There are really no words to describe this. I know, I’m a writer; coming up with words to describe things is kind of what I do. But I’m not sure I can. I’m not sure the pictures I took do it justice, either. I’m not sure if there’s any way to experience sunrise on the Monongahela without being here to see it.

I’ve been all through the southern states before, but never further northeast than Chicago (at least, not that I remember). The only thing I knew about the Monongahela River was that Bullwinkle said it once back in that old cartoon show, just because it was a fun word. But the Capitol Limited followed it pretty closely throughout the morning as we wound our way through the Appalachians. We had just reached Ohio when I fell asleep last night, and we were in Pittsburgh when I woke up this morning, but everything since has been a dream-ride through what might be the most beautiful countryside I have ever encountered. It still doesn’t seem quite real, even though I’m staring out the window at it right now.

And that’s that. I am truly, legitimately at a loss for words.