The Chainlink

Weekend train trips from Chicago

Hello everyone,

The wife and I are looking for a short trip by train to pretty much anywhere. We just want to get out of the city for a weekend. Any ideas would be great as long as it does not include a vehicle.

Thanks

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Permalink Reply by Julie Aberman (Hochstadter) on October 17, 2013 at 1:04pm

Do you want to bike or just train it?

Here is a previous discussion - http://www.thechainlink.org/forum/topics/3-day-tourvacation-ideas?

Permalink Reply by Taylor Neal on October 17, 2013 at 1:09pm
Thanks Cameron

well as of now just train my wife's bike was stolen not to long ago or else we would do the bike/train thing.
Permalink Reply by Jared on October 17, 2013 at 1:27pm

Madison, Wisconsin.  Except your train will be in the form of a bus.

Permalink Reply by Elwood Gruschow on October 17, 2013 at 2:10pm

Trains go from downtown to downtown somewhere else.  They are not like airports where if you fly to Denver the planes lands out in the wide open spaces.   To get out of the city from a train takes planning. 

     My wife plan to return trip to Illinois Beach State Park this winter.  We traveled to Zion by Metra and took a cab to the lodge for an overnight.  It felt very out of city walking on the frozen sand along the shore.  The winter rates are reasonable at the lodge.  

     Illinois DNR produced a brochure in 2010 for Amtrak Bed and Breakfasts   

http://www.dnr.state.il.us/publications/pdf/00000754.pdf

  The firms listed offer free rides to and from the Amtrak station.  We have never tried it and shuttle services to places like Dahinda and Cobden  might be discontinued so call first.  

 There is an Amtrak stop in DuQuoin.  The firm listed in the same brochure for that location features "We also have newly installed his and her shower houses for your convenience."  The same firm as a suggested local activity listed, " riding horseback or purchase real Black Angus cattle."  That sounds pretty much out of the city to me.

  

Permalink Reply by Taylor Neal on October 17, 2013 at 2:14pm
We went to Illinois beach state park at the start of summer it was a good time. We also went to New buffalo a year ago when we had bikes and biked the back country.

thanks for the info
Permalink Reply by Alex Z on October 18, 2013 at 7:55am

This sounds very nice. Where exactly did you stay?

Elwood Gruschow said:

     My wife plan to return trip to Illinois Beach State Park this winter.  We traveled to Zion by Metra and took a cab to the lodge for an overnight.  It felt very out of city walking on the frozen sand along the shore.  The winter rates are reasonable at the lodge.  

   

Permalink Reply by Kevin C Dormant on October 18, 2013 at 8:09am

Illinois Beach Resort and Conference Center?

Alex Z said:

This sounds very nice. Where exactly did you stay?

Elwood Gruschow said:

     My wife plan to return trip to Illinois Beach State Park this winter.  We traveled to Zion by Metra and took a cab to the lodge for an overnight.  It felt very out of city walking on the frozen sand along the shore.  The winter rates are reasonable at the lodge.  

   

Permalink Reply by Taylor Neal on October 18, 2013 at 8:16am
When we went to Zion we took the metra and just walked about 1.5 miles to the hotel (best Western) and there is a bike shop directly across the street where we rented bikes for a day. It was perfect
Permalink Reply by JMinHP on October 18, 2013 at 8:20am

A very easy trip to get out of the city (i.e., downtown, but not the greater Chicago area) is take the Metra to Lake Forest and stay a night at the Deer Path Inn http://dpihotel.com/. It's a beautiful old hotel, has a romantic downstairs bar, and an unbelievable Sunday brunch.

Permalink Reply by Ben Gray on October 18, 2013 at 6:41pm

You can take Metra to Woodstock, IL. It's got a "olde shoppe" downtown and several B+B's. Definitely a different feel than Chicago. "Groundhog Day" was filmed there too, of course.

Permalink Reply by Elwood Gruschow on October 18, 2013 at 8:45pm

I called it the lodge because that is where we have stayed in other state parks.   Good call, Kevin, we stayed at Illinois Beach Resort and Conference Center which is in the park and on the lake.   It is called a resort but some of the web comments complained it should not be call that.  There is no golf course, water park or expensive per trip zip line.  Besides the indoor pool about the only features are miles of lake shore and nature trails.  That makes it our kind of resort.   In the off season they offer a free second night for mid-week stays.  Traveling on weekday we took Metra to the Zion stop. Cab was about ten bucks each way.  We plan to go again this January.    (DNR photos of Illinois Beach)

Kevin C said:

Illinois Beach Resort and Conference Center?

Alex Z said:

This sounds very nice. Where exactly did you stay?

Elwood Gruschow said:

     My wife plan to return trip to Illinois Beach State Park this winter.  We traveled to Zion by Metra and took a cab to the lodge for an overnight.  It felt very out of city walking on the frozen sand along the shore.  The winter rates are reasonable at the lodge.  

   

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