A Chicago “must-do” – the architectural boat tour.

Three things about Chicago:

1. I had never been to Chicago before last weekend.
2. I can hardly wait to go back.
3. I guess it’s my kind of town 😉

One of the best things we did was the Architectural Boat Tour. No surprise there, because at least 437,568 friends had recommended it.

It really was fantastic…and I don’t even care about architecture.

There were a few reasons why it was such a “must-do.” First of all, the tour guide really knew her stuff. She described features of buildings, offered details about why things were the way they were, and told plenty of stories about Chicago “back in the day.” So interesting! For example, did you know that in 1887, engineers reversed the flow of the Chicago River? It’s true! (And the river still flows that way). Another fact: four States are visible from the top of the Willis (formerly Sears) Tower: Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin. Wow!

The tour was also a fantastic way to see the city from a different perspective.

We noticed things that we might not otherwise have seen.

I loved how there were so many homes and apartments overlooking the water.

It was also fun just being on the boat. It was a gorgeous day!

The one issue we had is that we got lost trying to find the boat dock. We actually missed our first tour by about two minutes, and then they wouldn’t let us get on the next one. We had to get tickets for a tour the next day. They are very strict about timing!

Tip/wish we’d known: if you are looking for the starting point for the tour, search for “Chicago’s First Lady” on a map. You will find it right away.

This was definitely a highlight of our trip. Have you been on this boat tour? What did you think? If you haven’t been, would you do it?