SAS to CHI

Watch for the wide, beautiful Kankakee River near Wilmington, Illinois. Can you imagine paddling a canoe downstream on a beautiful summer day? Now imagine paddling a canoe full of furs upriver on a cold, rainy day with just a hand-drawn map to guide you to a trading post at the edge of the wilderness.

Watch for the wide, beautiful Kankakee River near Wilmington, Illinois. Can you imagine paddling a canoe downstream on a beautiful summer day? Now imagine paddling a canoe full of furs upriver on a cold, rainy day with just a hand-drawn map to guide you to a trading post at the edge of the wilderness.

Take a look at the fields outside as the train rolls through Illinois and imagine what the land might have look like 200 years ago. Perhaps from the height of an airplane, the fields would look almost the same as they do today, but from the train's windows we can see monocultures, meaning that each field is carefully managed to grow just one crop.

Take a look at the fields outside as the train rolls through Illinois and imagine what the land might have look like 200 years ago. Perhaps from the height of an airplane, the fields would look almost the same as they do today, but from the train's windows we can see monocultures, meaning that each field is carefully managed to grow just one crop.

Joliet, Illinois was known as the City of Stone in its early years. It grew into a diversified manufacturing town, and today is a fast-growing, fun-filled community. As the train passes through town, watch for historic Union Station, century-old homes and mansions, and a castle-like high school built in 1901.

Joliet, Illinois was known as the City of Stone in its early years. It grew into a diversified manufacturing town, and today is a fast-growing, fun-filled community. As the train passes through town, watch for historic Union Station, century-old homes and mansions, and a castle-like high school built in 1901.

Imagine a life spent within the confines of four 25-foot tall limestone walls; a life without running water or plumbing; a life where one wrong move could get you in a cell the size of a closet. This was reality for prisoners of the Joliet Correctional Center in Joliet, Illinois. Though no longer operating, Joliet Correctional Center offers residents and tourists a peak into the building's past and an opportunity to step into the shoes of its inmates.

Imagine a life spent within the confines of four 25-foot tall limestone walls; a life without running water or plumbing; a life where one wrong move could get you in a cell the size of a closet. This was reality for prisoners of the Joliet Correctional Center in Joliet, Illinois. Though no longer operating, Joliet Correctional Center offers residents and tourists a peak into the building's past and an opportunity to step into the shoes of its inmates.

Can you catch a glimpse of a water-filled channel in northern Illinois between Bloomington and Chicago? The Amtrak route follows a portion of the path of a 96-mile, hand-dug waterway called the Illinois & Michigan Canal that forever changed the nation when it opened in 1848.

Can you catch a glimpse of a water-filled channel in northern Illinois between Bloomington and Chicago? The Amtrak route follows a portion of the path of a 96-mile, hand-dug waterway called the Illinois & Michigan Canal that forever changed the nation when it opened in 1848.