Chicago From The River
Just this week, I had the chance to take an architectural boat tour on the Chicago River with an alumni group that I belong to. I have lived in Chicago for almost two years now, and this was the first time I had the chance to get on a boat and see the skyscrapers from a different angle.
If you have the chance to take and architectural boat tour, I highly recommend it. If you have a large group, you can even charter a boat (that's what we did), and the serve food and drinks while a docent gives you great details about the buildings along the Chicago River.
Chicago is home to a multitude of famous skyscrapers (Sears Tower, anyone?), as well as dozens of groundbreaking buildings from the 19th century on. If you have any interest at all in architecture, the boat tour is fascinating. I'm definitely no architecture buff, but I learned a great deal about the buildings I see every day, and I left the tour more appreciative of the amazing engineering and architectural feats we Chicagoans can sometimes take for granted.
There are several different companies that offer architectural tours of the river. Here are some links to get you started:
All of the boats leave from the downtown portion of the river, see the websites for details on schedules, prices, and locations. A hot summer day is the best time for a boat tour, as the breeze can be quite brisk on the water. Pack your sunscreen!
