Running daily between Chicago and the East Coast, Amtrak's Lake Shore Limited travels through a geographically diverse stretch of the country. Passengers follow the southern shoreline of Lake Michigan, then head east through the industrial Midwest and into upstate New York, where the route runs parallel to stretches of the Mohawk River and the historic Erie Canal corridor.
If anyone tells you the only efficient, memorable train rides are in Europe, then they've never boarded the Alaska Railroad. With its main line stretching nearly 500 miles from Seward to Fairbanks, this scenic, historic method of transportation is one of the best ways to both get around Alaska and see the beauty of its backcountry; you may even spot a moose or bear along the way.