Gemini Loop: Leaving Chicago

This is a long blog, so settle back.... We got back to Chicago on a Saturday night, with Sunday being the anniversary of September 11 and also the opening game for the Chicago Bears. A home game. Against the Atlanta Falcons. And the stadium is a stone's throw from the marina. As Larry Munson would say "get the picture". We needed to grocery shop and Steve wanted to wash the boat. We decided to shop later. Didn't really think that one through...

We hopped on the bikes, rode a short distance and came upon a sea of humanity leaving the game. At least they were happy - the Bears won. There was no way to pedal through that crowd, so we pulled over for a bit and waited for the crowd to thin. Eventually we were able to move on, walking the bikes when the sidewalks became busy in spots. We went through a wonderful park with large iron legs walking all over it.

Shopping done, we returned to the boat and got things ready to leave Monday morning.

There are two routes through Chicago to the rivers. We chose the one that goes through downtown Chicago. Some of the photos will be about the same as what you saw when we did the architectural tour - the route was the same only we kept going. One difference is the HUGE American flag hanging from one of the buildings in honor of 9/11.

A few last thoughts on Chicago: There are over 25 miles of lakefront in Chicago, and all of it is kept for public use (except for one building). They have parks, bike and jogging paths, and "steps" going down to the water where people can fish. It was so nice to see all the people out enjoying the good weather - they treasure good weather here. The transportation system is fabulous. We were able to figure out the trains and buses to get around very well. Finally, I was quite impressed with the craftsmanship and beauty of some of the buildings and even the bridges. There was a great deal of Art Deco type stonework and metal work that made even the functional bridges unique.

Speaking of bridges, some of them were very low. We had prepared the boat by lowering the mast and taking down the "curtains" from the canvas. We were ready to drop the bimini top if we had to in order to get under. As it turned out, we had at least a foot to spare (plus or minus) but it made for some tense moments.

As an afterthought, our tour guide on the architectural trip told us that the famous Mrs. O'Leary had been exonerated. The Chicago Fire that burned down a big portion of the city had been attributed to Mrs. O'Leary and her cow. Reportedly the cow knocked over a lamp and started the fire. The incident has since been investigated and there was no proof to substantiate the charge. The Illinois legislature declared her innocent of the charge.

As we left the downtown area, the scenery became much more industrial - and at times smelled industrial as well. We still saw a little wildlife. I guess creatures adapt to their environment. We also started seeing barges... lots of them. At some point the second route getting to the rivers joined with the one we took. Imagine our surprise to see Trident, another Grand Banks, coming out just ahead of us! We could not have planned it or timed it if we had to!

Down the river there is an electric fence. A portion of the river has been electrified to keep the Asian carp from getting into the Great Lakes. They are a very invasive species that was introduced years ago to keep down populations of something... I don't know what. But apparently they multiply like crazy and eat the food the other fish live on, lowering the populations of the other fish. In years past, you had to totally remove your boat from the water and have it moved over land to the tune of $600. Now, they will allow boats over 20 feet to go through, one at a time. We got through with no problems, expecting to see the dreaded Asian carp everywhere. We have been told that if they get excited, as they sometimes do when the water is churned up, they jump out of the water and into or against your boat. I was looking forward to some cool pictures. But the passage was uneventful. (They actually do jump like that - I will take lots of pictures when we finally see it!)

We stopped for the night at a marina just off the river. I think that's enough for now! We are further down river, but I will do another entry tonight. (I promise!)

Gemini still afloat in Chicago.

A bad time to go grocery shopping.

I loved this! It was a huge display.

This is part of a bridge. There are porpoises on top.

This one has a T-Rex, Triceratops and Wooly Mammoth on top.

The stone work is beautiful.

A statue of Columbus on Columbus Ave.

A really big full moon rising over Lake Michigan. It looked much bigger than this picture shows.

Getting ready to go under lots of bridges...

The curtains are down, so we can drop the canvas if we need to. (We didn't)

Leaving our marina. Soldier Stadium is in front of the skyline.

The planetarium in front of the skyline.

The planetarium on the left and the aquarium on the right.

Going into the harbor toward the first lock.

The lock and Chicago straight ahead.

Into the lock. The administrative building on the right looks like a ship.

Out of the lock and headed under the first bridge.

This is a fountain on the riverside plaza. The metal work is lovely and the fountain has some water cannons that shoot into the river on the hour, when turned on. It was not turned on when we went by.

I have no idea where you find a flag this big!

I could spend weeks photographing these details.

Four bridges, one after another.

A riverfront plaza, a restaurant and boat slips.

These are heads of the founders of the Chicago stock exchange.

I think this was the lowest bridge. I am standing on the seat on the flying bridge, and there was maybe a little less than a foot clearance. But we made it!