We approach the headwaters of the Mississippi River during the night. The major junction in this neck of the woods is Grand Forks and it is grand in every way. Rivers converge. Roads diverge in every direction of the clock. The largest train switching yard for several hundred miles is here. The Empire Builder takes a 90 degree turn to the south here in the wee hours of the night. I know only because the sudden cessation of movement woke me up. We sat there for awhile awaiting clearance. I was asleep again soon after we started moving.
