Beyond the big-city bubble of Denver, where people wear masks to walk their dogs, the rural plains seem nonplussed by this new COVID-19 reality. Stopping for gas during a road trip through Kansas in June, I ran through a mental checklist of safety precautions as if refueling a spaceship, and in a way, I was. My Honda capsule allowed me to travel through the landscape, remaining socially distant, as those around me carried on with little notice.

While I was traveling, Amtrak announced it would reduce long-distance route service from a daily schedule to every other day to cut costs during the pandemic—a serious reduction for places with already limited options. Most passenger trains cross the plains nocturnally, quietly witnessed by only the train crew, the hardy passenger, and the occasional insomniac.