Traveling by boat is a weird and wonderful experience. Especially when it comes to visiting big cities.
You can usually stay in the most desirable downtown locations, right in the thick of the action. The views are spectacular. The walking distances are short. Great restaurants abound. And the accommodations (your boat) are familiar, comfortable, and very inexpensive compared to a nice hotel in most downtown areas.
Chicago was a prime example. We docked at Du Sable Harbor for $102/night, which was right along the Lakefront Trail which meant we had a constant parade of runners, bikers, walkers, and other boaters to watch from our deck.
The Navy Pier was a 10 minute walk away. Dozens of restaurants to choose from and quite lovely at night!
“The Bean” was in our neighborhood. As were a myriad of museums and parks.
The Chicago Tribune building was also nearby and is a Chicago icon. It is uniquely festooned with rocks from all over the world, including Oregon and Egypt!
And interestingly enough, the Brazilian embassy is right next door to “The Trib”, and there was a huge line of people waiting for something. A giant sale? A movie? A very large tour group? No! It was voting day for Brazilian expats living in Chicago. It was so exciting and reassuring to see democracy in action!
We really loved Chicago, and found it to be an easily walkable, boatable, and bikeable city!
After four days of glorious city exploring, we said an early morning good bye.
And to put a cherry on top of our Chicago sundae, we headed south via the Chicago River, through the most fantastic architectural masterpieces, under some of the busiest car and pedestrian bridges, and right in the middle of the hustle and bustle of the city. Wow.
To see our current voyage path with Gary’s photos, click on this: G&P Voyage Map