I’ve just returned from an extended trip to the US east coast, traveling by train all the way. It is my preferred way of traveling, as I get to see exclusive landscapes not accessible via other means of transportation. I prefer to travel via the Amtrak Empire Builder train, which originates in Seattle and travels along the northern states, eventually ending in Chicago. The trip takes 2 days. From Chicago are connections to available trains to most parts of the country. I departed mid April, when there was still much snow on the ground in Montana and North Dakota. By the time I returned, much of the snow had melted, leaving behind large lakes of water. Here are a few pics taken in April from the train window, outside the Glacier National Park area in Montana.
And now to the gardens! The New York Botanical Garden, located in the Bronx, is on a 250 acre site. It consists of many individual gardens of different plant and flower species along with many trails to explore throughout. I think I spent about 3 hours there and still did not get to see many areas of the garden. It is huge! And, of course, in springtime, the garden is chock full of blooms. The Cherry blossoms and Magnolias were magnificent!
Check out these gorgeous Magnolia blooms of various varieties and colors!
The Bronx River runs through the garden as well.
The Haupt Conservatory grounds were adorned with gorgeous Weeping Cherry trees.
In front of the Mertz Library in the garden is the beautiful Fountain of Life.
I highly recommend visiting the New York Botanical Garden, when in NYC. Visit their website for more info. https://www.nybg.org/visit/
All images property of Peggy A Thompson
northwestphotos 
Spendid, splendid. splendid
Splendid., splendid, splendid
Sounds like a fantastic trip. I’ve always wanted to ride the Amtrak Empire Builder train. Going through Glacier National Park must have be impressive. I’ve been there by car back in the late 70s. I’m sure it’s packed with visitors these days. I also wonder about the frustration of not being able to stop and shoot pictures. Snapping them through the window of a moving train doesn’t seem to offer the true experience. What do you think?
It is true that you aren’t going to get clear pictures, shooting through a train window, especially if they are a bit dirty. I spend most of my time looking at the scenery and not taking photos. The trick is to place the camera lens body directly against the window and using a camera setting that will focus on infinite distance and not the window. The position of the sun plays an immense part as well. One obviously does not want to shoot into the sun. That would create even more glare with the window. But sometimes, one does not have a choice in the matter on a train. In these cases, I will not even bother to shoot. As well, different cameras offer up different results, some better than others. My take on train travel is this: Enjoy the trip and the scenery. In no way will photos take the place of your own eyes. When the train slows down to a crawl or stops (and it does, frequently), this will be the best time to snap a photo.
Beautiful shots, particularly the mountains! The tree blossoms are very pretty!
Thanks so much! Glad you enjoyed the images!
The West should have more of that. I suppose it comes with history.