Chicago River Views

The Chicago River is truly a surprising treat for the visitor. Locals should know what we happily discover; that just about
where-ever you wander along its edge you will find inspiring beauty. The waters are green (still wondering why but Lake
Michigan has this same opalised green look - time of year and lighting perhaps?) and generally smooth. Water ferries operate
several times a day but seemingly only for tourism so they were very expensive and we gave them a miss this time. The banks
of the river were undergoing a huge makeover so we were not able to access the lower promenades. This was disappointing for
us but looked necessary and well worth it if the quality of stonemasonry work being performed was any indication. These
photographs capture several of the iron draw bridges which in my opinion should occupy the same sort of prominence in
Chicago's iconographic imagery that its architecture already does.
The raised bridge (in both images) is one that has been superseded - it remains now stilled and left raised following its last working
position; a most appropriate form of "public sculpture" helping to frame and further beautify city views.

image © lee-anne raymond