Sept 8, 2022 – On a clear sunny
day with calm flat seas we cruised into Chicago. Eight weeks and one day after
first dipping our keel into the Great Lakes in Buffalo, New York, we arrived at
out last port on these incredible lakes. We were very excited to finally arrive
in the Windy City for many reasons…..
1: The Great Lakes are known for
their potentially treacherous conditions. We had been very prudent and lucky
and managed to avoid any significant real sketchy conditions but with summer
winding down and fall approaching good travel days on the lakes would become
few and far between.
2: We would be visiting the city
where my father grew up.
3: We were going to be meeting up
with my old friend Ray and Karen’s nephew, Miles and his family.
4: We were going to meet up with
Heather and Cam on Sea Clef and finally have a buddy boat again.
5: Most importantly – we would be
leaving the boat for 3 days, the first time since we started our adventure, to
meet up with Delaney and Griffin at a wedding in Milwaukee.
We arrived in Chicago around noon and tied up to a mooring ball. After settling in we hooked up with Heather and Cam to venture into the city with two goals for the day – Architectural boat tour and pizza. Chicago is known for its magnificent buildings representing the architectural styles of the eras in which they were built and the best way to view them and learn about their history is on an Architectural Boat Tour on the Chicago River. Gothic, Neo Gothic, Art Deco, Modernism, and Contemporary buildings are all on display.
Some of the memorable structures include the
Willis (Sears) Tower that was for decades the tallest building in the world,
the Merchandise Mart that when built in 1930 had the most square footage of any
building in the world, Marina city with its corn cob like structure and the
amazingly beautiful Vista Tower, the tallest building in the world designed by
a woman. We also learned about ways in which these sky scrapers are designed to
resist the fierce winds that blow off Lake Michigan. The Vista Building has
multiple floors that are wide open, allowing the wind to blow through the
building. The amazing 150 N Riverside building rises from a narrow footprint
and appears it would topple over with the slightest breeze. Near the top of
this building are giant water vaults that act as liquid dampeners. To quote the
Chicago Tribune, “If wind pushes the high rise one way, the water sloshes the
other way, damping the wind-induced sway and eliminating the threat of rattling
chandeliers and whitecaps in the toilet.” Our young guide on this trip was both
knowledgeable and enthusiastic. I’d highly recommend this tour for anyone
visiting Chicago.
Vista Tower
150 N Riverside
A few years ago Delaney had an internship in Chicago and got turned on to Lou Malnati’s Pizza. She sent us a couple of their frozen “pies” and we have been ordering them for ourselves and as gifts ever since. Best frozen pizza ever! We could not go to Chicago and not experience a fresh pizza. After disembarking from our boat tour, the four of us Ubered over to Lou Malnati’s for some deep dish delight. As expected, as good as the frozen pies are, the fresh are even better. Back on the boat that night we had an incredible view of the lights and skyline of the city.
Settling into the marina we cleaned the boat and that night met up with an old friend Ray and his wife, Kris. Ray and I were crew on a racing sailboat, Redline, back in 80’s and 90’s. I had not seen him for many years. After moving to Chicago he became a very successful sailor. In 2021, Ray and Kris and their crew won the J109 North American Championship on their boat, Courageous! We had a wonderful dinner downtown with them that evening.
The next morning we left the boat and drove up to Milwaukee to pick up Delaney and Griffin who were flying in from Boston for her friend’s wedding. We shared a tasty breakfast and headed out for a little sightseeing. Karen and Dee split off to get their nails done leaving Griffin and I to explore. We found the National Bobblehead Museum! Who knew there was such a thing?! The museum’s collection is in the thousands. Did you know there were Chinese bobblehead figures documented in England as far back as the 1760s? The first sports bobbleheads were produced in the 60s. We wandered through the museum for over an hour with a smile on our faces the whole time. There were representations from sports, politics, cartoons and movies.
Checked into our hotel, that night Karen and I spent our first night in a non-rocking bed for the first time in 6 months – in a room with more square footage than our floating home! And we took showers that lasted more than a minute! Mazel-Tov to Libby and Nathan for a beautiful wedding. We wish you long and healthy lives together and thank you for planning your nuptials so we could meet up with Dee and Griffin!
Back in Chicago we had only one thing left to do before setting off again. Karen’s nephew Miles and his wife, Mary, brought their two adorable boys over to the boat for a visit and a walk for some ice cream. It was great to visit with them even if it was for only a short time. That night, 9/13 would be our last on the Great Lakes. Our sleep that night was a little troubled with both the excitement and trepidation of starting our voyage south on the great rivers early the next morning.
