Friday was a day off for me and I took one of the coolest trips ever - canoeing the Chicago River. Chicago River Canoe and Kayak rent canoes for $10/hr on weekday and $18/hr on weekends. We saw turtles, lots of wildflowers, herons, and a shipwreck (no joke!). If you want a little adventure without having to travel far, check out the park behind the Jewel at Western and Roscoe. If you want to try paddling other places, check out the massive http://www.chicagopaddling.org/ site, which has history, locations, pictures, and just about everything related to waterways in Chicago.