Posted By Tom Leaton on 05/31/2008 7:29 AM
Idea List # 1B :
If you are not driving a car, take the train around town, starting at the old C&NW/metra terminal:
On the “UP West line” you can go West to Elmhurst. It is a good train watching place, and also the home of the legendary Al’s Hobby Shop. Al's doesn't display much much G scale, but it is fun and has so much else that G gaugers need:
http://www.alshobbyshop.com/store/index.asp
After dinner, take the UP North line you can ride to the Highland Park area and get off at Ravinia Park. Not G related of course:
http://www.ravinia.org/
You can also take the same train to see G Gauge trains at the Botanic Garden, as Torby said, and for train/bus/details, see
http://www.chicagobotanic.org/
What a great idea to visit Elmhurst IL. That was my home town. The station is on the Northside of the tracks on First Ave between York Rd and Addison Street.The trains do make a steady passing thru Elmhurst too. Al's really brigns back memories. Spent many a day there growing up. There's now a Lou Malnati's Pizzaria on Park Ave which is the street on the southside of the tracks. There is a pedestrian tunnel under the tracks for a safe crossing. Two Brothers form Italy is just down the street from them and they have been there for 30 yrs now. Good food if I remember correctly. Then there's the Pizza Palace whivh, if I remember correctly is right next door to Al's. They have been there for.......well before I was born. It's a walk up York Rd but if you wnat a real taste of Nostalgia head to Hamburger Heaven. SE corner of York and North Ave. There are some real nice shops on York Rd Downtown just North of the station. I wish I could remember if the Walgreen's there reinstalled the counter and tables. That was always a treat. Infact the Lou Malnatis is in what I think used to be the Rexall Drug store on the corner of Park and York. You might even be able to catch a show at the old York Theatre. Lizzadro Museum Of Lapidary Art is a couple blocks from the station at Wilder Park. There were also some bneautiful walking gardens at Wilder that Suzie might like
Nice city just wasn't for me. Actually the cost of living there was really high. In the last 10 years homes sell close to the 1,000,000.00 range and then most folks tear'em down and build a new one. All of my family is gone from there now and most of my friends as well. There is one place if you want to take a cab to I would. Just say Hello for me. It's Jack and Dave's Silverado Grill. Located on Spring Rd about a mile from the station downtown. I've known Jack and Dave for now near 26 years. Thay have a great little place and it also just gappens to back up to the Ilinois Central line that runs through the city.
I hope you make the trip on the train. It's just about 30 minutes or so from Union Station Downtown Chicago to the stop there. You can actually take the train out to Geneva IL. That is a landmark town as well. Mill Race Inn is the place to visit out there. It's located on the Fox Riverand I think it's just South of the station there in Geneva.
You could also make the trip to Blue Island and see the birth place of the legendary JJ./DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/hehe.gif Actually his home wasn't far from the Vermont Street Station there. I'm not sure who operates the line now but that used to be all Rock Island. There was also a stop for the IC commuter lines right there. Infact Blue Island is also when my Mother is from. Her Cousin married a gentleman that owned a place called Pete and Paul's Taven on Vermont Street accross the street from the IC stop. Actually it was the Terminus for the line. Too bad it's not August 14th. I think there is still an event called the Feast of St. Donatus. It was a huge Italian style carnival that was alway a treat to go to. It was also the place for our huge family reunions while growing up.
Good luck deciding what to do. Hehehe
Man this just made me a bit home sick. Funny thing, visiting there is like going back to Atlanta. Can't wait to get back there and with-in 2-3 days the 3-6 million people that congest the roads, etc remind me why I moved away in the first place.