Background: Planning My Route

I love looking at maps and thinking about trips to take. I've taken many trips on Amtrak, including when I worked as a dining car waiter, but when I looked at the Amtrak route map, I saw a lot of runs I hadn't done, particularly around the perimeter of the country. This trip will fill in some of those gaps.

Beyond that, circumnavigating the entire country in one trip has sort of an epic feel to it. To use a term that's currently popular, I'll be binge-watching the whole country in a month.

In addition to train travel, I'll be doing a few side trips, visiting friends and relatives, doing bicycling and walking tours, and visiting state Capitol buildings and museums.  

Amtrak’s route map