Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
historic Water Tower, and the Sears Tower. You can stay on for the full 1
1
⁄
2
-hour
ride or get on and off at each stop. The trolleys operate year-round, but winter
visitors won't need to wear a snowsuit; the vehicles are enclosed and heated dur-
ing the chilliest months. The same company also operates the
Chicago Double
Decker Company,
which has a fleet of London-style, red, two-story buses. The
buses follow the same route as the trolleys; if you buy an all-day pass, you can hop
from bus to trolley at any point.
&
773/648-5000.
www.chicagotrolley.com. All-day hop-on, hop-off pass $20 adults, $17 seniors, $10 chil-
dren 3-11. Family package (2 adults, 2 children) $54. Daily 9am-5pm (until 6:30pm Apr-Oct).
Gray Line
Part of a company that offers bus tours worldwide, Gray Line
Chicago offers professional tours in well-appointed buses. Most tours run 3 to
4 hours (including lunch) and feature highlights of downtown or various neigh-
borhoods; some tours also include a cruise on Lake Michigan or a visit to the
Sears Tower Skydeck. You'll also find some more intellectual offerings, including
Chicago and the Civil War and Literary Chicago.
27 E. Monroe St., Suite 515.
&
800/621-4153
or 312/251-3107. www.grayline.com. Tours cost $35-$60.
LAKE & RIVER CRUISES
Getting out on the lake is a great way to take in Chicago's incredible skyline from
a whole new vantage point. Don't forget that you're always going to be at the
mercy of the weather if you book in advance: I've taken sightseeing cruises in the
rain (most boats have plenty of covered areas for just this reason), and twice I've
gone to parties on expensive dinner cruise boats that never left the dock because
the lake was too choppy. But when the weather cooperates, the sight of sunlight
or moonlight sparkling off the city's skyscrapers never fails to thrill.
Chicago from the Lake
This company runs two different cruises: a 90-
minute tour of architecture along the Chicago River, and historical cruises that
travel on the lake and river to explore the development of the city. Complimen-
tary coffee (Starbucks, no less), lemonade, cookies, and muffins are served. For
tickets, call or stop by the company's ticket office, located on the lower level on
the east end of River East Plaza. Advance reservations are recommended.
Departing from Ogden Slip adjacent to River East Plaza (formerly North Pier) at the end of E. Illinois St.
&
312/
527-1977.
www.chicagoline.com. Tickets $26 adults, $24 seniors, $14 children 7-18, free for children under 7.
Daily May-Oct.
Mystic Blue Cruises
A more casual alternative to fancy dinner cruises, this is
promoted as more of a “fun” ship (that means DJs at night, although you'll have
to put up with some kind of “live entertainment” no matter when you sail).
Daily lunch and dinner excursions are available, as well as midnight voyages on
weekends. The same company offers more formal (and expensive) cruises aboard
the
Odyssey,
and motorboat rides on the 70-passenger
Seadog,
if you really
want to feel the water in your face.
Departing from Navy Pier.
&
877/299-7783.
www.mysticbluecruises.com. Lunch cruise $28-$32, dinner
cruise $58-$61, midday cruise $22, moonlight cruise $26. Cruises run year-round.
Shoreline Sightseeing
Shoreline schedules 30-minute lake cruises every
half-hour from its three dock locations: the Shedd Aquarium, Navy Pier, and
Buckingham Fountain in Grant Park. Shoreline has also gotten in on the pop-
ularity of architecture tours by offering its own version, narrated by an archi-
tectural guide (with higher prices than their regular tours). A water taxi also
runs every half-hour from Navy Pier to both the Sears Tower and the Shedd
