On a sunny day in Chicago,
the water of the Chicago river sparkles, details on
beaux arts buildings are etched by shadows, and windows of skyscrapers reflect the clouds above them. On such a day, there are few better things to do than stroll or float along the river, appreciating some of the finest vistas the city has to offer.
At the dock near Navy Pier, we boarded an open boat for an architectural sightseeing tour of downtown Chicago. While there are several companies specializing in architectural tours, we booked with
Shoreline Sightseeing, a long-established company with tours held multiple times daily. I’ve been on a number of boat tours in various cities, but I’ve rarely been on one that I found as enjoyable.
Our guide was a fast-talking Chicago native who obviously knew the city’s history and architecture extremely well. One central theme emerged in his narration, though, the can-do spirit of the city, best exemplified by its response to the great Chicago fire of 1871.
Pushing the charred remains of the fire into the lake (a feat which later provided room for Chicago’s lakefront greenbelt), the city literally rose from the ashes. Today, the city is celebrated for its rich mix of architectural styles, with such stately treasures as the Wrigley building alongside such recent treasures as 333 Wacker Drive.
In fact, many of Chicago’s most notable buildings present their best faces to the river. While I’d seen 333 Wacker Drive many times before, seeing the blue-green curve of it unfold as we rounded a bend in the river literally took my breath away. It seemed to be an impossibly thin wedge – an optical illusion best appreciated from the river - not to mention that its curved surface presents what is surely the most stunning reflective surface in Chicago.
Truth to tell, I was so busy gawking upward and taking photos that at times I lost track of what the guide was saying. However, I learned some interesting new facts about some of the buildings that I’d long assumed I "knew" and found my appreciation for the diversity of Chicago’s architecture greatly increased. My camera – and craning neck – got a workout as I did my best to take shots of each new vista that unfolded.
At the end of the hour-long tour, our guide unexpectedly broke out a harmonica and launched into a blues song about the Chicago fire. It was hokey, yes, but it was also rather fun. There are a number of things I’d like to do the next time I’m in Chicago, but taking this tour again is near the top of the list – there’s just more to appreciate than can possibly be taken in a single time.