AMTRAK STL to CHICAGO

I decided to take Amtrak for my recent trip to Chicago for the grand opening of a new boutique hotel - theWit Hotel on State and Lake.  I could have driven and the time would have taken about the same, but then I would have parking garage fees to pay in the heart of downtown Chicago.  I really didn't need a car since the hotel was my destination (more on Grand Opening later).  I could have flown, but the price was higher (you won't believe when I tell you how much Amtrak cost!) and I would have needed transportation into downtown.   Because I qualified for a Sr. Citizen (62) discount I got a round trip ticket from St. Louis to Chicago for $39.10....yep, that's right.  A cab fare of $5.00 from Union Station to the hotel was also inexpensive.   My train left at 6:30am heading north, so Kevin suggested I sit on the left side of the train to escape the sun shining in while I tried to catch a nap.   I like to sit by the window on planes and look down on our beautiful earth.  I also liked to observe what I saw as the train headed across mid-America.    OBSERVATIONS FROM THE TRAIN Stone train depots.  A deer grazing in a field.  Horses and cows.  A Wind Farm of 30 turbine windmills.  Rivers and creeks rippling over the rocks.  Backyards of mid-America with children's swings and gardens.  Main streets with people shopping.  Interstate 55 with tractor trailer trucks zooming alongside the train.  Graffiti on underpasses and empty warehouses.  Wildflowers of white Queen Anne's Lace, rusty Doc, orange trumpet vines, yellows and purples.  Rich farmland with green corn and soy beans.  Round haystacks (when did they start making them round instead of conical shaped?)  Victorian houses, small family homes, one and two story abodes.  Children playing in playgrounds.    Next time you take a trip...take the train and observe what is outside the window. Sue McCarthy