“Cruisin’ on Lake Michigan”

**** It has been many years since Jane and I have been on a Lake Michigan cruise. For many years, there were cruises after plays at Chicago Shakes where we would celebrate the openings. That came to a halt just prior to Covid, when everything halted. Theater is back now and so are the boats at Navy Pier. In fact, I was amazed at how busy Navy Pier was on a Saturday in October. Of course, there was a Halloween function going on and today was a beautiful fall day with no precipitation.

Jane and I met Cary and Frank on the boat as Frank was running a little late ( what else is new?). The boats are part of  City Experiences  (http://cityexperiences.com  ).

We entered the parking garage at the East entrance, parked, and went out to our boat for an 11:30 boarding- 12:30 ship out/lunch. The staff is very polite and quite knowledgeable about the experience. Our tickets were for lunch and the buffet was amazing with enough choices for every taste.

Salads: Ceasar, roasted veggies and a sun-dried tomato pasta

there were also many types of rolls and butter.

The main courses were Bierria style chicken, a baked Orecchiette pasta ( very tasty), oven-roasted salmon ( delicious), and Caribbean Jerk braised pork ( with plantains and black beans that made this dish special).

the compliments were brussel Sprouts ( making Jane happy), Roasted Tri-Color potatoes ( making my day) and roasted veggies that had some great tang.

For dessert, they have an assortment of fresh fruit and cakes/edibles that made Frank smile. Since we were a week away from my birthday, they brought me a piece of cheesecake ( which I shared) that was absolutely delicious.

This wonderful meal is included in the experience which is close to three hours in duration. The bar ( ala carte) is open for the entire voyage. There was some entertainment and a whole lot of celebrations. We even watched a proposal take place on the dance floor—

SHE SAID YES!!!

Our server, Sunny made sure that we were taken care of once we all got settled in.

The Spirit of Chicago is a fun experience no matter where you are from or what age you are. The dance floor was filled with people from 3 years of age to mid 70’s for sure.

I know they have dinner cruises as well and from what I understand they have a few that are more “party-time”- drinks and snacks. Sounds like that one might be next on our agenda.

FYI- Parking is expensive and the cruise people do not offer a discount code. I suggest coming a bit early, visiting one of the cocktail lounges and get them to validate your parking to get a savings. It may balance out but you will have had that extra experience to add to your memories of your day “cruisin’on Lake Michigan”!

They are adding new items that are seasonal, so every experience might be unique. Look them over at www.CityCruises.com

For more info on all of the experiences, visit www.cityexperiences.com.