I just got back from a Chicago to Indianapolis trip. I was attending a conference there and this seemed like a good excuse to ride Amtrak. With the AAA discount, the one way price was $23. For two travelers, the train fare worked out to be less expensive than driving. Note that parking at the hotel was roughly $20 a night.
The conference dates (Wednesday through Friday), resulted in our being on the 50 and 51 trains, as opposed to the 850 and the 851. We left on Tuesday evening and returned on Saturday morning.
We arrived at Union Station in Chicago at 5:00 PM and immediately lined up at Gate E. We wanted to be at the front of the line in order to pick our own seats. The plan worked well. The conductor did not assign seats. He only told us which car to enter, and after that we had our choice. The car was filled by the time we left, 5:45 PM. We brought sandwiches and snacks, so we had no need of the cafe car.
Track conditions were generally good, except for a rough stretch between Dyer and Lafayette. We arrived in Indianapolis at 11:40 PM, around 15 minutes early. The Amtrak station there shares its space with a bus station. As we came down the stairs from the tracks, we could see a couple of people stretched out on the floor either asleep or passed out. In terms of general impression, the station could is in serious need of an upgrade.
We did not need a cab because our hotel was next to the station, although getting to the hotel entrance involved walking about half a block outside. The conference was at the Crowne Plaza - Union Depot. The hotel and the adjacent convention center are actually a remodeled train station from the 1880’s. My wife and I really liked this hotel. However, I will limit my description of it because I assume that typical rail fans must be familiar with the place.
The corridors of the hotel feature a lot of exposed steel truss components, and there are white statues of people from a different age all over. The statues depict people waiting for trains.
The hotel also has some authentic Pullman sleeper cars, which they have converted into guest rooms. These are located inside the hotel. We stayed in a regular room, but these cars are pretty cool.
The convention center part of the hotel makes excellent use of the old great hall. This is a wonderful space for hosting conferences and events. The great hall functioned as our dining room and also as the room for the opening session.
Both ends of the great hall have huge, circular, stained glass windows. These are amazing. I was able to find a stairway to the upper balcony for a close-up of the stained glass.
I have to say that everyone at the conference really liked downtown Indianapolis. I would never have given a thought to spending a weekend there for pleasure, but this has caused me to change my mind. Indy has a small and walkable downtown area, with restaurants, bars, and performing arts venues all within an easy stroll. In particular, a Rock Bottom Brewery and a RAM Brewery are a few blocks from the hotel. If one could find an off week, when downtown hotel prices are low, this would be an an ideal destination. Lucas Oil Field (the pro football stadium) is next door to the hotel.
Our train ride back home was uneventful, except for the annoyance of walking up at 4:30 AM for a 6:00 AM departure. We arrived at the station at 5:15 AM. The train was on time, and we boarded at 5:30 AM. Since this train had left New York 23 hours earlier, it was a bit stuffy and people were sleeping across seats wherever possible. Fortunately, the conductor assigned people to specific seats, so my wife and I were able to sit together.
The ride back passed quickly and we were in Chicago about 20 minutes early. Overall, this was a pleasant trip and I learned that Indianapolis can be a fun city to visit.
P.S. This is my first time attaching images. I hope it works.
Follow up:
The photos I posted seem to work (hooray!). However, you need to be signed-in in order to see them. When I viewed my post without signing in, I just saw a link and clicking on the link resulted in an error message. I am sure that frequent users of this board already know this, but I wanted to add this tip for other folks like me who often view the board without logging in.
The conference dates (Wednesday through Friday), resulted in our being on the 50 and 51 trains, as opposed to the 850 and the 851. We left on Tuesday evening and returned on Saturday morning.
We arrived at Union Station in Chicago at 5:00 PM and immediately lined up at Gate E. We wanted to be at the front of the line in order to pick our own seats. The plan worked well. The conductor did not assign seats. He only told us which car to enter, and after that we had our choice. The car was filled by the time we left, 5:45 PM. We brought sandwiches and snacks, so we had no need of the cafe car.
Track conditions were generally good, except for a rough stretch between Dyer and Lafayette. We arrived in Indianapolis at 11:40 PM, around 15 minutes early. The Amtrak station there shares its space with a bus station. As we came down the stairs from the tracks, we could see a couple of people stretched out on the floor either asleep or passed out. In terms of general impression, the station could is in serious need of an upgrade.
We did not need a cab because our hotel was next to the station, although getting to the hotel entrance involved walking about half a block outside. The conference was at the Crowne Plaza - Union Depot. The hotel and the adjacent convention center are actually a remodeled train station from the 1880’s. My wife and I really liked this hotel. However, I will limit my description of it because I assume that typical rail fans must be familiar with the place.
The corridors of the hotel feature a lot of exposed steel truss components, and there are white statues of people from a different age all over. The statues depict people waiting for trains.
The hotel also has some authentic Pullman sleeper cars, which they have converted into guest rooms. These are located inside the hotel. We stayed in a regular room, but these cars are pretty cool.
The convention center part of the hotel makes excellent use of the old great hall. This is a wonderful space for hosting conferences and events. The great hall functioned as our dining room and also as the room for the opening session.
Both ends of the great hall have huge, circular, stained glass windows. These are amazing. I was able to find a stairway to the upper balcony for a close-up of the stained glass.
I have to say that everyone at the conference really liked downtown Indianapolis. I would never have given a thought to spending a weekend there for pleasure, but this has caused me to change my mind. Indy has a small and walkable downtown area, with restaurants, bars, and performing arts venues all within an easy stroll. In particular, a Rock Bottom Brewery and a RAM Brewery are a few blocks from the hotel. If one could find an off week, when downtown hotel prices are low, this would be an an ideal destination. Lucas Oil Field (the pro football stadium) is next door to the hotel.
Our train ride back home was uneventful, except for the annoyance of walking up at 4:30 AM for a 6:00 AM departure. We arrived at the station at 5:15 AM. The train was on time, and we boarded at 5:30 AM. Since this train had left New York 23 hours earlier, it was a bit stuffy and people were sleeping across seats wherever possible. Fortunately, the conductor assigned people to specific seats, so my wife and I were able to sit together.
The ride back passed quickly and we were in Chicago about 20 minutes early. Overall, this was a pleasant trip and I learned that Indianapolis can be a fun city to visit.
P.S. This is my first time attaching images. I hope it works.
Follow up:
The photos I posted seem to work (hooray!). However, you need to be signed-in in order to see them. When I viewed my post without signing in, I just saw a link and clicking on the link resulted in an error message. I am sure that frequent users of this board already know this, but I wanted to add this tip for other folks like me who often view the board without logging in.
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