I suppose I really should have looked up the geographic relationship between Union Station and the kids condo in the south loop before this. As it turns out, the distance as the crow flies is only about a mile and ~ that and a half by vehicle. On the other side of the Chicago River of course; South Branch to be specific.
Of course it makes sense that the river flowing through Chicago is the Chicago River with it’s Canal Branch, North Branch and South Branch. It is just that I never gave it a thought. Strolling along the Riverwalk is a pleasure; seeing the city from a slightly different perspective. I looked out at the river multiple times when I was here a few years ago for WorldCon and never gave it a thought. In fact, somehow I thought it was just one river meandering along before it gave itself over to Lake Michigan.
But then the last few nights of hearing train whistles had made me curious as to distance and time. Not sure why, as the “L” goes past the condo on a multiple time an hour schedule so that it is not that I need noise. Rather the sound of the whistle makes me think of the rail journeys I have taken. The differences between the electric trains in Europe and those in the US. The dependence of Europe on the rail system for passengers and not just on freight and the reverse in the US.
And finally, I can think of traveling again tomorrow which should at least partially cheer me up from the fact that it has been raining today.
