On Monday, day five of my bucket list trip, we visited the Starbucks Reserve on Michigan Avenue, where the air was a heavy, caffeinated fog vibrating with the roar of industrial grinders and the frantic energy of hundreds of tourists. It was a vertical labyrinth of copper and glass, beautiful but breathless, a complete and total zoo that pushed us back toward the exit in less than five minutes. Stepping toward Lake Michigan just a few blocks away, the transition was instant. The chaos of the city dissolved into a brisk breeze off the water, offering a lungful of fresh air and a moment of clarity before the next leg of the journey.

By 1:00 in the afternoon, we checked out and made our way to the marble halls of Chicago’s Union Station. Because I have a sleeper, I was entitled to wait in the Amtrak lounge, a pleasant sanctuary where the city’s roar faded into a dignified hum and the coffee was exceptionally good. Eventually, we boarded the Empire Builder bound for Seattle. Looking up at the silver Superliner cars, it is difficult to believe how something so massive can glide so effortlessly across the country.

As the train pulled away, the Chicago skyline surrendered to the vast, horizontal poetry of the heartland. Endless stretches of flat lands unspooled past the window, a patchwork of farms punctuated by the sudden, sterile geometry of a brand-new data center rising from the earth. The experience of riding cross-country is fantastic; the ride is smooth and very quiet, turning the passing landscape into a rolling film. For dinner, I enjoyed the Amtrak signature steak with a crisp salad.