Monday, October 16

We finally get the ok to begin our journey through the Illinois River system and locks. Monday, October 16, is our last day in Chicago. We have stayed in DuSable Harbor Marina five weeks! Thank you, Polly and Bruce. Your generosity is overwhelming. We so enjoyed this city. Captain Pat is getting itchy though to get moving and on our way.

Meeting Junira and Brian

One of our first nights in Chicago we are walking along the harbor, in front of the Columbia Yacht Club, and I notice the Chicago flag flying above next to the Illinois flag.

I comment to Captain Pat:

“I wonder why there are four stars on the Chicago flag?”

A young couple is walking in front of us. The man turns around.

“The four stars represent the four great events influencing Chicago.”

“Really?” I replied.

“Yes. The first is for Fort Dearborn, the second for the Great Chicago Fire, and the third and fourth for the two world fairs that took place in Chicago.”    

I thank him, and we start a conversation about Chicago. Turns out he and his wife are attorneys in Chicago and attended schools in Chicago – Loyola and John Marshall Law University. They live in a high rise not far from the marina and frequently walk or run the harbor walkway.

Turns out Brian loves all things Chicago. We tell him we are going to the White Sox game and he’s all excited. We exchange contact information and promise to get together for a visit to our boat and dinner somewhere.

Time goes by, we are busy, I make a visit home. One night Captain Pat and I are walking the Chicago Riverwalk and who do we run into – Brian and Junira, his lovely wife! I recognize them immediately – you can’t miss Junira’s vibrant smile.

Our Final Evening in Chicago

We once again reiterate our desire to get together. We finally do – our last evening in Chicago! We meet for dinner at The Gage, a wonderful restaurant on Michigan Avenue across from Millenium Park.

We discover over dinner that they’ve only been married three months! The wedding was in Cartegena, Colombia, Junira’s hometown. The wedding photos are stunning. Brian’s father is Cuban, his mother Irish. He says his parents are often compared to Lucille Ball and Ricky Ricardo.

Last Walk Back to the Marina

After dinner Brian takes us on a different new route home. We would have never discovered this way to the marina. We pass the Fox News building, other landmarks, and office buildings with spacious lobbies. We discover Chicago’s pedestrian tunnel that allows workers to get to their offices unscathed by the weather. What a clever idea! We have determined that Chicago is a well-designed city and easy to maneuver through.

We give them a tour of our boat – that doesn’t take long. They are so curious about our adventure.

We are so impressed by this young couple – hard working, ambitious, with many adventures awaiting them. We bid them farewell and wish them the very best. We sure hope our paths meet again!

Here are more pics from our final day in Chicago.