I had applied and hoped to get to be one of the first people in over 100 years to say I got to swim in the Chicago river. After I applied for the 2 mile river race I got offered a chance to take a tour of the river and the swimming route. I jumped at the chance and brought Lizzie Bella to see the city sights!
It was a beautiful chilly day for a boat ride and both of us were really excited. Our guide told us over 1150 people have applied to swim from 39 states and 12 different countries! Only 500 swimmers would be accepted and it would be determined on how much organized open water swimming experience you have. I don’t really have any. I probably have a 1 percent chance at making it this year.
But this year I signed up for a bunch of open water events and I’m hoping to be able to swim it next year!
“Can you just imagined swimming in the river and then turning on your back and looking up at the skyscrapers?” I reflected to Lizzie.
“That would be amazing!” she agreed, “Or swimming and hearing an L train rattling right above you!”
The race was originally going to start at China town, the only other opening in the river for swimmers. And that’s why having open water swimming experience is so important.
This river is not swimmer friendly. There are only two places where you can access the river easily, otherwise, once you’re in the water, it’s solid break wall.
The swimmers who race will get to dive off a boat and swim in the center of the city along the newly built riverwalk. Lizzie and could just imagine the riverwalk lined with thousands of people cheering the swimmers on.
Our guides told us each swimmer would get a coupon from some of the fancy restaurants lining the shore. They would get chipped and the buoys would track them. Their friends and family could download an app, eat at the restaurant and track their swimmer to cheer them on when they passed by!
“Go swimmers!!”
The finish line was right at Clark street where bleachers were built for river races just like this one! Did you know the first Chicago river race started in 1908?
Lizzie could imagine the now empty bleacher area packed with people and music bands and swimmers who had just finished. “You have to do it next year!” Lizzie cried.
After the tour we stayed downtown and looked at all the tulips!
Most of these tulips are a hybrid because normal tulips wouldn’t be able to withstand the strong lake winds.
And some of them even change color! They come up yellow and change into a tangerine-orange color.
Happy spring!
-Heather
dollightful dolls 
