Our route gave us several hours of layover in Chicago as we transitioned from the Wolverine line to the beautiful California Zephyr.

I was absolutely stunned by the opulence of Chicago’s Union Station.

We ordered a deep dish pizza from a nearby establishment and marveled at the massive Christmas tree, the impressive carved marble and columns, and the ornate wood benches. It was a place of beauty on the trip that was a complete surprise for us.

We were surprised to find quite a few people wearing pajamas in the station, until we discovered that an entire wing had been set up as a platform for the Polar Express. There was an actual decorated train that took off every several hours with staff dressed as from the film, and of course serving hot-hot chocolate!

Maybe someday we will visit just for the Polar Express ride, but for the meantime we enjoyed our restfull hours of layover at Union Station.