After a visit to Wolf Lake, where J and I saw the usual mute swans and Canada geese, we headed to Homewood for a mid-afternoon lunch at Maple Tree Inn, formerly Cottage on Dixie (which I still miss, although it closed in 2019). On the way through Homewood, I spotted the remains of a big tree being hauled off, then noticed many torn-up trees and limbs. There’d been a record-breaking 27 tornadoes in the area the Monday before, July 15, and an EF-1 had hit Homewood. Too close.

After several years of talk, we finally made it to the caboose at Flossmoor Station. As a child, I always watched for the caboose at the end of a train, and was disappointed when I found out they were to be phased out. I liked the idea of an ice cream caboose — one excellent use for these relics from our railroad past.

The caboose used to be dedicated to ice cream, if I remember correctly, but now it’s officially the “Brew Caboose Taproom and Ice Cream Parlor” (albeit missing the parlor). That may explain the later and possibly longer hours. I also found out there’s a wee dog park behind the caboose.

With the caboose, a sundae, and people and dog watching, it was a good way to spend a weekend afternoon.

Flossmoor • Homewood • Wolf Lake

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