My husband Rick and I
recently had the chance to spend a relaxing weekend in Chicago. I’ve made several trips to the Windy City over the past year for work, but haven’t had
much time to enjoy or explore the sights. So we were excited to piggyback a few
days on another business trip for a little fun.
We spent two
days being tourists – shopping on Michigan Avenue, enjoying the sights and
sounds of Millennium Park, eating Giordano’s famous deep dish pizza and
enjoying drinks at the Signature Room atop the John Hancock Tower. Overall, a
wonderful (and much needed) weekend of fun and relaxation for a couple of
overextended working parents.
But for both of us, the
highlight of the trip was a kayaking tour along the Chicago River. We love the
Chicago architecture and wanted to learn more about it but wanted to experience
something different than the typical sightseeing tour boats. We spotted a
kayaking tour while on a walk our first evening there and decided we had to add
that to our agenda. And that’s when we found Urban Kayaks Chicago. According to their website, they are native
Chicagoans and avid adventurers, set out to create an experience that
showcases their hometown in an amazing and unique way.
On our final night
together in Chicago, we signed-up for a tandem kayak on their sunset tour. After
a 20-minute intro/training, we and the other 15+ kayakers went on an adventure
up and down the Chicago River. We saw the skyline from a new perspective, heard
stories about the history of the river and the Chicago mobs, and quickly
learned to paddle in synch to avoid colliding with the larger boats sailing
down the river.
We spent about 90 minutes
kayaking, stopping periodically to huddle with our fellow kayakers so our tour guide
could explain our surroundings. At the furthest point out from base, the skies
opened up to torrential downpours of rain, yet the tour continued. We’d paddle,
then stop to hear stories from our guides, and paddle again amidst the rain. As
long as there was no lightning or threat of severe weather, the tour continued.
And even with the downpour, we enjoyed the adventure. It was
a great way to see the city from a different perspective. Experience #8 was fun and enlightening. 32 new experiences to go…
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