Very nice. I'm so glad that traditional dining is restored to this route. I last did this a few years ago, and really enjoyed it. FWIW, it's relatively easy to connect from the Northbound Silver Meteor (sister train) to the westbound Cardinal in Washington DC. If you're so inclined, one "Amtrak Vacation" -- starting in NYC -- is to take the Silver Star or Silver Meteor from NYC to Miami, layover one night in Miami, then the Silver Meteor from Miami to DC, the Cardinal from DC to CHI, and then the Lakeshore Limited from CHI back to NYC. The connection to the Cardinal in DC is the only one that's close (given delays), but if you've booked the trip on one ticket then Amtrak is pretty good about making sure that you make the connection (my crew assured me that Amtrak will add a sleeper to the next day's Cardinal if the connection is missed).
Very nice. I'm so glad that traditional dining is restored to this route.
I last did this a few years ago, and really enjoyed it. FWIW, it's relatively easy to connect from the Northbound Silver Meteor (sister train) to the westbound Cardinal in Washington DC. If you're so inclined, one "Amtrak Vacation" -- starting in NYC -- is to take the Silver Star or Silver Meteor from NYC to Miami, layover one night in Miami, then the Silver Meteor from Miami to DC, the Cardinal from DC to CHI, and then the Lakeshore Limited from CHI back to NYC. The connection to the Cardinal in DC is the only one that's close (given delays), but if you've booked the trip on one ticket then Amtrak is pretty good about making sure that you make the connection (my crew assured me that Amtrak will add a sleeper to the next day's Cardinal if the connection is missed).
Thanks for the comment! That trip sounds great, and covers the most scenic part of the Cardinal.