Day 145- September 8 Chicago, IL to Joliet, IL

It is time to move the Goose!

Coming around from the marina we got our last look at the skyline, with the sunrise off in the distance.


This is the Navy Pier Pavilion. 

The Centennial Wheel with climate controlled gondolas.

Getting closer to the entrance of the Chicago River.

The first thing we have to do to enter the Chicago River is go through a lock.
The Chicago Harbor Lock was constructed to prevent the Chicago River from draining into Lake Michigan as well as to prevent rising water on Lake Michigan from raising the level of the river.

We have now been moved to the bottom of the list on all locks.

Through the lock, now come the bridges. Lots of them!!!

The first bridge.

Is 13 enough?? I have more... like 50 of them to get out of Chicago!!

Here you can see them all in a row. Many boats can't leave Chicago this way because they don't fit under these bridges...we do.

At first glance, these bridges look like rusty steel.  In fact, they are all beautifully painted and the iron work is lovely.

Does this look familiar?
We are in the same place the River Architectural Tour took us.

There happened to be a Regatta going on Sunday morning.
This is the first of many shells we saw.

The whole of this area is a 'No Wake' zone, so we are loafing along.  The shells were passing us!

Taxi anyone?

Perhaps you want to pedal around the river?

OK, we didn't fit under this bridge either, but they lifted it for us.

Have you noticed that all the bridges are all steel? We are in steel country.

 Most were painted brown.

Don't ask me? Interesting though...

The further we moved into South Chicago the more graffiti we saw .

Yes, Paul wanted this one too. 

This water tower won best paint job!

Green paint on the bridges now.

Notice the color of the leaves? Definitely time to head south.

Lots of storage tanks for all that barge stuff.

Blue painted bridges now. It seemed a bit narrow with the barges at times.

Purdy little falls where at the junction of the Calumet Sag Channel. 

The Calumet Sag Channel is where the tall boats have to go

to get to the Illinois River.

To keep the Asian Carp from getting into the lakes, this area is an electrical fish barrier.  Personally, I didn't feel any tingles as we passed through it.
He was smart enough to keep his fingers and toes on the boat.

This was a huge pile of grain. Spotted the eagles on top just in time.

Into the big boy locks, now!  These are floating bollards that raise and lower with the water in the lock chamber.  Super easy for the crew, loop a line around it and you're done.

Watch how it works here.

Leaving the big lock.

Remember how you got a bit tired of lighthouses?? Now it will be bridges...

Catholic Church in Joliet, IL

All of these locks are operated by the US Army Corps of Engineers. The lock tenders are really helpful and pleasant.  This chap, Doug, visited with us until we descended below the lip of the lock.  I admired his Cushman buggy.  I remember Cushmans like this that used to to run the mail around in the Pentagon.  They also made the ugliest scooter on two wheels.  They're still in business, this one is a 2024 model!

White pelicans?  In Illinois??

I'll bet you can't wait to see what tomorrow brings, huh???

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