July 21-23: The Windy City

By the way, did you know that Chicagoans like to tell you that the famous nickname for their Toddlin' Town derives from a reputation for the manner of politicians' complaining about various things? I've looked up Wikipedia and it seems there's a lot more to the derivation of this epithet.

The heat is on! It's going to be between mid-20s (ºC) and the high 30s. Mon (21st) will be the best day, temperature-wise, so I get going in good time on the 5-min drive to return my rental after 20 days and 1,323 miles (2,129 km). The final cost of this rental includes a $250 infringement penalty from back in New York State and paid at the time by the rental company then levied on me along with a 'handling charge'. The infringement was apparently for passing a stopped school bus. I'm aware of how serious they are over here about school buses but obviously I don't recall this incident. Yikes!

There is a Target store two blocks from the rental depot, so I walk there and find the wheeled duffle bag I need for my 'luggage overflow'. Then it's back several blocks to my hotel to drop the bag and call an Uber to get me into mid-town to catch the 11.30 Wendella river cruise on which an architectural expert will explain the buildings we pass. The cruise is 90 minutes and navigates all 3 branches of the Chicago River within the downtown city (see map). It's an excellent ride and, I would say, an essential thing to do in Chicago. I'll add a few views, but this is by far the best place to see what we have seen regarding the Chicago River; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_River

Meandering through urban and suburban communities, forest preserves and parks, industrial and commercial districts, as well as the heart of downtown, the 156-mile long Chicago-Calumet River system and the watersheds that surround it are highly varied. Originally, the river flowed into Lake Michigan, but as the city grew and the sewerage flow became a problem, a massive engineering project changed this so that that it now flows OUT of the lake and down into the Mississippi. The understandable outcry from downstream means, of course, that the sewerage is much-treated before being released into the Chicago Sanitary & Ship Canal 🤮 and from there the Illinois River (what an unfortunate name to give a manufactured waterway). Our cruise takes in the 3 branches up their downtown limits.

This river cruise ends in time for me to walk across the DuSable Bridge to catch the Big Red Hop-On/Hop Off bus at Stop 1 on E Wacker Dr. This circuit takes 2 hrs and is also recommended as critical for any first-timer to Chicago. Be aware, though, if the temperature is in the 30s, it'll be warm upstairs. Downstairs is air-conditioned, but the view is limited.

On Tuesday, I venture out the 3 blocks to get a haircut (which requires an appointment made online) at a nearby barber shop I'd noticed yesterday and to visit the 110-floor Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower). I breakfast there, but my destination is the 103rd-floor Skydeck. I spend a long time soaking up the 360-degree views, although the far distance is partly obscured by a haze. When I emerge, there's a hot wind blowing along W Jackson Blvd and I am discouraged from any further exploration. I retreat to the air-conditioned relief of my hotel.

On Wednesday it's still around 35 ºC, so I remain in the hotel, working on my laptop. In the late afternoon I Uber uptown to join the evening guided tour on the Big Red Bus. Being up top and outside is quite tolerable now. This tour ends at 9:30 pm, and I seek out a restaurant that is still open for dinner. Most are closing, but I find The Smith, which stays open until 11:30. https://thesmithrestaurant.com/location/chicago/

I have plenty of time for a couple of cocktails, a mixed platter of oysters, and a beautifully-cooked, peppered flat iron steak. I Uber back to my hotel, greatly satisfied with my last 3 days. Tomorrow, it's Amtrak to Washington DC for a on-night hotel stopover. But I'll have to return to Chicago and explore further.

[images to be included soon]Leggi altro