Riding the Rails with Amtrak--The Empire Builder, Day 2, Part 1: North Dakota

York, ND, Population: 26

One thing you learn from riding Amtrak is that the trains rarely seem to run on time. One reason for this is that Amtrak passenger trains often share tracks with freight trains, and the freight trains are considered a higher priority. I do wish that this country invested more in rail travel so it could become as viable a means of transportation here as it is in many other countries. Because of the frequent delays, it sometimes happens that the beautiful scenery you were expecting to see in the golden glow of the late afternoon sun slides stealthily by under cover of darkness. This is my rather long-winded explanation/apology for not having many good pictures of Glacier National Park or the beautiful Izaak Walton Inn (another dream destination on my ever-expanding bucket list). Nevertheless, I took plenty of pictures out the window of the train and on the platform of our various stops, too many in fact to share them all here. Sometimes, as you'll see, my choices run less towards the conventionally beautiful and more towards things that fascinate me, scenes that lead me to invent stories around them. For example, on every long train ride I either find myself unable at some point to sleep, or waking up in the middle of the night to the sound of the train whistle blowing or the brakes beginning their slow complaints. I'll look out the window and invariably see some ghostly town, with maybe one lonely pickup truck stopped at the railway crossing. I always end up taking pictures of these scenes, imagining the stillness outside, the tired driver of the pickup just waiting for the train to pass so he can finally get home and get a few hours sleep before morning comes. 

Fargo, ND, 30 July 3:46 AM

Ephrata, WA 31 July, 7:15 AM

North Dakota

As the train pulled into Minot, ND, passengers eagerly headed for the doors, ready to stretch their legs and soak up a little cool air and warm sun. One man told a joke: "This is North Dakota. You have now visited all 50 states." It may not be the hottest of tourist destinations, but it has its share of stories. 

This stop: Minot, ND. 

Minot train station

The land is a study in contrasts. One minute you are gliding past serene-looking farmland; in the next, you are riding through a land scarred by fracking and our insatiable appetite for oil. 

The discovery of oil transformed the town of Williston, ND into a boom town in the 2010's, rapidly doubling its population with the promise of high-paying jobs and, with the overwhelming demand for housing, becoming for a time (according to a 2014 report by ABC News) the most expensive place to rent an apartment in the United States. The 2014 documentary The Overnighters is an interesting and disturbing look into the impact that oil had on the life of the town. 

Gas flare at a crude oil facility, Williston, ND

Tank cars for transporting petroleum, Williston, ND