Quick facts - USA

Chesapeake is an independent city in Virginia, United States. At the 2020 census, the population was 249,422, making it the second-most populous city in Virginia, the tenth-largest in the Mid-Atlantic, and the 90th-most populous city in the United States. Chesapeake is included in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area.

Richmond, the capital of Virginia, is among America’s oldest major cities. Patrick Henry, a U.S. Founding Father, famously declared “Give me liberty or give me death” at its St. John's Church in 1775, leading to the Revolutionary War. The White House of the Confederacy, home of Confederate President Jefferson Davis during the Civil War, is now a museum in Court End, a neighborhood known for Federal-style mansions.

Washington, DC, the U.S. capital, is a compact city on the Potomac River, bordering the states of Maryland and Virginia. It’s defined by imposing neoclassical monuments and buildings – including the iconic ones that house the federal government’s 3 branches: the Capitol, White House and Supreme Court. It's also home to iconic museums and performing-arts venues such as the Kennedy Center.

Baltimore is a major city in Maryland with a long history as an important seaport. Fort McHenry, birthplace of the U.S. national anthem, “The Star-Spangled Banner,” sits at the mouth of Baltimore’s Inner Harbor. Today, this harbor area offers shops, upscale crab shacks and attractions like the Civil War–era warship the USS Constellation and the National Aquarium, showcasing thousands of marine creatures.

New York City comprises 5 boroughs sitting where the Hudson River meets the Atlantic Ocean. At its core is Manhattan, a densely populated borough that’s among the world’s major commercial, financial and cultural centers. Its iconic sites include skyscrapers such as the Empire State Building and sprawling Central Park. Broadway theater is staged in neon-lit Times Square.

Boston, officially the City of Boston, is the capital and largest city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the Northeastern United States. The city boundaries encompass an area of about 48.4 sq mi and a population of 675,647 as of 2020.

Los Angeles is a sprawling Southern California city and the center of the nation’s film and television industry. Near its iconic Hollywood sign, studios such as Paramount Pictures, Universal and Warner Brothers offer behind-the-scenes tours. On Hollywood Boulevard, TCL Chinese Theatre displays celebrities’ hand- and footprints, the Walk of Fame honors thousands of luminaries and vendors sell maps to stars’ homes.

Oakland is a city on the east side of San Francisco Bay, in California. Jack London Square has a statue of the writer, who frequented the area. Nearby, Old Oakland features restored Victorian architecture and boutiques. Near Chinatown, the Oakland Museum of California covers state history, nature and art. Uptown contains the art deco Fox and Paramount theaters, restaurants, bars and galleries.

Portland, Oregon’s largest city, sits on the Columbia and Willamette rivers, in the shadow of snow-capped Mount Hood. It’s known for its parks, bridges and bicycle paths, as well as for its eco-friendliness and its microbreweries and coffeehouses. Iconic Washington Park encompasses sites from the formal Japanese Garden to Oregon Zoo and its railway. The city hosts thriving art, theater and music scenes.

Seattle, a city on Puget Sound in the Pacific Northwest, is surrounded by water, mountains and evergreen forests, and contains thousands of acres of parkland. Washington State’s largest city, it’s home to a large tech industry, with Microsoft and Amazon headquartered in its metropolitan area. The futuristic Space Needle, a 1962 World’s Fair legacy, is its most iconic landmark.

Las Vegas, often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and 2nd-largest in the Southwestern United States.

Phoenix is the capital of the southwestern U.S. state of Arizona. Known for its year-round sun and warm temperatures, it anchors a sprawling, multicity metropolitan area known as the Valley of the Sun. It's known for high-end spa resorts, Jack Nicklaus–designed golf courses and vibrant nightclubs. Other highlights include the Desert Botanical Garden, displaying cacti and numerous native plants.

Denver, the capital of Colorado, is an American metropolis dating to the Old West era. Larimer Square, the city’s oldest block, features landmark 19th-century buildings. Museums include the Denver Art Museum, an ultramodern complex known for its collection of indigenous works, and the mansion of famed Titanic survivor Molly Brown. Denver is also a jumping-off point for ski resorts in the nearby Rocky Mountains.

Detroit is the largest city in the midwestern state of Michigan. Near Downtown, the neoclassical Detroit Institute of Arts is famed for the Detroit Industry Murals painted by Diego Rivera, and inspired by the city’s ties to the auto industry, giving it the nickname "Motor City." Detroit is also the birthplace of Motown Records, whose chart-topping history is on display at their original headquarters, Hitsville U.S.A.

Tampa is a city on Tampa Bay, along Florida’s Gulf Coast. A major business center, it’s also known for its museums and other cultural offerings. Busch Gardens is an African-themed amusement park with thrill rides and animal-viewing areas. The historic Ybor City neighborhood, developed by Cuban and Spanish cigar-factory workers at the turn of the 20th century, is a dining and nightlife destination.

Trains and destinations

We decided to list all of Amtrak Trains by Number and where each train travels to across the U.S.


Sunset Limited (#1 West/ #2 East) 
Start: Los Angeles, California
End: New Orleans, Louisiana

Southwest Chief (#3 Outbound/ #4 Inbound) 
Start: Chicago, Illinois (Union Station)
End: Los Angeles, California

California Zephyr (#5 Outbound/ #6 Inbound) 
Start: Chicago, Illinois (Union Station)
End: Emeryville, California (Emeryville Station)

Empire Builder (#7 Outbound/ #8 Inbound) – (#27 Outbound/ #28 Inbound) 

Train 7/8
Start: Chicago, Illinois (Union Station)
End: Seattle, Washington

Train 27/28
Start: Chicago, Illinois (Union Station)
End: Portland, Oregon

Coast Starlight (#11/ #14) 
Start: Seattle, Washington
End: Los Angeles, California

Crescent (#19/ #20) 
Start: New York City, New York
End: New Orleans, Louisiana

Texas Eagle (Outbound #21/ Inbound #22) 
Start: Chicago, Illinois (Union Station)
End: San Antonio, Texas

Capitol Limited (#29/#30) 
Start: Washington, DC
End: Chicago, Illinois

Pennsylvanian (#42/#43) 
Start: New York City, New York
End: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Lake Shore Limited (Train #48/448 – 49/449)
Start: Chicago, Illinois
End: New York City, New York; Boston Massachusetts

Cardinal (#50/#51) 
Start: Chicago, Illinois
End: New York City, New York

Auto Train (#52/ #53) 
Start: Lorton, Virginia
End: Sanford, Florida

Vermonter (#54, #55, #56, #57)
Start: St. Albans, Vermont
End: Washington, DC

City of New Orleans (#58/ #59) 
Start: Chicago, Illinois
End: New Orleans, Louisiana

Maple Leaf (#63, #64, #97, #98) 
Start: New York, New York
End: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Northeast Regional (#65, #66, #67, #71, #78, #82, #83, #84, #85, #86, #87, #88, #93. #94, #95, #96, #111, #121, #123, #125, #126 - #199)  
Start: Boston, Springfield, Massachusetts – New York City, New York
End: Norfolk, Richmond, Newport News, Lynchburg, Virginia – Washington, DC

Adirondack (#68/ #69) 
Start: New York City, New York
End: Montreal, Quebec

Carolinian (#79/ #80) 
Start: New York Penn Station
End: Charlotte, North Carolina

Palmetto SAV (#89/ #90) 
Start: New York Penn Station
End: Savannah, Georgia

Silver Star (#91/ #92) 
Start: New York City, New York
End: Miami, Florida

Silver Meteor (#97/ #98) 
Start: New York City, New York
End: Miami, Florida

Empire Service (#266, #280, #281 - #286, #288) 
Start: New York Penn Station
End: Niagara Falls, New York

Ethan Ellen Express (#290 - #293, #296) 
Start: New York City, New York
End: Rutland, Vermont

Lincoln Service (#300 - #307, #309, #329, #337) 
Start: Chicago, Illinois
End: St. Louis, Missouri

Missouri River Runner (#311, #313, #314, #316) 
Start: Kansas City, Missouri
End: St. Louis, Missouri

Hiawatha Service (#330 - #336, #338 - #342) 
Start: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
End: Chicago, Illinois

Wolverine (#350 - #351, #356, #358, #359) 
Start: Chicago, Illinois
End: Pontiac, Michigan

Lake Cities (#352, #353) 
Start: Chicago, Illinois
End: Toledo, Ohio

Twilight Limited (#354/ #355) 
Start: Chicago, Illinois
End: Pontiac, Michigan

Blue Water (#364, #365) 
Start: Chicago, Illinois
End: Port Huron, Michigan

Pere Marquette (#370 - #372) 
Start: Chicago, Illinois
End: Grand Rapids, Michigan

Illinois Zephyr (#380 - #385) 
Start: Chicago, Illinois
End: Quincy, Illinois

Cascades (#500 - #517) 
Start: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
End: Eugene, Oregon

Capitol Corridor (#518 - #553, #720 - #751) 
Start: Auburn, California
End: San Jose, California

Pacific Surfliner (#562 - #597; #761 - #799) 
Start: San Luis Obispo, California
End: San Diego, California

San Joaquin (#701 - #719) 
Start: Bakersfield, California
End: Oakland, California; Sacramento, California

Acela Express (#2100 - #2297) 
Start: Boston, Massachusetts
End: Washington, DC

SACRAMENTO KINGS: A Fan's Perspective: Part II

One of the last home games for the Kings in the city of Sacramento?
(photo courtesy of Josh Chiaratti)

Josh C

Josh C continues his rant about his favorite team, the Sacramento Kings.  Part I can be read, here.

As explained earlier, an NBA team needs a difference maker to build their team around and contend for championships.  The Sacramento Kings had their difference maker in Chris Webber.  Yes, the Kings were bold in trading for a player that did not want anything to do with playing in Sacramento, but the gamble eventually paid off.  Since Webber has left, the Kings have been trying to fix the club by way of short-term, quick fixes rather than rebuild.  The most glaring example of management’s stubbornness in placing a full-fledged, rebuilding plan came in the 2006 NBA DRAFT.

Webber was gone, the team’s window for a title had closed, and it was time to find an heir apparent to point guard, Mike Bibby. I understand that it was weak draft, but at #19, there were some nice, long-term projects you can gamble on.  Players available at that spot:

• Rajon Rondo
• Marcus Williams
• Kyle Lowry
• Shannon Brown
• Jordan Farmar
• Sergio Rodriguez 

And what do the Kings do?  They select Quincy “bleeping!” Douby! QUINCY DOUBY!!! I still remember that night like it was yesterday: the Kings had the opportunity to pick up a young point guard and Geoff Petrie and Co. picks Douby who is nowhere near the point guard prospect that the other players are.  I was so enraged by the selection that I started to curse Petrie and Douby’s name at the top of my lungs and proceeded to throw an empty plastic cup at the TV.  I still haven’t gotten over it! (For those that don’t know, Douby was scouted as a defensive liability, a combo guard who would best be used as a scoring option rather than a point guard, was given a ZERO in the passing and ball handling variables coming into the 2006 NBA DRAFT—Ed).

But all of these moves since Webber and Bibby have left are nothing compared to what they did in the 2011 NBA DRAFT.  At first, I was drinking the Jimmer Kool-Aid as I was singing the praises of Jimmer Fredette.  But after awhile, after the Jimmer Kool-Aid started to wear out, even after drinking high doses of the stuff, I’m finally coming to the sad realization that Jimmer might have been a mistake—at least for this team.  See, I still believe Jimmer can be a legit, productive pro; just not with the Kings.  He will only achieve success in the NBA with a real, professional team.  The pick would not be so bad if it wasn’t for the fact that the Maloofs, essentially, forced Petrie to trade for the draft rights of Jimmer and also bring in veterans that did not fit well with this team (see John Salmons).  

The Maloofs have been crying poor in the last few years or so and clearly this acquisition was done in anticipation that the cult following Jimmer effectuated in college, would streamline into the NBA by bringing more fans into the arena and help bring in more money.  Financially, the move did pay off as Jimmer’s #7 jersey boosted Kings’ jersey sales to new, astronomical figures.

I often wonder how many terrible, front office, transactions can be attributed to the Maloofs.  And then I realized that ESPN ranked the Sacramento Kings as the penultimate, worst franchise in the FOUR MAJOR SPORTS in the U.S. and Canada.  The Charlotte Bobcats are ranked ahead of the Kings.  Are you kidding me?  And as stated earlier, the Kings are one of two teams (the other being the Minnesota Timberwolves) who have not made the playoffs since 2005-06.  And I haven’t even mentioned their disservice to the city of Sacramento with their aggressive pursuit of a new stadium, threats of relocation, and selling the team with the potential, inevitable move to Seattle.  

There’s no team in sports that I’ve ever been nearly as passionate about as the Kings.  No team in sports continues to scorn me and has made me throw things in ongoing, raging frustration because of terrible ownership and management decisions.  As you can see, I’m a die-hard Kings’ fan as long as they remain in "Swerve City", but at this juncture of the franchise’s history, perhaps radical changes are needed.  Even if it means my favorite team moves on.  It will at least give me the opportunity to move on myself.

Hello Golden State Warriors, my name is Josh and I am in the market as a free-agent fan and looking to take my talents to a new NBA team...

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For some reason, we have a lot of content regarding the Sacramento Kings.