Texas Eagle

And then also the sort of chrome emblem in the front, which I guess was popular.

There's a few, like the Texas Eagle or something had that one.

The Pennsylvania Railroad Torpedo had that.

Personally, I'm not a big fan of the big chrome thing in the front, but the Hiawatha looks great.

And South Padre Island's beachfront resorts offer a classic Gulf Coast vacation setup that draws families back year after year.

Amtrak's Texas Eagle and Sunset Limited lines both pass through the state, connecting major cities along genuinely long-distance cross-country routes.

Given the state's sheer size, a personal vehicle or RV remains by far the most practical way to see more than one region of Texas on a single trip.

Austin, Houston, Dallas and San Antonio all have local transit systems covering their downtown cores reasonably well.

And lodges along the Buffalo National River offer a rustic riverside base for float trips and hiking through the surrounding hills.

Amtrak's Texas Eagle line stops in Little Rock and Malvern, connecting Arkansas to Chicago and Texas along a single scenic route.

Beyond those stops, Arkansas is largely a car-dependent state, so a personal vehicle or RV is genuinely the most practical way to explore.

Little Rock has a limited local transit system covering the downtown core for visitors basing themselves there.

And Lake of the Ozarks resorts combine lakeside lodging with boating and golf for a classic Missouri summer getaway.

Amtrak's Missouri River Runner connects St. Louis and Kansas City with regular rail service, while the Texas Eagle and Southwest Chief lines pass through St. Louis on longer cross-country routes.

Beyond those corridors, Missouri is largely a car-dependent state, especially in the Ozarks, so plan on driving between most of your southern stops.

Missouri's food identity splits genuinely between its two big cities.

This is actually a crossing with the Union Pacific Main Line.

And these are actually the same tracks that Amtrak's daily Texas Eagle uses on its way from Chicago to San Antonio.

And then, of course, the last four cars being part of the Sunset Limited with connections all the way into Los Angeles.

So I had actually passed through here like a day or two before on Amtrak's Texas Eagle because I was taking Amtrak for this entire trip to bring along my folding bicycle.

and I had no idea that I passed through this interlocking until I looked at my map later.

If I had more time, I would have just honestly camped out here to try and see if I could capture pictures of the Amtrak.