My May/June Train Rides in Chicago and on the CONO
Part Two of Several
My plan had been, after my trip to Woodstock, to arise early on Sunday and get down to CUS early, check my luggage and get several Metra and El rides in before it would be time to board the CONO that evening.
But, as I mentioned in Part One, I would have a problem with the bus bridge and all my luggage. In addition to what I needed for the week, we had been gone from home for a week before, so I had more to carry then I normally would. Plus, a laptop and camera case to contend with.
I considered taking a taxi from the ORD area to CUS but the last time I did that it was almost $50.00. I also considered the direct bus service from ORD to CUS but learned that would be about $40.00. I would have been OK on the Blue Line if it weren't for the blasted bus part of the trip.
As fate would have it, the afternoon before a guy on the Blue Line Train who was sitting across the aisle from me struck up a conversation (he had seen me taking pictures through the dirty windows). I explained my dilemma and he suggested I take the Blue Line from Rosemont to Jefferson Park, a few stops away and walk across the bridge to the Jefferson Park Metra Station. I didn't even need to leave the station to get to the other station, just up a level and there was an escalator. I still had my weekend Metra pass, so that would work well with my CTA pass. But, the catch was, the first Metra train of the morning wasn't due to arrive at Jefferson Park until 10:00 AM. So, I would loose some time for rides, but it solved the transporting of luggage problem. And, it allowed me to sleep in a bit and have a nice breakfast buffet at the Hilton before I left for the day.
The hotel van dropped me at the Rosemont Blue Line Station at 9:00 and I was at the Jefferson Park stations by 9:30 with just a 30 minute wait for the Metra, which was right on time. This was the same route I had been on the day before.
We arrived at Olgavie Transportation Center right on time and I easily exited the station with my wheeled suitcase and laptop case on top of it for the short walk down Clinton to the Great Hall entrance of CUS. I was in the Lounge by 11:15 and checked everything with the Red Cap. My next Metra ride wasn't for a couple of hours so I hung out in the Lounge for a while and then, believe it or not, I was beginning to be hungry again.
I walked down to Lou Mitchell's and had to wait in line for almost 20 minutes before getting a stool at the counter. The line was out the door when I first got there. I ordered one of my favorite types of burgers that many places don't serve. The Green Olive Burger. I love those things and it came with a nice side of fries and cole slaw. I finished lunch about 12:45 just in time to walk back to CUS to catch the Metra to Elgin and back, about a 2.5 hour trip. The train wasn't very crowded and I found a relatively clean window to sit by on the upper level, right side.
I always enjoy the view coming out of the CUS tunnel on the north side of the station and being able to see the river, Merchandise Mart, and the bridges as we curve sharply to the left just outside the tunnel. I was able to take some pictures and video. As we approached Western Avenue we were really flying. A few passengers boarded and left the train at most of the stops and we were almost empty by the time we reached Elgin. This was a Metra route I had not been on before.
About 6 stops out from CUS a fellow boarded and came up to a seat across the aisle on the upper level and sat down. I didn't think much about it but did notice he had a feather in his baseball type cap. He sort of look like a Native American, too, so I thought maybe he was just used to wearing that feather as a sign of his heritage.
Then a couple of stops later another Native American looking fellow boarded and went up the stairs on the other side from me. He saw the fellow with the feather and immediately went down on one knee and bowed his head, said a few words in something other than English and sat in the seat in front of the fellow with the feather.
Nothing further happened until a few more stops when the fellow in front got up to leave the train at his station stop. He again turned toward the fellow behind him, went down on one knee, said a few words and then left. The man with the feather never said a word or acknowledged the second man at all. He then got off the train in Elgin and I saw him walk away up the riverside toward town.
I guess I'll never know what that was all about.
We had about a 10 minute wait in Elgin before we left so I went downstairs and sat on the other side for the ride back for a change of scenery.
After arriving back in CUS in the afternoon I hung out in the lounge and used the wi-fi as I knew I wouldn't be online for over 24 hours. I caught up with reading the forum and emails I needed to respond too as well as getting pictures ready for use on my web site and for the trip reports. The time went quickly. They had told us we would board between 7:00 and 7:15 so about 6:45 I shut everything down and had all my luggage ready to go.
7:00 came and went – no announcement.
7:15 came and went – no announcement.
7:30 came and went – no announcement.
Finally at 7:40 they took us out, not via the back door, but through the main station area. The coach line was backed up out of the south gate area up to the ticket counters. Lots of passengers.
I walked out with the sleeper car passengers and much to my surprise the engine was pointing out, not in toward the station as it usually is on trains that will use the High Line over to the Electric corridor. My past experience had the train back out of the station to the south and then to the west on the route that heads toward Aurora. It then would pull forward on to the High Line and over East to the Electric Line tracks. I wondered what was going to happen. Find out in the next installment, boarding the CONO and the trip to NOL.
I have some video from this day's activity, but haven't had a chance to process it yet. That will be later.
