The Chicago River took us through the center of the city, under 51 bridges and past many once in a life time views of the city.
We chose to leave Chicago very early on a Sunday morning to avoid many of the working barges and sightseeing boats that make navigating the river a challenge.
Some people living in high rise buildings, park their car above ground and their boats in a covered slip along the rivers edge.
Others have a marina attached to their high rise apartment.
To make the trip down the river through Chicago, Ithaka had to sit lower than the lowest Chicago bridge, which measures 17 feet. Ithaka, fully loaded, sits 18+ feet tall in the water. To make her low enough, Jack had to lower the antennaes, remove the radar dome and remove our dingy crane. My job was to stand on the sun deck roof with a yard stick and measure our clearance as we passed under the bridges.
Here is my view as we passed under one 18 foot bridge.
My view as we approach the next bridge. This is the 17 foot bridge. No picture of the underside this time. All my attention was on ducking, if this passage didn't go well.
The following bridge was one of my favorites.
We passed a beautiful pagoda. I waved at the man on the sidewalk, but he was preoccupied with thumping his chest to wake up his Chi.
As we moved on down the river we saw less beautiful city and more industrial city.
It is a good time to be heading south. Signs of fall are beginning to appear in Chcago.
You know you have reached the end of the passage through downtown Chicago, when the Chicago River converges with the CalSag Canal that passes around Chicago. If you can't lower your boat below 17 feet, you must take the CalSag Canal route. This picture is of the convergence of the two waterways.
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