A Sunset Paddle on the Chicago Riverwalk with Urban Kayaks

The first time I saw kayakers in the Chicago River, I wasn’t sure how I felt about the possibility of doing it myself. On one hand - duh! I could image the sites being very cool. But on the other hand I thought about the commercial traffic and wondered if it was safe.

I was in town this week for work and found myself staying on the river, which is unusual for me. But it was the closest in-policy hotel in proximity to where my meeting was taking place. Just a 10 minute walk from my hotel was Urban Kayaks, with a sunset paddle happening the night of my arrival. I decided to go for it! I raced on foot from the train station, not even stopping at my hotel to check in since I’d read there were lockers.

A short paddle training and we were out on the water. If you’ve questioned whether or not you should do this, I say go for it! It was so much fun, I learned a lot about Chicago that I didn’t know before, and the views were unmatched.