My Chicago to LA Cross-Country Trip!
Last week I went on a cross-country trip on Amtrak! I have always wanted to see Route 66 and travel through the American Southwest. Recently, I read Candacy Taylor’s book, Overground Railroad: The Green Book and the Roots of Black Travel in America. While the legendary route no longer exists, Amtrak’s Southwest Chief follows most of the original route from Chicago to Los Angeles. It travels through eight states – Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and California. It was also a great opportunity to see friends in Chicago and LA that I haven’t seen since before the pandemic.
The best part of a train trip is that you get to see things, meet people you wouldn’t normally meet, and see if you are flying. There were people on the train from the Amish community on the trip who were traveling to southern California to enter Tijuana for inexpensive medical services. It speaks volumes when American citizens have to travel cross-country to Mexico for cheaper healthcare!
It was a great trip, and I highly recommend it to others.