There's not much to see on a plane but train, traveling through the country you will see beautiful sights. Amtrak has several scenic routes across the country. The California Zephyr route from Chicago to San Fransciso takes you past some of the country's most beautiful places. Along this route you will see the Rocky Mountains, the canyons of Colorado, the Sierra Nevadas and San Pablo Bay.
Play games with your friends or family. In keeping with the train travel theme, bring along historical American trivia. Or bring a deck of cards and you'll soon find fellow travelers to play a few hands.
Trains are great places to meet interesting people from all over the world. Some trains have seats facing each other. To start a conversation, make eye contact with the person sitting across from you and politely ask where the person is traveling to. You'll probably find you're sitting across from a fascinating person with lots of stories to tell.
Long distance Amtrak trains have dining cars where you can enjoy breakfast, lunch and dinner. Dining car options range from casual fare such as scrambled eggs to more upscale fare such as a garlic-butter marinated New York Strip Steak. For shorter trips or for just a drink, enjoy the cafe and snack car and strike up a conversation with someone at the bar.
Curl up in your seat with a good book. If you are going to be on the train for a couple of days or longer, make sure it's that thick novel you've been wanting to get lost in but haven't had the time to start. If you're creative and you like to write, consider starting your own novel, inspired by the scenery and sights you encounter during your trip.
