Visiting Chicago in late November and walking around
town can be a pretty bone-chilling experience, so we’ve never been tempted to walk
out to Navy Pier during past visits to the city.
Visiting Chicago in late July is an entirely different
story. The city can get pretty hot and muggy, so cruising out to Navy Pier in a
water taxi to take in the happy amusement park midway vibe and enjoy the
occasional cool breeze sounded like a great plan during our most recent visit
to the city.
Navy Pier’s current incarnation as a lakefront
amusement center embodies at least part of the city’s early twentieth
century vision for the 1.5 mile long pier as one of five piers meant as
recreational centers and docking facilities near the mouth of the Chicago River
and Lake Michigan.
Architect Charles Sumner Frost designed the Navy Pier Auditorium and supervised much of the construction. It
took two years to complete the $4.5 million project, and the city only
completed one pier. Municipal Pier, completed in 1914, opened in 1916.
Navy Pier saw service during World War I in 1917-18 as
home to soldiers and the Red Cross and earned the name of Navy Pier in 1927 as
a tribute to those who served in the Navy during that war.
The pier again saw wartime service during World War
II in the 1940s when Navy personnel and pilots, including a young George H.W.
Bush, trained there.
The pier’s life as a center for recreation and
cultural events stretches back to the 1920s and includes hosting large trade
shows and conventions until it became little-used during the early 1970s.
The nation’s 1976 Bicentennial saw a resurgence of
interest in Navy Pier. A newly renovated Navy Pier became an official Chicago
Landmark in 1977 and began a new life as a festival and entertainment center in
the city.
By 1995, yet another extensive renovation saw Navy
Pier become a year-round entertainment center with attractions that include
rides like a giant Ferris wheel, special museums, docking areas for a variety
of boat rides, a theater and convention facilities.
Today the pier rates as one of Chicago’s top tourist
attractions.
We certainly found plenty to do along the pier, and
stopped for cold lemonade at one of the concession stands as we considered our
options.
A pirate fully decked out in pirate finery and
brandishing a family-friendly foam swimming noodle (instead of a sword) tried
to wave customers into a schooner ride on the Tall Ship Windy. Over-size yachts
stood ready to for customers wishing to take a buffet lunch or dinner cruise. The
Transporter FX seemed popular with younger visitors who wanted a rocking and
rolling virtual trip to the Moon, Africa or a high-speed car race.
Many visitors just enjoyed strolling in the sun to
the end of the pier to view the lighthouse or to sit and watch the constant
stream of large- and small-boat traffic.
What to do first? It didn’t take us too long to make
our decisions!
Watch Midwest Guest for future stories about our
visit to Navy Pier’s unique Smith Museum of Stained Glass Windows, an exciting “extreme”
speedboat ride with Seadog Cruises and an elegant late lunch at The Riva.
© Dominique King 2009 All rights reserved
It was a great day spent on the pier, and you got some really nice shots. Ferris wheel shot is very cool.
Posted by: Tim | August 11, 2009 at 12:55 PM
Chicago looks so cool - have always wanted to visit the city of Oprah!
Posted by: Have Baby Will Travel | August 11, 2009 at 08:31 PM
Tim-It was a great day, wasn't it? I did like the way the Ferris wheel shot turned out.
Have Baby-Chicago was pretty amazing. It was the first time we had a chance to spend some time there during the summer, so I really enjoyed the opportunity to get out on the water (I love boat rides, as you'll learn in coming weeks) :lol:
Posted by: Dominique | August 11, 2009 at 09:00 PM
Dominique I've always wanted to visit Chicago and plan to in the next couple of years. I will be sure to visit Pier 1927. Really neat. Thanks for sharing. I really enjoy the blog.
Steve
Posted by: Steve Davis | August 12, 2009 at 06:42 AM
Steve-Thanks! We've found Chicago to be a great place to visit summer or winter. I think you'll love it, especially some of the historical and architectural sites.
I'll be posting more stories about Chicago over the next few months...we managed to pack in a lot of stuff into the few days we had there.
Posted by: Dominique | August 12, 2009 at 08:24 AM
I'm inspired by how much you did in Chicago - a true traveler! The shots of the ferris wheel and the American Flags are so crisp!
Posted by: Lorraine | August 12, 2009 at 07:37 PM
Lorraine-I've got tons more Chicago stories...we really packed a lot in during the several extra days I stayed after the conventions. I figured it was a great chance to see a bit more of Chicago and took full advantage of the opportunity to find lots of story ideas!
The day we were on Navy Pier really was pretty perfect for taking pictures, too.
Posted by: Dominique | August 15, 2009 at 08:33 PM