I need places to get off the train or I'll spend all day staring out a moving window (which could be fun anyways)
May 30, 2010 7:46 PM Subscribe
What cool things are off the Metra? (Chicagoland filter)
I spent the day enjoying the Chicago botanic gardens. I took the Metra to get out there using the unlimited rides weekend ticket. Turns out that a weekend ride ticket for this weekend is good on Monday as well! So that means I can ride the Metra all day long tomorrow for free.
So what are some interesting places off the Metra that I might want to see? I'm fine with one really cool place to go that can take all day, or a lot of little cool things on the same line so I can spend the day hopping from stop to stop.
Any Metra line is fine. Any type of activity is great. I just never leave the city since I don't have a car, so I have no idea what's out there.
I spent the day enjoying the Chicago botanic gardens. I took the Metra to get out there using the unlimited rides weekend ticket. Turns out that a weekend ride ticket for this weekend is good on Monday as well! So that means I can ride the Metra all day long tomorrow for free.
So what are some interesting places off the Metra that I might want to see? I'm fine with one really cool place to go that can take all day, or a lot of little cool things on the same line so I can spend the day hopping from stop to stop.
Any Metra line is fine. Any type of activity is great. I just never leave the city since I don't have a car, so I have no idea what's out there.
Brookfield Zoo on Metra's Burlington Northern line. The stop is Hollywood (Zoo). The zoo is a two-block walk from the station.
posted by Joleta at 8:41 PM on May 30, 2010
posted by Joleta at 8:41 PM on May 30, 2010
For future reference, Ravinia is the ultimate just-off-the-Metra destination -- the trains actually stop inside the park! But they don't have a performance until June 3.
Metra has something called a "FREE Weekend Fun Kit", although as advertised it seems to be for suburbanites taking their kids into the city as an outing.
posted by dhartung at 8:59 PM on May 30, 2010
Metra has something called a "FREE Weekend Fun Kit", although as advertised it seems to be for suburbanites taking their kids into the city as an outing.
posted by dhartung at 8:59 PM on May 30, 2010
Fake!? a fake beach? at the DUNES?!
whatever.
Ravinia has a dedicated trainstop, although it their schedule doesn't get going until next week really.
A bit further north and you get to the Zion state lakeshore which, like Indiana Dunes has a Metra stop about a mile away from shore. Zion has both a dead river and cactii... it would be great, and quite possible on metra, to bring your bike too.
Also should be noted that there are alot of nice hikes at the Indiana dunes and a cute little information center with an awesome bird observatory room. So it's not just a beach destination.
posted by Cold Lurkey at 9:12 PM on May 30, 2010 [1 favorite]
whatever.
Ravinia has a dedicated trainstop, although it their schedule doesn't get going until next week really.
A bit further north and you get to the Zion state lakeshore which, like Indiana Dunes has a Metra stop about a mile away from shore. Zion has both a dead river and cactii... it would be great, and quite possible on metra, to bring your bike too.
Also should be noted that there are alot of nice hikes at the Indiana dunes and a cute little information center with an awesome bird observatory room. So it's not just a beach destination.
posted by Cold Lurkey at 9:12 PM on May 30, 2010 [1 favorite]
Pullman Historic District (though admittedly you can get there via CTA as well.)
posted by Johnny Assay at 4:40 AM on May 31, 2010
posted by Johnny Assay at 4:40 AM on May 31, 2010
Zion blows, don't bother unless you want to stare at the old nuke plant.
The Chicago Botanic Gardens would be a lot more fun.
posted by Max Power at 6:05 AM on May 31, 2010
The Chicago Botanic Gardens would be a lot more fun.
posted by Max Power at 6:05 AM on May 31, 2010
From the Botanic Gardens, you can bike or hike through the Skokie Lagoons. I used to do it the other way around when I was a kid (bike from the parking lot on Tower Road up to the Gardens, wander around, and bike back), but it's good either way! You see a lot of wildlife (once I saw a deer swimming, which was just very cool!), it's very peaceful. You can rent a canoe and stuff, although I've never done that since I had a friend with a canoe.
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 6:34 AM on May 31, 2010
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 6:34 AM on May 31, 2010
(Better map of the bike paths: http://www.fpdcc.com/tier3.php?content_id=68&file=map_68e )
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 6:38 AM on May 31, 2010
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 6:38 AM on May 31, 2010
I'll second (or third) the Botanic Gardens and the Skokie Lagoons. Fun places to visit, especially on a summer's day.
posted by clockbound at 6:54 AM on May 31, 2010
posted by clockbound at 6:54 AM on May 31, 2010
The Joliet Jackhammers minor baseball team plays at 5pm today. Take the Rock Island to the end of the line (Joliet), and Silver Cross Stadium is right there.
posted by SuperSquirrel at 8:28 AM on May 31, 2010
posted by SuperSquirrel at 8:28 AM on May 31, 2010
minor league baseball team
posted by SuperSquirrel at 8:28 AM on May 31, 2010
posted by SuperSquirrel at 8:28 AM on May 31, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by tyris33 at 8:01 PM on May 30, 2010