As you may have realized from previous posts, when we’re talking about water and dogs… I’m in.
So when we walked past a sign while bumming around downtown Chicago that said ‘Canine Cruises’, I ran over to find out more information. Mercury Cruise Lines offers a sightseeing cruise up the Chicago River and out to Lake Michigan that your dog can come on!
Truffles has had positive reactions to most boats (except for one time on the Elizabeth River Ferry when we went across the river for Puppy DeMayo), so we figured it was worth booking the cruise so she could come along.
Mercury Cruise Lines…take my money. And they did. Tickets were $35 per person and $8 per dog. There were four of us since my mom and stepdad (Truffles’ Grammy and Gramps) were visiting. They offer the Canine Cruise on Saturday and Sunday mornings at 10:15 from July to October.
We received clear instructions on how to check-in for the cruise and where to find the boat amongst all the other cruise lines lined up along the river.
We lined up and met all the pups who we’d be spending our 90-minute sightseeing cruise. Each dog had their own pawsonality and it was really fun to spend some time with them and their families. We met Caesar, Stanley, Leila, Cairo, Blue, Riley, Bentley and Roscoe. Truffles enjoys people more than dogs, so she spent most of her time snuggled with her Grammy or relaxing under the chairs in the shade.
Everyone loaded up and got ready to go. For some of the dogs on the cruise this was a new experience. Truffles was one of the older dogs on the cruise at 5 years old. For some pups, like 4-month old Caesar, he needed his Emotional Support Dad to help him onto the boat.
There were bathrooms for both people and pups which was really handy. One was designated for the dogs and was lined with newspaper. Presumably for them to go on rather than catch up on their reading.
The cruise left and headed straight for the locks that open to Lake Michigan. We found out on the cruise that the Chicago River runs in an unnatural direction. This is from the late 1800’s when the river was not only the main waterway but also the main drainage system, including for sewage. It now runs the other way to reach the water treatment plant that services downtown Chicago and surrounding areas.
The lock opening was really fun to watch. The water has to raise and lower a significant amount to get boats between the river and lake. It also provided a great chance to get pictures of the Chicago skyline.
They have drinks available on board. This added to the birthday fun as we were celebrating both mom and my birthdays that weekend.
Once you’re through the lock, the cruise picks up speed in the lake and you get more architectural and historical information about the city. *Full-disclosure… I might have been more focused on the doggos then the cruise and wasn’t being a very good listener.*
We headed back in through the lock and up the Chicago River. There was interesting information about the Sheraton which is the hotel that many celebrities and dignitaries stay at since the top 3 floors were built with bullet-proof glass. Presidents Clinton and Obama have both stayed there and the hotel even has its own helipad.
The Canine Cruise by Mercury Cruise Lines was incredibly fun. While I wasn’t the best listener, Stephen and my parents really enjoyed the information provided by the cruise. We would all highly recommend it, whether you’re looking for fun in the sun with all the dogs or if you want a really fun and informative sightseeing tour. It met all our expectations.
Big shout out to all the pets and owners we met, with special love to those we spent a bit more time connecting with. Thank you for allowing me to give your canines all the love and pets on this fantastic cruise.
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