The Train

There is something quite romantic about the gentle lull of a train as it rockets through harvested fields of corn and wheat. One can watch a bulk of Illinois pass by without having to even think about it. The engineer will take care of the trip for you, as the conductors make sure you get to where you want to go. The rest is really up to you. Will you read a book, watch a movie, write your blog update, listen to music, play solitaire, have a snack from the dining car (or if you’re smart, one that you brought with you), or simply watch the landscape as it passes by? Or, will you do all of those things?

The best type of trains are those with the sleeper cars. Wait, maybe the best trains would be the Hogwart’s Express, with the cute little cabins and the lady that comes around with the snack trolley. But the best kind of Muggle train (and yes I’ve been reading Harry Potter on the train) would be the ones with sleeper cars. Those are pretty awesome, although I only have the trip to Memphis as a kid to go off. The idea, when you’re a kid, of folding down your bed and climbing up into it as the train continues to move and your family sleeps comfortably in their own room, on a moving vehicle is just so COOL!

As an adult, on a short three hour trip from Macomb to Chicago, the greatest thrill is the double decker train car. A narrow spiral staircase will take you upstairs. (If you were in Mr. Alsworth’s first grade class, you will remember that the best reading places in his jungle gym of a classroom were those you got to climb to). The double decker at night couldn’t be any nicer either. If your car is quiet, the people are respectful and not too noisy, you can sit back and relax like no other trip. There is WAY more legroom than in first class on an airplane. There are curtains on the windows. The lights are dim, just right for letting go of all the cares from the day. You can still hear the clacking of the railroad tracks beneath your train and the comforting blasts of the horn several cars in front of you.

And if you plan it right and book at least three days ahead of your trip, you can get discounts if you are a AAA member, AARP member, or in the military. It makes it one of the more economical ways to travel, on top of being one of the most fun. Round trip with my discount cost me a grand total of about 46 dollars. I would have spent more than that on gas to drive down to Macomb this weekend, on top of having to drive myself there and back. With the train, someone else did all the work and I not only saved gas money, but also wear and tear on my car and the emissions into the environment.

The only downside to the train is that you are traveling with lots of other passengers. So, when I get so excited about being on the train and wishing all sorts of wonderful things about the future, I just want to burst into song. It doesn’t tend to help the situation when I happen to be listening to music. I mean, how can I keep all the joy inside me when I’m listening to some really happy song? I just want to join in and sing. In a car I could just sing out loud. Oh sure, in the movies or on Glee if someone starts singing a song everyone else joins in. Now, my brother could never figure out why, in the middle of Oklahoma, people just randomly burst into song. It’s silly. And that mentality doesn’t change on a train at 9 0’Clock at night. So, I have to keep all these songs bottled up in my headphones and wait to sing them later.

Anyway, if you’re looking for a fun way to travel that doesn’t require a great deal of effort on your part, and can offer a bunch of adventure, consider the train. They’ll even let you keep your shoes, belt, watch and jewelry on.

Part Two

When last we left our hero she had made it through the vast and unforgiving land of Nebraska. She survived the hotel with the creaky ceiling and was now back on the road. Having looked at the map, she noticed a point of interest on I-80 through Iowa was the covered bridges of Madison County. Never having read the book it held little meaning to her, but still it was something to see. Besides, her mom liked covered bridges so perhaps she could get some good pictures to bring home.

The covered bridges of Madison County are not hard to miss when on I-80. There are large billboards that lead motorists to the proper off ramp. Must not be much else to see around there besides corn.
Once on the county road it gets a little trickier to find the right road to turn onto. There are signs, but it’s best to keep a very close eye out for them as they’re small. They’re brown with a picture of a bridge on it, so at least it’s easy once you know what you’re looking for.

The covered bridge is…just that. It’s a red covered bridge

from 1884 which spans across a creek. The inside of the bridge is probably more impressive looking that the exterior. It would be cool to take a little carriage ride across the bridge to get an idea what it would be like ‘back then’ but it’s closed to all but pedestrian traffic.




Well, our hero, having a nice little break from I-80 thought it best to head back home. She still had a few hours left to drive and didn’t want to get home when it was dark out.
She took the road out, only deciding to not take the same road back, but a different one some other visitors had taken.

She got lost. Some might laugh at that. Others might say that’s scary. But our hero welcomed the adventure. It wasn’t the end of the world. She knew the navigational direction she needed to go in to head back to the Interstate.











The idea of being lost on the back roads of Iowa was rejuvenating. The back roads are gravel. It’s so easy to crank up the radio, step on the gas and literally “leave ‘em in your dust”. And open the windows, let that dust and dirt get into your car. Let it fill your nostrils. Can you smell it? That’s the smell of every summer vacation and that reminds her of childhood and home. From that moment on, the hero knew she was back home in the Midwest.

Of course, crossing the Mississippi was truly the mark that she was home. And as she crossed into Illinois the radio station began playing, “Sweet Home Chicago”. Awwwww.