Doug Goddard, Chicago’s Finest
It’s wonderful to be here in the great state of Chicago.
Dan Quayle
There are many ways to take in an afternoon in Chicago. Cruising along Michigan Avenue’s Miracle Mile armed with a black American Express card; savoring the burgers, beer and broads at Kuma’s Corner; or watching the Cubs lose in style from the top row of a rooftop bleacher located across the street from venerable Wrigley Field. But for my money, the best way to enjoy the best Chicago has to offer is from the back of a boat captained by the inimitable Doug Goddard.
How I scored a seat on the SS Goddard is a story onto itself. I woke up Friday morning in Pittsburgh, PA, having arrived earlier in the week to help youngest son Keith move into his off-campus digs. The task complete, I was preparing to treat The Skinny Kid and one of his roommates, The Portland Tycoon, to a weekend road trip to Chicago, which included a flyby of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland (which was a total, unadulterated BLAST!!!). Out of the blue my phone rings and it’s Robo, calling from California to offer me the best seats in the house to view Chicago’s Air and Water Show. Not only that, but my self-proclaimed Carnegie Mellon nerds would get the pleasure to meet Robo’s daughter Jamie and another one of her U. of Michigan girlfriends, both of whom spent the summer interning in Chi-town. How on Harry Carey’s bar stool could I possibly say no?
We met Captain Doug on his boat in Diversey Harbor. In no time he navigated his crew, along with a jet ski gassed up and ready to ride to Wisconsin, to a quiet spot on Lake Michigan, where we relished the warm sun, the no-so-warm water, and what could only be described as the best-damn-barbeque feast this side of the Texas panhandle. The pleasant ambiance was almost enough to make us ignore the roar of the acrobatic Navy F-18’s, playfully buzzing the thousands of poor souls who had to settle for a piece of sand on one of Chicago’s crowded beaches. Then again, the vodka-spiked Gatorade brought on board by Captain Doug’s fun-loving daughter didn’t hurt, either. As I sat in the bow of the boat nursing a Bud, contemplating the powerful Chicago skyline while being entertained by the Blue Angels, one thought rushed into my head.
I wonder what Captain Doug does for fun in February?