The recent launch of Amtrak’s Borealis, a second train between St. Paul and Chicago, evoked the midcentury golden age of Midwest train travel — when the dueling Hiawatha and Zephyr behemoths barreled down the Mississippi River Valley at top speeds of more than 100 miles per hour. I was excited, yet wary of Amtrak’s 21st-century record of running the existing Empire Builder train more than two hours late.
But there was adventure ahead, history to explore and no time to sit on my hands. It turns out that the new 54-mph Borealis is averaging only a 27-minute delay on its entire trek to Chicago, and 43 minutes on the return. That was all the encouragement I needed to jump into two very entertaining weekend excursions: to Red Wing, Minn.
, and La Crosse, Wis. Compelling history in Red Wing In June, I sampled the new service with a same-day trip from St. Paul’s Union Depot to Red Wing.
My round trip cost $18. Weekend parking at Union Depot is a bargain at $4 per day. Borealis was right on time in both directions.
The train itself is not new, but the leather seats and Wi-Fi were new to me. Red Wing is perfect for a Borealis day trip because the town is very walkable, and the daily 11:05 a.m.
departure from St. Paul and 12:35 p.m.
arrival leaves five hours to explore. There is plenty of compelling history within three blocks of the Red Wing station. Our primary targets were the iconic St.
James Hotel and the majestic Sheldon Theatre, institutions enhanced by the legacy of two .
