Highland Park has one of the most walkable suburban downtowns accessible by Metra train. Back in March, I had a day off and hopped on the Union Pacific North to check it out. If offers a pleasant downtown, great neighborhoods to stroll, some nice lakefront parks, a beach and outdoor concerts at Ravinia.

If you're looking for a nice bike ride from Chicago, you can also ride up the North Branch Trail to Highland Park, or the Green Bay Trail provides a bicycle connection through the other north shore suburbs north from Wilmette.

When I mention that I don't have a car, invariably the first reaction by my well-meaning friends and family is a shocked, "You don't?!?" followed by, "Why not?!?" It's like I've casually mentioned that I removed my own legs. Believe it or not, humans didn't always get around by sitting in a metal box that runs on “dead dinosaur juice.” There are plenty of great reasons to consider going car-free - mainly that cars are the #1 cause of global warming, exceeding even the damage done by coal-burning power plants. Going car-free is definitely the greenest thing a consumer can do.

Knowing this sobering fact, when it came time to replace my car this past January, I decided to see if I ‘had it what it takes’ to go car-free. Not only did I save a ton of money and make my life a lot simpler, I gleaned some tips for anyone else who might be thinking about dumping their gas guzzler as well:

Unseasonably warm days like today are the perfect time for an outdoorsy daytrip. And Openlands has a great suggestion on their website with public transit directions to their recently opened Openlands Lakeshore Preserve.

Get directions here: http://openlands.org/index.php/Special-Projects/Projects/openlands-lakes...

Check Metra's UP-North schedule here: http://metrarail.com

Learn more about the preserve here: http://openlands.org/index.php/News/Press-Releases/new-preserve-opens-ad...

On July 3, my partner and I took a daycation with a couple friends up to Kenosha, Wis., via Metra. Kenosha first piqued my interest when I read about their streetcar system and harbor development. But I've also been interested for a while in checking out walkable towns in the Chicago area accessible by Metra (Kenosha's Metra station has a Walk Score of 83!).