I’m an Amtrak fan–at least when it comes to trains running between New York and Washington–and not just because flying makes me squirmy. I love trains for their own sake. I love looking out the window and letting my mind wander and being able to get up and walk around. A friend just told me that she and her boyfriend are going to take a transcontinental train trip in a couple of weeks, and I turned green on the spot (from envy, not nausea).

Please don’t remind me of all the compelling arguments against Amtrak–I know they’re right. Still and all, it would make me terribly sad if I couldn’t take the train to Washington anymore.