone and into Kansas. It instantaneously became 11:31pm. Last night was a wild ride sleeping. I think it gets dark, and they put the pedal to the medal. Our car attendant Robbie keeps a tidy car. Everything is spotless and his coffee is great.
We ate breakfast traveling along the Kansas river into Kansas City, Missouri where we refueled. The Kansas River begins at the confluence of the Republican and Smoky Hill Rivers near Junction City, Kansas. It flows 173 miles and joins the Missouri River at Kansas City, Kansas. There was a large exchange of passengers at this stop. They were lined up down the walkway waiting to get on the train. Everyone looks exhausted. I would imagine lots of people have gotten off of other trains to get on this one. We are trying to understand why these trains are full. Why would people travel by train? 1- Afraid of flying, 2-prices are really good, 3-traveling a short distance between two cities and it is convenient. 4- religion does not allow air travel, 5-for the experience and scenery, 6-are conscious of energy consumption. In the US, Amtrak has reported that taking trains over flights reduces a traveler’s carbon emissions by 72%. 7- Trains tend to have more reliable schedules. They are less prone to delays from weather or other disruptions than air travel. 8- Some individuals, including autistic individuals, find the sights, sounds, and vibrations of a train both stimulating and soothing. 9-Safety. Traveling in a car is 17 times more deadly than on a train for the same distance. A person is also 100 times more likely to die than when traveling on a plane for the same distance.
The area of Missouri we are traveling through is a lot of farmlands surrounded by tree lines. At 9am we pass over the Missouri River. The water level appears very low.
At 11:45am we stopped at Fort Madison and then crossed the Mississippi River into Illinois.
The Mississippi River at Fort Madison, Iowa is spanned by the Fort Madison Bridge, which is 23.5 feet wide and 1,675 feet long. The Mississippi River at Fort Madison, Iowa is about 525 ft deep. The bridge is a double-deck swing truss bridge that was constructed between 1925 and 1927. The Mississippi River’s average width is about one mile. The widest part of the river is at Lake Winnibigoshish in Minnesota, where it’s over 11 miles wide.
After we passed into Illinois we traveled alongside the Mississippi. The Iowa Illinois state border goes up the middle of the river here.
As we make our way unto Illinois we pass by huge fields of short corn stalks. Illinois is a leading producer of soybeans, corn and swine. The short corn developed by Bayer Crop Science is being tested on about 30,000 acres in the Midwest. It promises to offer farmers a variety that can withstand powerful windstorms. These windstorms could become more frequent due to climate change. The corn’s smaller stature and sturdier base enable it to withstand winds of up to 50 mph. The smaller plants also let farmers plant at greater density. This allows them to grow more corn on the same amount of land. As a result, it increases the farmers’ profits. The smaller stalks could also lead to less water use at a time of growing drought concerns. Ear size is similar to that of current corn hybrids.
At lunch time we are passing Galesburg, Illinois. We ate lunch with a really nice couple from Illinois.
After lunch I got a quick peek into the kitchen which is below the dining car.
At 1:40pm we stop at Princeton, Illinois. As much as I want to get home. It is kind of sad that our vacation is coming to an end. Waiting to pull into Chicago Union Station, we start talking about railroad tracks. Railroad tracks are primarily made of hot-rolled carbon steel. This means the majority of the track material is steel with a specific carbon content. It is designed to withstand the high stress of train travel.
We departed the train and ubered from Chicago Union Station to Hilton Chicago O’Hare Airport for $87.42. The traffic was intense.
Tomorrow, we fly back to Kentucky.
Things to ponder today! Have to leave you thinking.
Clear Rain ponchos: https://amzn.to/3Z0chtf Never go on a cruise or actually never go anywhere without some clear ponchos. It is nice to stay dry. Two of these stay in my backpack, two in my car, and two in my suitcase. That is how passionate I am about having them.
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