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| The Leading Lady approaches the LaSalle Street bridge (JWB, 2011) |
Tonight is the River Docent Prom, hosted by Bob and Holly
Agra and the guys and gals of the First Lady fleet, the premier architecture river
cruise line in Chicago. If you have
taken a River Cruise and experienced the attention that these folks lavish on
their guests, you know what I mean.
I’m a relative neophyte when it comes to the river . . .
this is just the third summer that I have been doing the tours. I love everything about this newfound
avocation . . . there is no better way for an old, retired school teacher to
spend the warm weather months.
I generally ride my bicycle down to the dock. It’s about a five-mile ride on the bike path
that runs along the lakeshore. It’s a
nice way to get some exercise while enjoying the ever-changing lake-front It is, by far, the prettiest ride to work I
have ever had. I especially enjoy the trip
this time of year. The crowds are gone,
the trail isn’t crowded, and the changing colors and the barren sand reminds me
of my favorite Nelson Algren quote, one that I use often, “Chicago is an
October city even in the spring.”
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| Captain George gets ready for another tour (JWB, 2011) |
It was a hot summer, and as it ran its course I enjoyed a
set of experiences that could only come from a pastime such as this docent
thing. I participated in the filming of
a television show I have never heard of, saw parts of two films being shot,
came with 20 yards of the Chancellor of Germany, had a tussle with the Adams
Street bridge, and waved at five different bridal parties having their wedding
day photos taken up on the Kinzie Street bridge.
The gentlemen who pilot the four boats that make up the First Lady fleet are remarkable. On a summer weekend the river is filled with
pleasure boaters, kamikaze kayakers, fishermen in bass boats, rental boats
with novices at the wheel, and the tour boats of all the First Lady competitors. The First Lady captains always find a way to get the job
done while remaining personable and more helpful than this guy has a right to
expect. George, Jason, Ben, Jovan,
Stafford, Tom, and Rich . . . if there is a better group of guys making it
happen on the river, I’d like to find them.
They are backed up by an unselfish, safety-conscious group
of mates that ensure satisfaction for those who take the tours and
who also make it as easy as they possible can for those of us holding the
microphone. It can’t be easy to spend
seven months of the year, four or five times a day, listening to us docents
rattling off a tour that covers the same half-dozen miles of river. But somehow they always seem to smile at you
like it is the very first time they have ever heard anything at all about the river.
Each time I watch a river docent come off a boat or greet
one who is taking the tour after mine I am humbled by how good these folks
are. They all have mastered incredibly
detailed information about over 130 buildings that line the river, along with
the history of the city, its notable citizens, and its key events.
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| Newly certified river docent Bob Joynt extols the old Montgomery Ward warehouse at 600 North Chicago as the boat prepares to head south (JWB, 2012) |
More than that, these folks have put in scores of hours apart from
the memorization, fleshing out the tour, creating transitions, building themes,
and finding a way to convince our visitors that Chicago is a place to which
they must return again and again and again. Tom Carmichael, the head of the group, has committed himself to training the best tour givers anywhere on the planet, and all the work that he has put into it shows itself every single day.
The river docents for the Chicago Architecture Foundation
make up a varied lot that includes lawyers, architects, accountants, executives
and an occasional teacher. Totally
dedicated, totally personable, and totally generous. It’s a good group of folks to hang out with.
Most of all, though, there is the river. Small enough to allow those who travel it to
nestle right up to the great buildings that line its banks, big enough to allow
those same people to see how it led to the growth of this amazing city. When the sun is shining, and the sky is blue, I can’t
imagine anywhere in the world I would rather be. Here is a small sample of what I get to look at all summer long
. .
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| 401 North Michigan, the Gleacher Center, and NBC Tower (JWB, 2012) |
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| The Adams Street Bridge with the Boeing Building just behind it (JWB, 2012) |
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| The Wrigley Building from Columbus Drive (JWB, 2012) |
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| View from Chicago lock (JWB, 2012) |
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| 3 classics -- 330 North Wabash, Trump Tower, and the Wrigley Building (JWB, 2012) |
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| The Wells Street bridge is raised (JWB, 2012) |
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3 comments:
Wonderful blog, great pictures and the perfect volunteer position for you...got to love retirement!
sweet wrap up of another busy Chicago summer on the water!
Thanks for the tips posted on the net regarding the condolences message.
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