I chose a 20-hour train over a 2-hour flight to avoid airport chaos. See what the experience aboard was really like.

It's been a particularly tough month to travel by air.

The partial government shutdown, which started on February 14, left TSA workers without pay for nearly two months, leading to staffing shortages and hourslong security lines at some US airports.

While TSA workers are starting to see their pay and lines are beginning to subside, the travel chaos caused by the shutdown has already affected millions of Americans' travel plans, including my own.

On a recent trip on March 24, I made the last-minute decision to avoid the airport drama and take the long route instead.

I canceled my $100 one-way flight from Chicago to New York -- a route with an average flight time of 2 hours -- and booked a $200 coach ticket aboard Amtrak's Lake Shore Limited train, which would get me between the two cities in 20 hours.

While I could've reached my destination 10 times faster by air, I would've also missed out on stunning views, hours of relaxation, and other perks that made me reconsider adding more train trips to my travel schedule.

Here's what the experience was really like, along with all the amenities that came with it.