Seeing sights from the water

Architectural tours are offered on 1920s-style yachts.
There are several ways to view Chicago's architectural and engineering wonders. You can do it yourself with a street map and guidebook; you can sign up for the free Chicago Greeter service and have a knowledgeable volunteer show you around; or you can contact the Chicago Architecture Foundation.
The foundation offers more than 50 walking or bus tours, along with trained docents such as Nancy Nusser, our guide aboard Chicago's First Lady, one of four boats operated by Mercury Skyline Cruiseline.
The architectural tours are offered on Chicago's First Lady and Chicago's Little Lady, luxury 1920s-style yachts retrofitted for tourists. You can sit on the open-air upper deck for the 90-minute tour, weather permitting, or in the salon, which has a full bar with boxed sandwiches for sale.
"Today's special is peppermint Schnapps and hot chocolate," said Capt. Jerry Lawrence. "As we get going, it'll sound a lot better."
The parade of architecture on both sides of the river was nonstop. We saw and heard about the Chicago Tribune building, Merchandise Mart, Sears Tower and new River Bend condos, where the cheapest unit goes for $400,000 and elevators take cars to their parking spaces.
Nusser said Donald Trump had purchased the squat, gray Chicago Sun-Times building on the river and plans to build an 86-story tower in its place.
Bridges
A highlight of the tour was moving beneath 20 bridges that cross the river. Although the river was low, a tall passenger on the top deck could almost touch the steel girders on the bridges. We were advised to remain seated.
We passed two canoes and two kayaks on the river and witnessed an annual rite of spring. Sailboats moored inland over winter were heading out to Lake Michigan. As they reached each of the bridges, their keepers raised the bridges to allow the tall masts to pass under.
The champagne-fueled crew of one of the lead ships danced to a bagpiper as the parade sailed out to sea.