In 2005 my wife, daughter and of course myself traveled from Union Station in Chicago to Flagstaff, AZ as the start of a week long Grand Canyon/Vegas vacation. We rode coach since Amtrak's cost for a sleeper was very high. The worst part of sleeping in coach was NOT the reclining seat, but rather the gassy passengers ahead and behind us - OMG!!
Great trip - somewhere over the Rockies I'm pretty sure I saw the exact spot where so many old 40's and 50's westerns were filmed - you know, "the gulch" where the bad guys hung out!
George