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Riding the rails of Amtrak
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The platform in Chicago
Milwaukee has a nearby resource, which should prove invaluable to the traveler. It is Amtrak. There are only two Amtrak routes which pass through Milwaukee; but what routes they are! The first is the Empire Builder, which crosses the Mississippi, passes through the Twin Cities, and then heads up to skirt the American/Canadian border, through the high plains and mountains of the western states. It ends at Seattle, having left the freshwater shores of the Great Lakes, for the salt of Puget Sound and the Pacific.
Even more opportunity is offered by the ninety minute trip on the Hiawatha, to Chicago. Not only is the Windy City an interesting destination in its own right; but it is the center of the train universe on the North American continent. From Chicago, the ambitious traveler can get a train to any location that Amtrak serves.
By train, Chicago is a great day trip, with trains leaving as early as 6:15 AM, and returning as late as 9:04 PM, the traveler can spend a day along the loop, the magnificent Mile, Water Tower Park ,or wherever the wanderlust may lead, and not have to deal with driving, parking, tolls, or any of the other worries associated with having a car in one of the world’s major cities.
It costs $15 - $20 to park in Downtown Chicago, and the 90 mile trip will probably cost $9 - $12 in gas, and maybe another $5 in tolls. A ticket on the train costs $22. After figuring the costs, then figure the aggravation factor. When I visit Chicago, I take the train. On top of everything else, the train is comfortable, and fun. Who doesn’t feel a touch of nostalgia, every time a train horn is heard?
There are other advantages to taking the train. Where airports are located at the edges and outskirts of towns, train stations are right in the center of everything. There is no need to rent a car, grab a cab, or hire a limo. You are right where you want to be – in the heart of the city you have come to visit.
If Chicago is not enough, the whole nation is available, via trains heading out in every direction, from the hub of Chicago’s Grand Central Station. For the explorer with a few days to kill, and the urge to travel, you may want to check out weekly ticket specials on Amtrak’s web site, by following the link below. You never know where you might end up.
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