The situation has changed sufficiently that I am going to take the Metra from Northbrook into Chicago (company is picking up two extra nights at hotel I'm at in Northbrook). I am just wondering if there is a specific stop I should get off when I arrive in Chicago "proper". I want to be in the midst of the Magnificent Mall, John Hancock Bldg., close to getting a boat cruise. Thanks.

Take it all the way to the end of the line, I think the metra from Northbrook goes into the Ogilvie Station, if not it's Union Station. Both are on the opposite side of the loop from where you want to go so you might want to catch a taxi or one of the free trolleys if you are here after they start running again on Memorial Day.

Yes, you'll end up in the Loop and west of State St., for sure. Get a good downtown map, because Mag. Mile / Michigan Ave. etc. are all going to be East.

Or you could do like my directionally impaired daughter does. She knows where nothing is but walks to where she sees water /blue. Looking down the canyons of buildings it is sometimes possible. That's east- Lake Michigan. State and Madison is zero for both directions N/S and E/W- everything is numbered from there.