Chicago to Denver is mostly flat, and at least when I did it, mostly in the dark. Salt Lake to Reno is also boring, but surprisingly the section of rail around Tahoe doesn't have good views either. If you've driven on 80, or 50 or 89, you've seen better terrain.
As other comments have said though, the timeline is unpredictable, since freight takes priority. So you could easily end up in the dark around Grand Junction, CO and miss out on the views.
Sure, it takes four times longer, but it is about 20 times more comfortable.
wefunder.com/train
It’s a great experience, and something I wish more people tried. The cross country train that is, coworkers optional :)
I started throwing the trash in the bins and an Amtrak staffer came through and told me "You don't have to do that- that's someone else's job" Someone else was nowhere to be found though.
I took the Amtrak several times from southern to northern California and it was always just bearable.
The train experience in the USA is pathetic and depressing.
I have since moved to a "poor" country in Western Europe and the train experience here is MUCH MUCH better than Amtrak in the states as is most everything else.