urban canoeing

Since I'm not cycling, I suddenly have all this time for non-bike related activities. I am ticking things off my to-do list. Free concert in Millenium Park...check. Summerdance...check. Item #3 was to canoe down the Chicago river. On Friday the household (Allie, summer houseguest Douglas, and me) plus one Luke rented canoes next to the river near Belmont and paddled down to Lake Street, a 4-hour round trip if you're a slightly lazy canoeist. The trip got pretty interesting as we headed downtown, passing under all the major streets, rounding the Greyhound station at Goose Island, and finally ending up lunching on peanut butter sandwiches while dodging architecture tour boats and barges in the city center.