This gallery starts at the Amtrak station in Dearborn, Michigan at 7:30 a.m. EST on Wednesday, February 28, 2007. It was the first leg of my train journey between my home in Detroit and San Diego, California. But first I needed to get to Chicago's Union Station where I was scheduled to board the Southwest Chief--destination Los Angeles--at 3:15 p.m. CST.

It was a cold grey morning when we departed Dearborn, and I'm sorry to say the train windows were pretty dirty, so the photos between Dearborn and Chicago are not the best. Actually, that's why I always carry a small bottle of window cleaner and paper towels with me on these trips. But, unfortunately, it is only helpful on the cross-country trains, not the commuters. And I'm happy to say that the windows on the Southwest Chief were sparkling clean, thanks to my wonderful sleeping car attendant Nina, who washed them for me herself before we left Chicago!

So here we go...