Above freezing temps in January, or December or February for that matter, mean a good day here in northern Illinois for a walk. That kind of thinking inspired us to go downtown on the Saturday after Christmas, an overcast but dry day without any bitter winter temps or in-your-face wind.

It wasn’t exactly warm, just not really cold. That happy condition inspired some people to do a bit more than walk. Spotted in the Chicago River.

A hot tub boat. I couldn’t remember whether I’d ever seen such a thing. Human ingenuity takes some odd turns. While I might not ever tool around in one myself, somehow I find it oddly reassuring that such a thing exists.

Looking the other way: one of the excellent bridges of the Chicago area. Or any urban area. The Michigan Avenue Bridge, which has formally been the Du Sable Bridge since 2010, named for the early settler and trade post operator in the vicinity.

We crossed bridge twice that day. Once on the upper level, which is always fairly busy, both with cars and trucks, and the flapping of flags, but also people on the wide pedestrian paths on either side. Later we crossed on the lower level. No one else was there.

Just another small example of how close off the beaten path can be. There’s nothing hard about reaching the lower level of Michigan Ave., and in fact there are a number of ways to get there.

The lower level walkway isn’t pretty, but there is urban texture.

It is also a good walk across an impressive steel bridge with a view, and that’s enough.