Dear, dear friends rented a rather cute and fortunately seaworthy electric boat for a Sunday afternoon picnic and tour of the Chicago River last weekend. The Air and Water show ended a couple of hours earlier so the traffic on the river was clearing as were the clouds. Fun group, good food, drink and conversations are always an excellent way to spend a summer afternoon.
A view of Marina City, Mather Tower, Carbide and Carbon Building and the Clark Street Bridge from beneath the La Salle Street Bridge.
The always impressive Merchandise Mart.
The Civic Opera Building.
The Sears Tower. I know, I know.
The scenes along the south branch of the river appeal to my eye: the warehouses and early 20th century rail bridges still in use, disrepair and decay.
A favorite bridge, the St. Charles Air Line, built in 1919 by the American Bridge Company (AmBridge)!
Water tower silhouette.
Shadows and sun on the Wells Street Bridge.
Wow, what a historic tour while floating in a boat! You mean, the Sears Tower has another name now but no one uses it? Just like I still refer to the WaMu Building at 1200 Third Avenue in Seattle….now Russell Investments or something like that.
Renting the electric boat for a self guided tour is just as fun as the Chicago Architecture Boat Tours! I know *just* enough to know what I don’t know and have many opportunities to learn more about the architecture of the city!
Exactly like the WaMu building. Always will be WaMu, always will be Sears! Hope you are well!