First time in Chicago, leaving on LSL...what to expect

[nanavc]

Hi Everyone, I am going up to Grand Rapids MI & on my return trip will be going to Chicago to get the LSL to Erie PA. in coach. I have a really long layover 10:30 - 9:30, I have pretty much figured out some stuff to do in Chi. My question is what can anyone tell me about the station , boarding, and the train itself?

Also what is the "kindergarten walk"? Thanks in advance for the info.

 

[stntylr]

The kindergarden walk is when they have all the boarding passengers form a line and follow the attendant out to the train just like in a kindergarden field trip

but they don't make everyone hold hands on the way.

 

[johnny.menhennet]

My answer does not apply since you do not have sleeping accommodations. When I was in Chicago a month ago on a sleeper to Boston though, my day went like this:

11:00 - store bags in Metropolitan Lounge so that we didn't have to drag them to Wrigley

11:30 - take Red Line from Loop up to Wrigley Field.

1:00-4:00 - watch Cub's first win of the year

4:15 - take Red Line back to Loop

4:30 - transfer to Pink Line to go around the Loop, get off at Quincy

4:45 - enter Sears (Willis) Tower, go to the top

5:45 - head back down from the Sears Tower

6:15 - after walking around for a while, go into Giordano's since it was the ONLY restaurant we could find that was open on Easter night - I had wanted to go there anyways after all of the great reviews here

7:30 - head back to Union Station

7:40 - enter Metro Lounge

exactly at 8:00 - announcement was made for sleeping car passengers to head to the train - I had heard the stories that the pax weren't allowed out until 8:45 or 9:00 on occasion, but they were quick with us. The sleeping car passengers did not have the Kindergarten Walk. The Kindergarten Walk is the line of passengers in coach form at the gates of the tracks before the doors are opened allowing them to rush out to the train. It is not as important to be at the front as you think, but don't be at the back. I posted my day so that you may know what to do. I loved the Sears Tower for the 2nd time (I had been there when I was 9) and the walk-off-the-ledge feature, and the stuffed Pizza at Giordano's was very good and highly recommended. The coach passengers were not boarded on my train until about 9:05, to give you an estimate of when you might get on.

 

[thully]

As someone who has gone to CHI frequently the last month or so, I figured I'd chime in. For one thing, they do have lockers where you can store your bags (so you don't have to drag them around all day). You do have to pay, though - however, you can always just check some bags if you're not going to need them until getting to your destination. There's definitely a lot you can do in Chicago during that time - you could go to either a Sox or Cubs game (depending on which teams are home), go to some of the museums, go to the lake or one of the parks (Millennium Park or Grant Park), or go to the Magnificent Mile, just to name a few ideas. The Willis (Sears) Tower Skydeck and the John Hancock Observatory are also a great way to see the city - though make sure there is visibility on top before paying the admission charge! You could also go to the Lounge at the top of the John Hancock building for drinks - definitely expensive, but you don't have to pay for admission to the Observatory and get the same view!

If you decide you may want to go anywhere beyond walking distance of Union Station, getting a CTA daily pass would be a good idea - the buses/trains run frequently, and you can get around for a fraction of the price of a cab. Unfortuately, they don't sell the 1 day pass at Union Station, so you'll have to go to the nearest store which sells them - CVS is one (there is a comprehensive list on the CTA website). This will let you use all the L lines and buses - to find routes, Google Maps is quite helpful. Nearest L stations to Union Station are Clinton (blue line), Quincy/Wells (brown, orange, and pink), as well as Jackson (red - a bit farther than the others, though...). There are also others within walking distance, and there are stations where you can transfer between lines - once again, Google is your friend here. If you want to stick with cabs, there's plenty of them in Chicago as well - just hail one if you need a ride. Some of them are notoriously resistant to accepting credit cards (even though the City requires most cabs to do so), so it may be a good idea to keep cash on hand.

 

[jebr]

CTA passes can also be bought online and they'll mail them out, if you want.

 

[thully]

Yeah, that will work if you do it enough in advance. My trips have mostly been planned less than a week in advance, so I never really considered that myself.

 

[nanavc]

Thanks for the tips...