Chicago layover

Quite a few decent restaurants in the area of Union Station.  Lots depends on what time of day and the day of the week that you're going to be there. 

This long layover time is one reason that we have flown into Chicago (from Cleveland) rode the "L" down from Midway Airport, then had a leisurely lunch and boarded our westbound train in the afternoon.  Taking the train from Cleveland would mean that we would have to be down at the station around 2:00 am, and that just wouldn't happen with my wife.  So we leave Cleveland about 10:00 am, get to Chgo at just after 10:00, ride downtown on the "L", touring the South West side, have a nice lunch and board the train for our West Coast trip, still well rested.

Paul Fischer

6 hours IF your inbound train is on time.

Right, our layover was just enough time to walk to local restaurant and grab a meal.    

SUNSET LTD from LA to MIA, then I think Orlando, for some years before Hurricane Katrina!  But no Amtrak, or VIA transcon passenger today!

plagiarized from Fodor"s website:

The Sears/Willis Tower is 2 blocks east of Union Station at Wacker & Adams.  (just exit Union Station and look up )

If you like Art Deco architecture, walk 4 more blocks east on Jackson to LaSalle and walk through the lobby of the Board of Trade Building. Then, head one block north to Adams and LaSalle and see the LaSalle Bank Building. (aka Bank of America Building and Field Building)

As a comparison, cross the street and go into The Rookery. It was built in 1888 and remodeled by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1905. A recent renovation opened one of the marble columns to show the original design.

Notes in parenthesis added by me.

Steve

There used to be a nice hobby shop next door to the Catholic St. Peter's inside the Loop Church.  If I remember, was it on State?  Anyway, during the mid 1970's on Amtrak layovers I would walk over.  Had lots of great looking PW items.  Got, and still have my first crane and boom car from them!  But I think that shop has moved.  But I still have great memories of the place!

Thanks for the ideas.   Hopefully, with the return trip only having a <3 hour layover, I won't be looking at a 24-hour layover.

I always look forward to my layover time in Chicago, plenty to see and do depending on the time of year and how long you have. Winter plenty of time to go ice skating at millionum park, warmer weather take a segway tour. water taxi to Navy Pier, Best is the pizza a short block from station. I think the art museum is free. And like already mentioned the Sears Tower. Good food everywhere. 

Clem 

We've found great spots to see during our layovers.  Near downtown are the Museum of Science and Industry (a must see) and the Field Museum of Natural History.  In downtown particularly when the weather is nice, a nice walk to the Art Institute of Chicago, the suburban commuter stations such as LaSale and the Ogilvie Transportation Station, just north of Union Station, and a mile to the south, the Randolph Road bridge over the tracks leading to Union Station, one of the greatest train watching spots ever.  All this in addition to the Sears Tower already mentioned and watching the El trains overhead throughout downtown.

There are no hobby shops in downtown Chicago any longer.  The old Downtown Hobbies moved much closer to O'Hare airport years ago and is now called Chicagoland Hobbies.  Randolph St is not south of Union Station, but north of it, and I'm not sure about viewing Union Station track from there, although Union Station has track leaving both north and south sides.

For some interesting food, there is a neighborhood just west of Union Station affectionately called Greektown by locals with several authentic Greek restaurants.  Also, about the same distance west (Halsted St.), but actually on Randolph St., is another series of "unique" / more expensive restaurants like The Girl and the Goat.  If you can't find good food and entertainment in Chicago, you're not trying.

Chuck

Three of my favorites:

Breakfast: Bongo Room (Roosevelt & Wabash) - the Sweet stuff is great.  So was the breakfast burrito.

Lunch (or anytime): Billy Goat (Michigan & Hubbard - underneath the street - made "famous" by Saturday Night Live skit.  Cheeburger, Cheeburger, Pepsi - No Coke.  There is a closer one to Union Station, but it's not what I call the Original.  Probably better food elsewhere, but the nostalgia and atmosphere is cool.  I recall my dad telling me stories of going there in the 60's/70's and it was filled with great columnists from the Tribune, the Sun Times, etc., working on their stories.

Dinner: Deep Dish Pizza.  Some call it "Chicago Style" but that opens up a whole debate between is Chicago Style really deep dish or super-thin crust.  Lou Malnati's.  Or Gino's.  Or Giordanos.  

Mmmmm Giordano's. .

steam fan posted:

Mmmmm Giordano's. .

Yes, their Chicago Style is pretty good, however the consistent overall winners are; FIRST "Lou Malnati's" and SECOND is "Gino's".  For an excellent, authentic Italian dinner go the the "Rosebud", i.e. Frank Sinatra's favorite when ever he was in Chicago.  

Hot Water posted:

 "For an excellent, authentic Italian dinner go the the "Rosebud", i.e. Frank Sinatra's favorite when ever he was in Chicago."

 I assume your talking about Rosebud on Rush?

Mill City posted:

Hot Water posted:

 "For an excellent, authentic Italian dinner go the the "Rose Bud", i.e. Frank Sinatra's favorite when ever he was in Chicago."

 I assume your talking about Rosebud on Rush?

Yes. I'll go back up and edit the name to all one word.

Edit.    Now that I remember, NOT the restaurant on Rush! I mean the original Rosebud, in the heart of "Little Italy", 1500 W Taylor St (for reservations 312-942-1117).  Not that far west of Union Station.

Well you can spend at least an hour just exploring Chicago Union Station with all its different levels. Last time I was in The Junction Pub downing a few beers the place was packed. It was up on the Mezzanine somewhere as Chicago Union station is big!

 http://www.chicagounionstation.com/retail_guide.html

I want to thank all who took the time of provide information.   You have my mouth watering, because I'm very fond of Italian food.  However, the train in is due to arrive at 8:45 am, and the train out is due to depart at 3:15, so it appears that such an attractive dinner is not in the cards.  While Amtrak dining car meals are good, they're not quite what you've described.

Of course, on the return trip, there's only a 3- hour layover, if the train is on time after 2 days en route   If it's too late arriving, I may have to sample some of these gustatorial delights.

Well it sounds like you have time for a very good lunch. Don't forget first dining car meal out of Chicago is evening dinner.

Yes, Clem, and I have to save room for the Amtrak special chocolate dessert.

Trip west went fine.  Train from DC was early.  Took bus tour (very cold) and got pizza at Giordano's.  It was good.  Thanks for all the tips.

RJR posted:

Trip west went fine.  Train from DC was early.  Took bus tour (very cold) and got pizza at Giordano's.  It was good.  Thanks for all the tips.

Good to hear you had a good time.  The O scale March Meet is this weekend so we will be close to the windy city.     We've stayed in South Bend for a night and took the South Shore in to the city (another must-do since they perennially talk of eliminating the street running on both ends in Michigan City) to Randolph Street and then rode the El for a few hours before returning on the CSS. 

One could make a Midwest train and trolley vaca like we did a few years ago when we rode the South Shore, then Metra into Chicago  then drove to Mason City Iowa to follow the Iowa Traction Railroad and to take in a night at the Historic Park Inn which is the last remaining Frank Lloyd Wright hotel and it is stunningly restored. 

Renting cars for urban train trips seems to be the most difficult part for me.  Once I was able to take the train to Toronto for business and ended up taking the subway and bus to the AIRPORT to pick up a rental car since the train arrived after the agency was closed at the train station. 

For those who like a bit of history with their tour, first go to the Field Museum in Chicago.  Find the (thankfully) stuffed pair of lions that dined on (British) Indian laborers  that were building the railway between Mombassa, Nairobi and Uganda.  Specifically, the bridge and railway station at Tsavo.  After seeing the lions, get on a flight to Nairobi and get a good guide to take you to the Kenyan railroad museum.  I'm not sure if it is still open but when Joyce and I visited, we were the only visitors and the site was full of equipment from all over Africa.  There you will find the brake van (caboose) where three whitehunters vowed to stay awake and shoot them before the lions had dinner.  Two white hunters lived, I don't believe they ever found the third.  Next, IF the "Lunatic Express" is still running, book an overnight compartment to Mombassa, have dinner in the diner and spend several days in a resort soaking up the sun and drinks.  If no "Lunatic Express", the Chinese new-railroad will get you to Mombassa in four hours.  Or you can fly.  The book "Lunatic Express" is available as is a general history of eastern African railways.

For added  complexity, wake up with the sign "Tsavo Gorge" just outside your window.

ChipR  

Well, the trip came off almost without a hitch. The service aboard the train and at the stations was excellent.  Superliner bedroom very comfortable. The food was excellent, better than I've had in many restaurants. The only glitch was that on the return trip a locomotive broke down in Lamar, Colorado,  happily we had crawled/snaked our way up the three passes on the route (10mph), but we missed our connection to the Capitol Limited. So we had to spend a whole day in Chicago. This gave us time, among other things to visit the Willis Tower and stand on the 103rd floor glass ledge (photo attached).

I was surprised to see that the BNSF still has semaphore signals operating on this line.

Sorry to hear that the Chief was the spoiler.  I am always disappointed when the Home Road fails to succeed.  Yes, there are a lot more operating semaphores between Glorieta, NM and Raton, NM, than you might think.  They just keep going, and going, and going.

Were you able to get another bedroom on the Capitol Limited, or did you have to downgrade because of the missed connection?

We boarded the Chief at Lamy and rode to Washington via the Capitol Limited last December.  Fortunately, the connection was good.  We sat down to supper at East Chicago while the Capitol was running fast on some of the roughest track I have ever ridden.  It was a great adventure and we laughed a lot during the meal.

Amtrak had automatically rebooked us on the Lake Shore Limited in a roomette to NYC, and then via coach to Washington on the Northeast corridor, which of course does not handle checked baggage.. We refused this because my wife and I are too old to climb into an upper bunk. I was able to find a vacant family bedroom on the next day's Capitol Limited.  Lots of room.

Meals in the dining car are one of the most enjoyable features on Amtrak, since at every meal we sat with two different people and had many interesting discussions.