Before I tell you about The Chicago River Walk, I have a little housekeeping to take care of:
I need to confirm that I have added all of your emails correctly (I have already found a few typos). Please use the “Message Sharon” button above and send me just a word or two. This will verify that you have received this message and that your email is correct. If I don’t hear from you, I will know that I need to do a little investigating to figure out what’s going on.
If anyone does not want to receive these emails, please let me know. We all get way too many emails, and I don’t want to add to your inbox frustration.
Thank you to all who have submitted ideas for Adventure Thursdays. I keep a running list of ideas. I have not used any of the indoor suggestions yet, as the weather has been so nice!! Rest assured, that we will get to the indoor adventures.
Chicago River Walk
Phyllis, Bill and I took Metra into the city. The start of the River Walk is only 3 blocks north of Ogilvie Train Station. The entrance was very easy to find although there are many entrances to the River Walk along the 1.25-mile path.
The River Walk was constructed in phases over time and includes four distinct districts: The Confluence, The Arcade, The Civic, and the Esplanade. I didn’t realize this as we were walking it.
The first thing we saw upon entering the River Walk were Adirondack chairs. I don’t know about Bill and Phyllis, but I think I could have taken a seat right there and stayed for the rest of the afternoon.
Along the route is artwork, murals, memorials, restaurants and bars, gorgeous views and plenty of ticket counters for purchasing tickets for kayaking and boat tours including Chicago’s infamous Wendella and Chicago Architectural boat tours. There are a few other boat tours as well … never realized how many tour boat companies exist on the river.
The Chicago River Walk was actually designed to flood (yes, you read that correctly). The River Walk was constructed in a way that allows the water of the river to rise during times of heavy rainfall. The native plants along the walkway can absorb more water than nonnative plants. Green infrastructure including permeable pavements help to absorb water instead of sending it to an already stressed sewer system.
The McCormick Bridgehouse & Chicago River Museum
At the intersection of the Michigan Avenue Bridge and the River Walk is the Bridgehouse Museum. Well worth the $8 ($6 for seniors) entry fee. The museum is 1 small room, but it is 6 floors … an iron staircase takes you to each level of the museum. On the 1st floor the gears that open the Michigan Avenue Bridge can be seen. On Fridays and Saturdays, a tour is offered where you can see the gears in action. At the top of the Bridgehouse, a beautiful 360-degree view of the city and river can be seen.
Until the Michigan Avenue Bridge was built, Chicago’s major development was south of the river. In 1909, Daniel Burnham (I consider him one of Chicago’s Fathers based on the huge impact he had as an architect in developing Chicago ... he had a major role in keeping the lakefront free of development so it could be enjoyed by all). It was Burnam’s vision to build the Michigan Avenue bridge so that Chicago could expand North of the river. Below is a picture of Opening Day of the Michigan Avenue Bridge.
In just 2 miles, there are 18 movable bridges. The most famous bridge is the Du Sable Bridge (formally known as the Michigan Avenue Bridge).
How many times have you walked across the Michigan Avenue Bridge? Have you ever noticed the sculpture work on the former bridge houses? The one below illustrates important events in Chicago’s history. “The Discoverers” records the arrival of Louis Jolliet and Father Marquette. “The Pioneers” features John Kinzie and other early settlers. “Defense” memorializes the Fort Dearborn Massacre and “Regeneration” celebrates the remarkable recovery from the 1871 Chicago Fire.
During the last Ice Age, tens of thousands of years ago, glaciers up to 2 miles thick covered the Midwest. The Lake Michigan basin and the other Great Lakes were carved out during the Wisconsin Glaciation and then filled by meltwater from the glacier as it retreated. Over time temperature and water levels rose and fell so that different rivers and lakes were formed. The flat plains of the region today were once the bottom of the long-gone Lake Chicago.
A little history: French traders were active in the area starting in the late 1600s; An afro-French fur trader, Jean Baptiste Point DuSable established a farm at the mouth of the river in the 1780s … today DuSable is considered the Father of Chicago; In 1803, the U.S. military established Fort Dearborn.
To help the health of the Chicago River, Friends of the Chicago River along with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, released 277,000 juvenile catfish into the river.
When the Illinois & Michigan Canal (I&M Canal) was built (under horrendous working conditions), men were paid $1 a day for a 16-hour day and a ration of whiskey. Of the 1,500 men who worked on the canal, 1,000 died from over-exertion and disease.
The Illinois and Michigan Canal is a critical component to Chicago becoming the city it is today. Before this, St. Louis was the transportation hub of the Midwest, but it did not take long for Chicago to overtake St. Louis. The I&M connected the Great Lakes to the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico. In Illinois, it runs 96 miles from the Chicago River in Bridgeport, Chicago to the Illinois River at LaSalle-Peru. The canal crossed the Chicago Portage and helped establish Chicago as the transportation hub of the United States, before the railroad era.
By the mid 1800s, the Chicago River became horrendously polluted due to the human sewage, carcasses, and chemicals being dumped into it. In 1851, Chicago established a municipal water system, the first in the country to deal with sewage. However, as late as the 1970’s, raw sewage was finding its way into local rivers on average of once every 4 days. Under Mayor Richard J. Daley’s leadership, the Sanitary District developed a control system which we all know today as the Deep Tunnel. This was a massive project, and I could go down the rabbit hole on this topic … but won’t.
Does the Eastland Disaster sound familiar? On Saturday, July 24, 1915, 844 people died when the USS Eastland capsized in the Chicago River. I found this Wikipedia article on the USS Eastland very interesting. Turns out the famed Chicagoan, George Halas, was reported dead from this disaster. Turns out that he was supposed to be on the Eastland but was running late and arrived after the accident occurred. George’s brother and friend were on the Eastland but escaped through port holes.
This post is already too long so I will wind things up by saying we left the museum and continued walking to the end of the River Walk. We had a nice lunch at Taco Rio. Phyllis and I had pineapple lemonade with our lunch …. only to find out it was a spiked lemonade :-) On our way back, we tried walking on the north side of the river. I say “tried” because the River Walk is only on the south side of the river. We found a great ice cream stand outside the Langham Hotel (a very high-end hotel - went inside to use the restroom). I had a mango sorbet with fresh peaches and M&Ms; Bill had Movie Time which included popcorn among other toppings, and Phyllis had key lime pie.
If you’ve read this far, thank you. I really don’t intend for my posts to be so long, but I just find everything I learn so interesting. Like most of you reading this, I am not a native Chicagoan, but I have considered it my home for over 30 years. I can’t imagine living anywhere else. I love learning about my adopted city. Hopefully, you will experience the River Walk and the Bridgehouse Museum on one of your next adventures!
Comment from Adventurer Bill: “Not for the faint of heart. Keeping up with Sharon required over 12,000 level steps and at least 250 stairs. Almost made her hairs curl.”
FYI … I did take a nap when I got home.
Full Disclosure: Much of the text above is taken from Chicago River Walk website and displays in the Bridgehouse Museum … want to give credit where credit is due.
Always enjoy the Adventure,
Sharon
Sharon, I learn a lot from your weekly updates. Thank you!