Things to do / Travel Guide
Chicago and southern Wisconsin take advantage of their variety of rivers and lakes, and of course Lake Michigan. These are excellent places to have a good time, connect with nature, or have a family outing. Visitors to the area, and locals alike, generally charter tours on tour boats, complete with ship captain, but the more adventurous take advantage of guiding their own vessel on open waters.
Chicago
Yachts are definitely the “in-thing” in Chicago. Hopping on board a chartered yacht in Chicago is a world-class experience, for the lakeside and riverside tours of Lake Michigan, the Chicago skyline, and downtown Chicago. Yachts can be chartered all along the marinas and beaches on Lake Michigan. Most offer food at an extra charge and charters generally last between one and two hours.
Sailing is also becoming popular in Chicago; along with the thrill of sailing in the Windy City you get a great view of the Chicago skyline from beyond the beauty of Grant Park. Check out Belmont Harbor for various vendors from which to rent sail boats.
For paddle boating, look no further than the Lincoln Park Zoo lagoon. Take a gander at the beautiful foliage surrounding the lagoons and the occasional wildlife. Rentals are available on the south end of the lagoon.
Southern Wisconsin
Southern Wisconsin is where the fun really begins. Lake Geneva offers many options for water lovers. Take historic tours or meal tours along Lake Geneva on pontoons or sail boats, or rent your own pontoon boat for a self-guided tour of the grand estates on the lake. High-quality chartered yacht cruises can be found throughout the lake area.
In Milwaukee, the famed Riverwalk is where all boating on the Milwaukee River is based. Tours of downtown Milwaukee are offered on the Brew City Queen or the Milwaukee Maiden. The most popular cruise of these two is that on the Milwaukee River, on which you can sample beers from some of Milwaukee's finest microbreweries. You can choose from a sunset cruise or later cruises, Wednesday through Saturday nights from May to August. There's also the option of renting a pontoon or paddle boat for any amount of time along the river.
In Madison, the Madison Boat Hut, located in Governor Nelson State Park on Lake Mendota, offers pontoon boats for paddling around the lake. Geese can often be seen migrating from the south during the spring time while the trees are in bloom.
For “doin' the Dells” on the Wisconsin River at Wisconsin Dells, renting pleasure boats is easy, with various vendors available in the area. The sandstone rock formations from the Cambrian period have been attracting tourists for over 100 years. They have everything from pontoons to paddle boats, and there are several boat launch sites. There are even “ducks,” World War II-era amphibious vehicles now used for tours.
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