Chicago!

Days on cruise:  159

Distance traveled:  15.6  miles

Travel time:  1 hr, 44 mins

Total trip odometer:  3,253 statute miles

Bob checked the weather when we got up this morning and the forecast for tomorrow, our planned travel day to Chicago, had been revised to winds 20-25 knots, wave height 4-5 feet.  We don’t like those conditions! But we have guests arriving Friday night so needed to get there.

We walked a mile to get some groceries, then changed the plan and left Hammond Marina a day early, headed for the Windy City!

It was a pretty lumpy ride, but ok because it was short. And the view was spectacular coming into Chicago!

The downtown skyline above, and the planetarium in the foreground below.

Built up like Miami, but a lot less glass.

Our marina is literally right on the waterfront of Lake Michigan  in downtown Chicago, and the high rises are just across the street. What a great location!

Navy Pier is just behind us on the Chicago River.

We went for a long afternoon walk downtown and got a preview of the river, lock and bridges through which we’ll travel on Monday.

There are 19 bridges in downtown Chicago beneath which we’ll travel, and Bob will lower our dinghy davit and radar dome, because the lowest bridge is 17 feet high (and doesn’t open) while our boat is 18 1/2 feet high. Lowering the davit and radar dome gets us down to 16 feel. Whew!

Old and new side-by-side . . .

Busy streets with “The El” (elevated train) adjacent.

We stumbled upon a group of 8 young black men engaged in a street performance and were held spell-bound for more than half an hour watching. They were amazing and hilarious! Note there are two upside-down guys in this pic.

There’s a full moon out tonight over the Lake, and as much as we loved the scenery and lovely little towns, we’re happy to have Lake Michigan behind us after exactly a month!

More pictures from the marina, Navy Pier above, downtown below.