St Paul to Albany train

Saint Paul is the capital of Minnesota, and is one of the Twin Cities, along with its neighbor across the Mississippi River, Minneapolis. As the seat of Minnesota's government, Saint Paul offers historic and cultural attractions which represent both the state and the American Midwest as a whole.

For a comprehensive introduction to the region's history, start your trip at the Minnesota History Center, just down the street from the grounds of the State Capitol building. There are museums in Saint Paul for all types of interests, including the Science Museum of Minnesota and the Schubert Club Musical Instrument Museum. For an extra dash of Saint Paul history, take a stroll down Summit Avenue, a stylish street of drool-worthy Victorian houses and mansions, including the home of F. Scott Fitzgerald.

If you're brave enough to visit Saint Paul during the freezing winters, you'll be rewarded with the Saint Paul Winter Carnival, a yearly event where you can explore ice palaces, watch live ice sculpting, and compete in city-wide scavenger hunts. Saint Paul is also one of the country's best cities for craft beer, so save time to taste some local ales or even brew your own beer at Vine Park Brewing Co.

Saint Paul is a hub for travel in the Midwest thanks in part to Amtrak's Empire Builder train service which stops at Saint Paul Union Depot. Bus service from stations throughout town and nearby Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport make it easy to travel to and from this saintly city.

Albany is an Oregon city located halfway between Portland and Eugene, just south of the state capital, Salem. To get a feel for the town's history, visit Monteith House and Albany Regional Museum, both of which house artifacts from the 19th century when Oregon was a growing destination for pioneers.

Thanks to its location in the Willamette Valley, Albany is near many top-rated wineries and vineyards like Springhill Cellars and Delfino Fine Wines. Oregon's beer culture also shines in Albany, at breweries including Calapooia Brewing Co. and The Garage, with 54 drinks on tap downtown. Albany also has many excellent restaurants, with specialties ranging from Italian to Hungarian dishes.

Many bus routes serve Albany, the most useful of which are ATS (Albany Transit System) for travel within the local area and Amtrak Thruway for intercity travel. Amtrak's Coast Starlight between LA and Seattle and the Cascades from Vancouver to Eugene both stop in Albany for easy rail connections up and down the coast.