Riding on The City of New Orleans

The free "trolley" services connecting AMTRAK passengers with the lakefront museums, the Navy Pier entertainment center and power shopping sites have expanded significantly since we last reported on them.

Ok, they’re not really "streetcars:" The jolly red, box-bodied vehicles trundling past Chicago Union Station do have the high, arched windows of the old trolleys, with angularly rounded noses, clerestory roofs and bells that clang. And the seats inside are lacquered wooden benches with polished brass grab rails for standees. They do at least somewhat recall the days when Chicago streetcars were the old crimson kind instead of the streamlined "Green Hornets" ... so forget for a moment that they’re really diesel-powered mini-buses. They leave from the northwest corner of Union Station’s train-arrival concourse (Canal and Adams Streets) and you can ride for hours without paying.

The three routes mentioned above run daily from Memorial Day Weekend through Labor Day, as does a line from North State Street to Navy Pier and a new line running directly between Union Station, the former Chicago and North Western commuter station and Lincoln Park..

"Trolleys" generally operate about once every 20 minutes. If you’re killing time between trains, allow yourself at least an hour for an out-and-back trip --- more for the Lincoln Park run.

Union Station has a long north-south corridor between the main waiting area and restrooms to the east and the escalators up to Canal St. on the west. And, a main east-west corridor serving the ticket windows and information counter. Where they meet, you should find a rack of maps of the trolley system, CTA route maps, and many other useful brochures.

There’s a good chance that at least some of these runs will continue to run after Labor Day --- check when you arrive at the station. Don’t plan on carrying any luggage with you on a trolley tour; the little cars can get very crowded on busy days and there’s no place to put baggage.

One of Chicago’s most photogenic attractions is right outside the Union Station door --- our cleaned-up and revitalized river. Use either the Adams or Jackson St. exits; between them, on the east bank, you’ll see the water taxi dock. Between early April and late fall, you can ride inexpensively to North Michigan Ave. or even, for extra fare, on to Navy Pier.

Some of the city’s most impressive architecture is in the Financial District along La Salle St. from Adams south to the Board of Trade Building, once Chicago’s tallest. Try to visit the interior lobby and climb the magnificent wrought-iron stairways of The Rookery, on the east side of LaSalle north of Jackson Blvd.

Two blocks east and two blocks south, there’s the Harold Washington Public Library. The building has won architectural acclaim but also its share of criticism. Seeing the gargoyles perched atop it. I imagine creatures dispatched by the Wicked Witch of the West, come to carry it off to the Land of Oz.

The stretch of river from Merchandise Mart east to the Outer Drive features many appealing riverbank restaurants. I’m especially partial to Blandino’s Sorriso, with classical Italian food at moderate (for Chicago) prices and great opportunities for people- and boat-watching. This is an iDine restaurant, giving you five frequent-flier miles per dollar on American, United, Delta or Continental. Their Atkins-inspired "Lo-Carb Lunch," at $10.95 for Caesar Salad, choice of lean, herbed pork chop or salmon plus a green vegetable, is a serious bargain for a riverside location downtown.

Though it’s lost some its cachet after being taken over by a succession of retail chain operators, the State Street Marshall Field’s is still a must-visit for many out-of-town travelers. "Meet me Under the Clock" is still a Chicago byword, and the Walnut Room is still considered a prestige place for lunch.

That said, however, most of my visiting railfan friends still walk east to 17 West Adams for The Berghoff -- a classic German establishment and one of The Loop’s oldest dining institutions. If you want ONE memorable noon meal during a short visit to Chicago, you can’t go wrong with any of those three.