Over the weekend, the Amtrak Cascades came to a halt at the border for a customs inspection, offering a close look at the coastline along the Georgia Strait. Growing along the shore in Washington and British Columbia were clusters of Horsetail—segmented, bright green plants about a foot tall that looked like miniature pine trees. After arriving in Seattle, a day passed before boarding the eastbound Amtrak Empire Builder to Chicago. Upgrading to a lower-level bedroom eliminated the need to haul luggage up the narrow stairs to the upper level. The room spanned the entire width of the train, creating a private suite with windows on both sides. It offered panoramic views of the rugged Cascade Mountains rolling past the tracks.
By the next morning, the train was cutting through Western Montana. Magnificent, snow-covered mountain peaks lined the distant horizon under the massive sky. On the ground, farmers tend to vast fields that create wide, alternating stripes across the landscape—a pattern that looks like a massive checkerboard when seen from an airplane. The train made a historical stop in Shelby, Montana. The town’s major claim to fame is hosting the 1923 heavyweight title fight between Jack Dempsey and Tommy Gibbons. Local organizers guaranteed a massive purse to secure the fight, but terrible attendance turned it into a financial disaster. Dempsey won in 15 rounds, but the financial strain forced three local banks into bankruptcy shortly after. East of Shelby, the mountains gave way to flatlands that stretched to the horizon. The only things breaking up the empty countryside were wooden utility poles carrying high-voltage wires. They stood spaced out along the tracks like lonely sentinels guarding the plains. The train continues its eastbound run overnight, with an arrival in Chicago scheduled for tomorrow.
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