In Chicago, the Chicago River winds through downtown with the city’s skyscrapers close at hand. Add to this Chicago’s pride in its architecture and you have the makings of a great way to see the Windy City — by boat. The Chicago Architecture Foundation offers excellent, 90-minute boat tours led by volunteer docents who trace the architectural history of a city that rebuilt itself after the great fire of 1871. Highlights include the Willis Tower, formerly known as the Sears Tower and formerly the tallest building in the world, and the Trump International Hotel and Tower, the world’s tallest structurally all-concrete building. Starkly minimalist examples of Modernism contrast with the undulating Aqua at Lakeshore East, with its wave-like balconies. Tours can sell out, so buy tickets in advance. $38 (not including fees and taxes),
www.architecture.org/tours

IRENE SEGE