Chicago

[MisterUptempo]

Is that restaurant in or annexed to the new BMO building? If so, I've been by there (but on a Sunday when it was closed), though haven't stopped in. Looked quite nice.

It's inside the BMO building, on the ground floor, and overlooks the pleasant little park to the west. Closed on weekends and only open 7A-8P M-F. In addition to the sit-down restaurant, they also have a market space to grab-and-go.

Also, last year, in the warm months, the building management would host a rotating group of food trucks in the park area once or twice a week. Don't know if that will be repeated this year or if it was a stopgap measure until the restaurant got up and running.

Canal Street Eatery and Market

And, for variety, there is also the nearby food court at the Old Post Office building, directly south of Union Station, at Canal and Van Buren. Open 7A-7P M-F.

From Here On-Chicago

 

[MARC Rider]

I did an overnight layover in Chicago, connecting from the Empire Builder to the Capitol Limited. I had a day to kill in Chicago before the Cap left, so I decided to visit the Museum of Science and Industry on the South Side. From Union Station, where I had stashed my bags, I took the CTA bus 151 down Jackson Blvd. to Randolph St. and Michigan Ave. After a lot of looking around the area, I finally found an entrance to Millenium Station (they hide the entrances pretty well). Fare on Metra Electric to 55-56-57th St. was only $2 ("Cook Pilot"). It was a Sunday, the trains weren't too frequent, and, what do you know, last weekend they were running the Metra trains out of the South Shore Line terminal.


At the museum, I visited the Coal Mine, looked at a few of the atmospheric sciences exhibits, and checked of the transportation stuff.

Here's Locomotive 999, one of the first to reach a speed of 100 mph. (The exhibit said it hit 112.) Keep in mind that this locomotive was built in 1893.


For those of you who are model train fans, they have an extensive layout that supposedly simulates the route of the Empire Builder. Here's their portrayal of Seattle.

In the entrance hall, you don't even have to pay to see it, is the original Pioneer Zephyr, the great grandaddy of the Airo trainsets.



A couple of interior shots. Either people were shorter back then, or the seats had no headrests. Also, it looks like they didn't recline. Might be a little less than full comfort for a 13-hour dash from Denver to Chicago. (This train also hit 112 mph.) Also, no luggage racks.



After I was done, I walked back to the Metra station and found I was shafted by Sunday scheduling. I faced almost an hour wait in a not very inviting station. Well, Lyft to the rescue, and damn the expense. Surprisingly, a car came for me in about a minute and zipped me uptown direclty to the station. Well, "zipped me" at least to the interchange with I-90, which I think is permanently congested. The driver figured a way through and got me there with plenty of time to hang out in the Metropolitan Lounge.

I did go and check the station, though. Here's Amtrak's Chicago Christmas tree in the Great Hall.




Note the railroad-themed ornamentation. They also had a Hanukkah display. (I'll need to go up to New York this season to see if Penn Station, in the largest Jewish city in the world, will put up a Hanukkah display. They didn't last year.)

Well, back to the lounge. They have packaged snacked, canned and bottle drinks in a refrigerated case, and 2 fancy coffee machines that make various espresso drinks as well a regular coffee. It was a bit crowded downtairs and the TVs were blaring, but one could find some peace by going to the upper level.

We boarded the Cap early, left on time, and, for a real surprise, arrived in Washington on time the next day.

 

[Sauve850]

I did an overnight layover in Chicago, connecting from the Empire Builder to the Capitol Limited. I had a day to kill in Chicago before the Cap left, so I decided to visit the Museum of Science and Industry on the South Side. From Union Station, where I had stashed my bags, I took the CTA bus 151 down Jackson Blvd. to Randolph St. and Michigan Ave. After a lot of looking around the area, I finally found an entrance to Millenium Station (they hide the entrances pretty well). Fare on Metra Electric to 55-56-57th St. was only $2 ("Cook Pilot"). It was a Sunday, the trains weren't too frequent, and, what do you know, last weekend they were running the Metra trains out of the South Shore Line terminal.

View attachment 34751
At the museum, I visited the Coal Mine, looked at a few of the atmospheric sciences exhibits, and checked of the transportation stuff.

Here's Locomotive 999, one of the first to reach a speed of 100 mph. (The exhibit said it hit 112.) Keep in mind that this locomotive was built in 1893.

View attachment 34752
For those of you who are model train fans, they have an extensive layout that supposedly simulates the route of the Empire Builder. Here's their portrayal of Seattle.
View attachment 34753
In the entrance hall, you don't even have to pay to see it, is the original Pioneer Zephyr, the great grandaddy of the Airo trainsets.

View attachment 34754

A couple of interior shots. Either people were shorter back then, or the seats had no headrests. Also, it looks like they didn't recline. Might be a little less than full comfort for a 13-hour dash from Denver to Chicago. (This train also hit 112 mph.) Also, no luggage racks.

View attachment 34755

After I was done, I walked back to the Metra station and found I was shafted by Sunday scheduling. I faced almost an hour wait in a not very inviting station. Well, Lyft to the rescue, and damn the expense. Surprisingly, a car came for me in about a minute and zipped me uptown direclty to the station. Well, "zipped me" at least to the interchange with I-90, which I think is permanently congested. The driver figured a way through and got me there with plenty of time to hang out in the Metropolitan Lounge.

I did go and check the station, though. Here's Amtrak's Chicago Christmas tree in the Great Hall.

View attachment 34756

View attachment 34757
Note the railroad-themed ornamentation. They also had a Hanukkah display. (I'll need to go up to New York this season to see if Penn Station, in the largest Jewish city in the world, will put up a Hanukkah display. They didn't last year.)

Well, back to the lounge. They have packaged snacked, canned and bottle drinks in a refrigerated case, and 2 fancy coffee machines that make various espresso drinks as well a regular coffee. It was a bit crowded downtairs and the TVs were blaring, but one could find some peace by going to the upper level.

We boarded the Cap early, left on time, and, for a real surprise, arrived in Washington on time the next day.

Science and Industry Museum is a cool place.

 

[City of Miami]

I was hanging around Union station TGD as I had to vacate lodging by 11am and Cardinal departed 5:55pm, on time. The lounge was deserted like everything else. 5 sleeper pax boarded. I walked down Jackson Blvd to Greek Town for lunch at a Japanese place.

 

[MccfamschoolMom]

I was hanging around Union station TGD as I had to vacate lodging by 11am and Cardinal departed 5:55pm, on time. The lounge was deserted like everything else. 5 sleeper pax boarded. I walked down Jackson Blvd to Greek Town for lunch at a Japanese place.

Hopefully Amtrak fed you supper after you boarded the Cardinal.

 

[jis]

I was hanging around Union station TGD as I had to vacate lodging by 11am and Cardinal departed 5:55pm, on time. The lounge was deserted like everything else. 5 sleeper pax boarded. I walked down Jackson Blvd to Greek Town for lunch at a Japanese place.

What is TGD?

 

[AmtrakBlue]

What is TGD?

I’m betting Thanksgiving Day

 

[MccfamschoolMom]

What is TGD?

I was hanging around Union station TGD as I had to vacate lodging by 11am and Cardinal departed 5:55pm, on time. The lounge was deserted like everything else. 5 sleeper pax boarded. I walked down Jackson Blvd to Greek Town for lunch at a Japanese place.

Reminds me of the scene at the end of the film "A Christmas Story" where the neighbors' dogs ate the roast turkey, so the family ends up eating roast goose for Christmas dinner at a Chinese restaurant -- the only place in town open that day.

 

[jis]

Reminds me of the scene at the end of the film "A Christmas Story" where the neighbors' dogs ate the roast turkey, so the family ends up eating roast goose for Christmas dinner at a Chinese restaurant -- the only place in town open that day.

I wonder what the Greko-Japanese cuisine was like

 

[MccfamschoolMom]

I wonder what the Greko-Japanese cuisine was like

Sushi gyros with lots of rice (so similar to a taco or burrito from Chipotle or Qdoba, except for the protein)?