Woodstock

For a day trip to 19th-century America, board the Metra train's Union/Pacific Northwest Line in Chicago's Loop for the hour ride from city to farmland to McHenry County's quaint Woodstock (51 miles northwest of Chicago). Named a Distinctive Destination by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Woodstock's historic square starred in the movie "Groundhog Day." Victorian storefronts and restored civic buildings surrounding the pretty town square house sophisticated, independent shops, art galleries and restaurants. The 1889 Woodstock Opera House where Orson Wells got his start still packs patrons in with contemporary headliners. A seasonal Farmers Market sells area bounty, and on summer nights fiddlers perform in the lacy gazebos. Art Fair Diddley and the Mozart Festival draw attendees from nearby states.