Life Moves Fast; Summer Faster
Originally published July 6, 2014 (Submission copy)
With the calendar moving swiftly through the summer, and July already underway, let’s make the most of it! Orland Park has plenty to do – biking trails, Lake Sedgewick, Centennial Pool, sports, camps, and the library all of a variety of activities to keep families busy. However, if you’ve exhausted all of your options, or are just plain exhausted and are in the mood for a change of venue, consider our own vacation spot 30 miles to the north – the city of Chicago!
Chicago has so much to offer. Make it a “vacation” and stay a few days at one of the many hotels (find deals online or on Groupon) and explore the beaches, Navy Pier, State Street, Michigan Avenue. Or grab a few friends, head down on the train and pull a “Ferris Bueller” by romping around the city with no particular plan in mind; in reference to the 1986 movie “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” about a high school kid who makes the most of a day in the city.
Orland Park is lucky to have three train stations that serve our town’s METRA Southwest Service line. The station at 143rd Street and LaGrange Road has ample parking and Amano Vivere Café. The 153rd Street Station (at 104th) has a plethora of parking. Lastly, the station at 179th Street is easily accessible from both 179th Street and Southwest Highway.
The Southwest Service brings you to Union Station, which is near the Willis (Sears) Tower, and Union Station (which is quite a destination itself). From Union Station (at Adams), you can catch a water taxi boat on the Chicago River to Navy Pier, and visit that part of the city.
If you’d like to start your adventure more centrally located in the Loop, then consider the short drive to Tinley Park, and the Rock Island 80th Avenue train station (179th Street). The Rock Island line arrives at LaSalle Street Station, and puts you near State Street, and an easy trek to Millennium Park and the Art Institute.
The Rock Island runs considerably more trains than the Southwest, and also can link up to the METRA Electric in Blue Island. This is a bit trickier and will take some coordination with the schedules, but it is possible. Take the Rock Island to the Blue Island stop; cross the tracks, and, if coordinated correctly, catch the METRA Electric train approximately 15 minutes later, which brings you to Michigan Avenue, between Randolph Street and SouthWater – which is now called the Millennium Park Station. Check out Millennium Park, then you can walk north on Michigan Avenue, visiting the many shops and eateries on the way. Check the times of all of the train lines by visiting www.metrarail.com
One hidden spot – heading north on Michigan Avenue, after you cross the Chicago River, on the west side of the street, find a stairwell past the Wrigley Building and head underground (about 430 North Michigan Avenue). This is the location of the Original Billy Goat (of Saturday Night Live fame). Stop in for a “cheezborger”!
The city is certainly drivable. Parking is available, however, you will pay premium prices for premium locations. Parking at the Millennium and Grant Park Garages www.milleniumgarages.com offers discounts for early bird ($15). The Lakeside Location (Monroe Garage on South Columbus Drive between Monroe Street from the south, heading north and Randolph Street from the north, heading south) being the cheapest of those options – up to 12 hours for $19.
If you are tech-savvy, many garages have an option that you can subscribe to or “like” (at the entrance) with your smartphone, and receive discounted parking. Also, if you are going to be “off the beaten path” consider the online SpotHero website (www.spothero.com/chicago) for parking options for locations throughout the city.
So, now you’ve arrived in our fair city. What to do? “The question isn’t what are we going to do; the question is what aren’t we going to do” to quote Ferris. From 5:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. on Thursday evenings, the Art Institute of Chicago has free admission for Illinois residents; and the Chicago Children’s Museum at Navy Pier has free admission for all visitors during Kraft Free Family Night, Thursday evenings, (5:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m.) as well.
Museum campus, which consists of the Shedd Aquarium, The Adler Planetarium, and the Field Museum, all are wonderful places to visit, with changing exhibits, so visit their websites before you go for times, prices, advance tickets at: www.sheddaquarium.org, www.adlerplanetarium.org, and www.fieldmuseum.org.
To end with another quote from Ferris Bueller (and maybe motivate you to travel into the city) “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”