Batavia: Local Locomotive

BNSF engines on east Wilson Street in Batavia

Crystal Lake: Pumpkin Train

It's Pumpkin Train season!
This one was hauling passengers around Crystal Lake's Johnny Appleseed Festival. 

Sept. 24, 2016 in downtown Crystal Lake

McHenry Station

Metra stop 

Worth the trip! 

 McHenry, IL  -- A lunchtime stop on the way to a state park took us to McHenry Station. Unfortunately, the building's Main Street Station restaurant was closed due to the Labor Day holiday. This wasn't a disappointment, though, because the up-close sight of two parked Metra engines delighted our railroad aficionados.

Love the old RR hardware on the
front door of Main Street Station

A dinner for another day

Lunchtime's Plan B took us to Windhill Pancake Parlor. Rumor has it they have trains, too, but we only got as far as enjoying the dining room's copious Americana decorations.

At the yummy Wind Hill Pancake Parlor:
We need this sign, too! 

No worries! Having a reason to return for further explorations is not a bad thing!

Lombard: Yorktown Center Train

Ready to ride! 

 Lombard, IL -- With the big kids back in school, my preschooler and I took advantage of one of his last summer days to go on an excursion for just the two of us. I chose Yorktown Center as our destination since I had heard about the mall's train and knew it would be a hit. (Also, my older train lover may be just a bit above the 54 inch maximum passenger height.)

William and I arrived just as the mall opened, even before the Yorktown Express Train operator had arrived at the station. So we peeked at the tracks from above and browsed through a store or two first. Before long the train was ready for rides. One ride costs $2, payable to an automated kiosk that takes payment in exchange for ride tokens. (William wished that he would have been able to keep the golden coin: "They could scan the train quarter and I could keep it and ride on any train anywhere!") The train operator collected the token then let the sole passenger chose his car. For this first ride, he picked the middle car,  but later decided that on any future rides he would ride in the engine. The ride lasts several minutes, enough time to loop around an island of camping mannequins and woodland critters. By the time we left the shopping center an hour or two later several families were watching their young ones enjoy a ride.

View from the mall's second level

The Yorktown Express is just one of the fun features for young ones. At the mall's Center Court, a 2,000 square foot soft-surface play area offers ample opportunity to use those wiggly, growing muscles. During a snack or lunch break smaller folks are treated to kid-sized tables in the food court. Any "nature-calls" moments are made easier by the child-sized toilet options in the upstairs family restrooms, assuming kids can get past the cartoons on the TV in the lounge!

Until this visit, it had been at least 25 years since the last time I had been inside Yorktown Center. I'm impressed with it's brightness, cleanliness and attention to the needs of those bound to spend time in an indoor mall: families of the stroller set. The five-year old enjoyed it enough that he raved about everything to his big brother and sister and wants to bring them back for a train ride soon. I just hope they fit!

Find Yorktown Center at the northeast corner of Butterfield Road and Highland Avenue in Lombard. It is open from 10 a.m. till 9 p.m. everyday except Sunday, when its open 11 a.m. till 6 p.m. The train is located near Marshalls/Homegoods on the main floor. Rides are free on "Toot-toot Tuesdays." 

This way to the Yorktown Express! 

Goodbye until next time! 

Darien: Waterfall Glen

Darien -- The family spent Father's Day at Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve in Darien this year. Despite near 90-degree temperatures, the comfortable humidity and ample shade kept our group hiking for a total of more than five miles. Our route stretched from roughly the guard residence at Cass Avenue and Bluff Road, along the Main Route west toward the Scenic Overlook and back again. The prize for this trek was a bit of train-spotting west of the power station and -- a slightly better view -- from the Scenic Overlook. Truth be told, the real highlight of the day was wading at the CCC waterfall in Rocky Glen, but the train tracks were icing on the cake! 

Can you see the trains rolling by way down the line? 

Watching a freight train from Waterfall Glen's scenic overlook on the main trail.

Lisle: Morton Arboretum's Enchanted Railroad

Lisle -- Last January, our family trip to Morton Arboretum to see the Husky Heroes resulted in a disappointed boy. Seeing the sled dogs in action was fun, even without snow. Unfortunately, the same crowds that came to see the canines also  the Enchanted Railroad display. By the time we had seen the dog demonstration and returned to the visitor center for our railroad tickets, the room was too full to admit anyone else for the day. For the past year, I have been promising that we will go to the Arboretum on a less busy day and get in to see those trains. Thank you, frigid January temperatures! On a day that no one wanted to be outside, we had a wonderful time seeing this year's Enchanted Railroad with no crowds at all. 

The Enchanted Railroad display features the garden-scale trains of the LGB Model Railroad Club, as well as a specially made engine by "Sean Kenney, artist and creator of the popular Nature Connects exhibit of LEGO sculptures displayed at The Morton Arboretum earlier this year." The model trains wind their way through scenes inspired by the arboretum's features and upcoming events in all seasons. 

My preschooler appreciated the kid-level view of the display. Instead of needing a boost from mom or dad, little kids can see the lowest tier of trains at their own level. For those eager fingers who needed to be reminded not to touch the trains, several buttons do allow visitors to run Thomas's train, set off fireworks, and start the spooky sounds of a haunted house. 

The Enchanted Railroad is open through February 21 and is free with admission to the arboretum. Pick up timed tickets at the Visitor's Center. 

Here is a peek at some of the train cars you will see:

Waterfall with a drive-in movie in the background, starring you!

Lego train 

St. Charles: Christmas Village and Train Display

St. Charles -- The Christmas Village and Train Display at St. Charles Free Methodist Church delighted my boys when we stopped by on the day after Christmas. A layout of more than 10 tracks and 100 houses (according to their website) gives visitors plenty to see. Familiar friends from the island of Sodor zip around one hillside, while the wintertime village is encircled by model railroad cars of mid-century vintage, both diesel and steam. Local landmarks such as Blue Goose Grocery and a Saints-North Stars football game appear as well. 

The Christmas-themed display remains up for guests of all ages on Saturday afternoons in January, 1 p.m. till 6 p.m. The church is located at 214 Walnut Street, St. Charles. 

South Elgin: Toys R Us

A kid-sized Percy! 

South Elgin -- On a rainy day, it's always good to know where to find train play tables. For kids, of course, any day is a good day to explore Toys R Us. The train aisle in the South Elgin store is easy to find, thanks to a kid-sized Percy on one end and an "Explore Sodor" hands-on display on the other. The standard retail Thomas play table sits in the middle of the generously-sized aisle. This being a toy store, finding any spot where the kids want to stay put for more than two minutes is a good thing!

Fun for boys of all ages.
(Our resident girl was inspecting art and horse toys.) 

Toys R Us/Babies R Us of South Elgin is located at 486 Randall Road. 

Trainspotting: Bartlett

Trainspotting at Bartlett station: 
"The closest we've ever been to a new Metra!" 
(That's a MP36PH-3S,  for those keeping track at home.)

Winfield: Gnarly Knots

View from the door of Gnarly Knots

Winfield, Illinois -- As the real-estate professionals often tell us, a good site is all about "location, location, location." Translated for grown-ups escorting small ones that means: "trains and food." May I present to you the culinary wonder that is Gnarly Knots of Winfield. Perhaps like my children, your little folk prefer to get all their dietary needs met through snacking. Gnarly Knots can oblige with a meal-sized pretzel the size of a kid's adorable salty face. Flavors change daily (and sell out quickly), but salted, cheese and pretzel dogs are favorites. Popular as this place is, you might find yourself standing in line for a moment or two. Not to worry. Gnarly Knots is conveniently situated just across the street from the tracks of Union Pacific's West Line. Waiting isn't waiting if it's staring at a Metra zipping by or a UP engine idling on the tracks. (Maybe the engineers needed a snack, too.) Gnarly Knots is just down the road from Hedges Station Depot, if you need sustenance after a railroad museum visit and a park outing. It's also just around the corner from the Central DuPage Hospital campus, making it even better than a sticker for a post check-up treat. 

Gnarly Knots: 27W570 High Lake Road, Winfield, IL 
 

Welcome to Gnarly Knots!

Aurora: DCM @ The Mall

Welcome to DCM @ The Mall

Aurora, Illinois -- The need for an indoor playdate recently brought my family to Westfield Fox Valley Mall and the temporary quarters of DuPage Children's Museum, or DCM @ the Mall.  In January, the museum's Naperville building flooded due to a burst pipe. Thanks to a partnership with Fox Valley Mall, the children's museum currently has several of its exhibits set up in a storefront near the second level of Carson Pirie Scott. Patrons of are invited to "pay as you will," then enjoy exhibits such as magnetic tiles, blocks, "Ramps and Rollers" and the Creativity Studio. (Classes are also offered at this location.) To my delight, this scaled-down version of DCM engaged my children with  building exhibits that they often skip in favor of the flashier activities at the "real" museum. With no noisy water table or wind tunnel to entice them, all the kids in our group were eagerly creating giant Tinker Toy towers, magnetic title structures and complex marble runs. In a nod to the Metra trains that pass DCM's Naperville site, two colorful trains flank the entrance of DCM @ The Mall and welcome imaginary engineering. Fox Valley's trackless train has been cleverly routed past DCM @ The Mall giving that same, "Hey, look! A Train!" moment indoors that guests have watching real diesel engines from the windows of the Naperville museum.

DCM @ The Mall is a perfect rainy day outing or any-day trek with the littles. Combined with  shopping for the grownups and the mall's other activities for kids (Playspace! Bungee Bounce!), Fox Valley Mall makes it easy to spend several hours being well entertained.

Fox Valley Mall is on the west side of Illinois Route 59 between New York Street and McCoy Drive.

Make your own tracks!

Two colorful trains flank the entrance of DCM @ The Mall

Someone is disappointed that the mall's trackless train left without taking him along for the ride!

Schaumburg: Legoland

Schaumburg, Illinois -- During the holidays, our family took a long-promised trip to Legoland Discovery Center in honor of Eldest Child's birthday. Here are a few views of the El as portrayed in the Miniland Chicago exhibit. According to Legoland's website, almost two million bricks are used to depict Chicago's landmarks. 

The El zips back and forth 

Brick city at night

Batavia: Depot Museum ornament

Batavia, Illinois -- Look what Santa will be leaving on the tree at our house this week. Batavia's history museum is featured as this year's collectable ornament in celebration of the depot's 160th anniversary. It is available in the museum gift shop or, where I found it, at the Batavia Park District's Civic Center office. Ornaments are $10 each. 

Now all the Christmas trains circling my tree can finally have a station! 

Union: Illinois Railroad Museum

Union, Illinois -- It's the summer of steam for this train-loving family! Thanks to a prize-winning raffle ticket held by my three-year old at a library event this summer, we were the happy recipients of a family pass to the Illinois Railway Museum in Union. We took advantage of the tickets over the Labor Day weekend, and enjoyed a visit to one of our favorite day trip sites in the area. It's been a few years since our last visit to IRM so we were thrilled to discover that locomotive #1630 has been operational this season and we would be there on a scheduled steam ride day. As it happened, that every engine was chugging past the parking lot as we pulled in, welcoming us with the characteristic deep toot of the whistle. Of course, a ride on the 1630 was the first destination of our visit once we entered the IRM grounds. Compared to the later ride on a relatively modern CTA train, the characteristic chuf-chuf of the engine and sway of the cars leaves passengers no doubt that they are riding something of a time machine.

The 1630 pulling into the station

Waiting to pull out of the station

The railroad museum's collection of engines, cars, signals, and memorabilia is staggering.  Long barns filled with rolling stock house family favorites such as the Nebraska Zephyr and streetcars that once rolled through our hometown (long before our time!). The kids loved checking out the compartments of Pullman sleeper cars, although Mom and Dad found them just a bit claustrophobic. We endured the mild shame of entering the wrong door of the trolley car for a ride around the entire grounds -- go in through the back, out through the front. Yet, as always, the kids may have been most wowed by the playground. IRM has recently installed substantial trained-themed play equipment giving both toddlers and older climbers the chance to work off the wiggles and play engineer in a safe place.

The new playground at IRM 

Wandering through
the interurban car barn

After almost five hours and three train rides, which seemed too few for our 8-year old, we called it a day, but only after a visit to the expansive gift shop. It's a paradise of train toys, knickknacks and mementos, so come with your spending money or be ready to repeat, "We are not shopping for us today!"

The museum remains open daily in September with trains operating on the weekends. Check the website for special fall and winter events, including Halloween and Christmas activities, coming up in the weeks to come. 

The Illinois Railway Museum is at 700 Olson Road in Union, Illinois.

By the wheels of the Grand Trunk Western 6323

Wise words