As we approach Thanksgiving—or, as I prefer to call it, season—it’s time to pay tribute to the humble train. Gridlock traffic? Nonexistent. Security lines longer than the wait for a Kasama breakfast sandwich ? Not with Amtrak. When it comes to rail travel, it’s as simple as hopping on, tuning out and watching the world go by through a panoramic window. Let’s just hope you aren’t left hauling a trunk full of all your earthly possessions across a muddy field like our beloved transit heroes Neal Page and Del Griffith. If you’re ready to embrace the convoy lifestyle, Chicago happens to be the starting point for one of the most picturesque train rides in the country.

In a recent roundup of bucket-list train journeys, named Amtrak’s Empire Builder the No. 1 most scenic train ride in the U.

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