Diamond Jubilee: Chicago Union Station

July 2021

After suddenly cancelling part of my trip due to increased COVID cases, I struck northward. Although I thought time in Chicago would be nice, I had already visited the city - the focus of the jubilee trip was on seeing new places. In fact, it was easy to book Amtrak tickets to Milwaukee, but I overnighted in Chicago because I didn't want to arrive late in Milwaukee (and I wasn't confident about changing trains due to Amtrak's frequent delays). So it was that I arrived to Union Station, Chicago after many years.

My last trip there was with Brian on our trip to New Orleans (which was a disastrous Amtrak adventure [see: New Orleans]). I remembered the interior of the station - one of America's great old stations that still serves its original function. Arriving to Chicago Union Station is dramatic and awe-inspiring. Few stations still impart that experience in the US [see: 30th Street Station].

Most unfortunately, evening was approaching and I needed to walk to the hotel in Greektown, just a few blocks behind the station. I didn't take time to admire the station nor downtown - I was headed for a night's rest. The next afternoon I would be moving on.