Chicago Getaway-Day 2, Part 2: Architecture River Cruise

Am I the slowest trip-recapping-blogger ever this week or what? In case you’ve missed it, I’ve been recapping my Memorial Day weekend food-filled trip to Chicago on the blog this week. Previous posts:

Day 1, Part 1 – Lunch at Corner Bakery, Architecture Walking Tour, our hotel.
Day 1, Part 2 – Texas de Brazil, Millennium Park
Day 2, Part 1 – Taste of Chicago Tour

After our Chicago food tour on Saturday, we went back to our room to rest our weary walking legs for a bit, before heading down to the 14 Karat Lounge, attached to our hotel, for a drink.

Next, we walked a few blocks north, to the river, where we boarded Chicago’s First Lady for a Chicago Architecture Foundation River Cruise. Tickets were not cheap, and a new tour leaves every hour or so, but let me tell you – every seat sold out on our cruise. Wowza! Honestly the boarding process was somewhat stressful. Despite arriving 20 minutes early, we were near the back of the giant line, and the entire time the line moved forward, we became more and more certain that we would end up with seats in the covered cabin area, below the main deck. Well, it did not turn out that way, luckily, and I think that there were likely just enough upper deck seats for every person.

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A knowledgeable volunteer docent narrated the tour. I was blown away by her depth of knowledge – she didn’t even have notes, yet knew countless pieces of information about dozens and dozens of buildings we passed on three stretches of the Chicago River.

Oh hey, ~~Sears~~ Willis Tower.

The cruise took about 90 minutes and was very enjoyable! It was nice to be able to sit back and feel the fresh air on our faces, yet still be able to see so much of the city. I’d highly recommend the Chicago Architecture Foundation River Cruise, but purchase your tickets in advance and arrive early for boarding to get the best seats!