Over the course of this year I’ve been lucky enough to get a chance to ride quite the array of long distance Amtrak trains and see some of the most stunning vistas our country has to offer. There is simply no better way to see the great landscape of America than a journey by train. While I certainly find beaches and mountains beautiful, I’ve found myself most impressed by the rugged landscape of the American southwest, as seen on both the Sunset Limited and, most recently, the Southwest Chief. There’s just something about the striated red rock formations I find ruggedly beautiful.

I will refrain from saying too much about the Southwest Chief itself, and let a collection of photos I captured along the way tell the story. The dining car, the lounge car, and the roomette all enjoyable portions of the journey, but that can be experienced in many other places. The views from the windows, however, are unique to this trip and are what I made an effort to record. Enjoy a small collection of my favorite visions of the Southwest onboard the Chief – from stations to rock formations, and a few views of the train as well.