Oh well wrote:
The second paragraph says AMTRAK paid their fare.
"Since we are press media, the home office of Amtrak in Washington, D. C. actually comp’ed our entire ride and dining from Kansas City to San Francisco and back so that we could see for ourselves and tell our thousands of readers about our Amtrak experience."
Wow, a free trip. How about some gratitude for that
www.marketsmiths.com/2014/ticket-to-write-how-to-get-a-free-ride-from-amtrak
www.theverge.com/2014/9/25-amtrak-is-giving-24-people-a-writers-residency-on-its-trains
www.media.amtrak.com/2016/07/amtrak-residency-program-selects-writers