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...

Got a free weekend? Like trains? Sick of unpredictable and overpriced air travel? Amtrak offers car-free Chicagoans plenty of chances to make a quick one- or two-day weekend escape with "red-eye" (overnight) trains from Chicago to several cities that are a few hundred miles away. I like traveling overnight, since it offers maximum sightseeing time at your destination and cuts back on expensive hotel stays.