Closing your eyes on the train and listening to the rhythmic clickety-clack of the wheels on the track, you can almost imagine what it was like to travel by train in the early 1800s. The mode of travel is faster now, but you’ll still enjoy the inside glimpse into America’s backyards, the ever-changing scenery from coast to coast, and train depots centrally located to allow you to detrain in the center of a city.
While regional trains are used daily in larger metropolises—often as a work commute—the off-the-beaten-track smaller cities found along Amtrak’s train routes are less-traveled but bring a closer look at small-town America. One such route is the Empire Builder train that runs daily from Chicago to either Portland or Seattle, where you can step off the train in three Wisconsin cities: Milwaukee, Wisconsin Dells, and La Crosse, each with a unique vibe and draw.
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