I've always been a fan of trains. As a child, my favorite book was "The Little Engine that Could," and I've seen the Hitchcock classic "North by Northwest" at least a half dozen times. So, when I saw that Amtrak offered cross-country train travel, I was immediately intrigued. I'd taken a five-hour train ride from Detroit to Chicago before, but I'd never been on a longer journey by rail. It seemed like a unique way to kick off our annual family vacation.