Beautiful, but a whole lot of nuttin'

Crossing the Southwest.

What an absolutely beautiful, sunny day as we travel through Arizona and New Mexico. The first night aboard the Southwest Chief was not bad at all although we did have several extended stops in the middle of nowhere. We're now about an hour delayed from our schedule.

Delays are common place for Amtrak trains. The delays are most often caused by the trains having to yield to freight trains - Amtrak doesn't own the tracks and big money freight trains get the right-of-way. But the train is not about getting to your destination quickly - it's about the journey and the sights you see along the way.

This morning we awoke in eastern Arizona. Beautiful country. But there's a whole lot of nothing out there. It's a visual reminder of how vast this country is and how many different landscapes there are.

We're now in New Mexico with it's different kind of nuttin'. Beautiful prairie-like lands with red-painted Mesa's. The structure and strata of the rocks is incredible.

Here are a few photos that I've taken today - enjoy.

Until next time, be kind, be safe, and Happy Valentines Day!.