Amtrak may be best-known as an easy way to make a quick trip between New York and Boston or Los Angeles and San Diego -- without having to go through security in socks, put your phone in airplane mode or siphon off the contents of your bathroom cabinets into 3.4 oz. vials.

But here's the thing: Amtrak's 21,000-plus miles of track connect not just major cities, but all manner of fun stops in between. How fun? We had a travel influencer hit the rails to find out -- and show us what life on a long-distance train is like. All aboard for our favorite findings!