The day starts with breakfast at Hexe Coffee, on the bustling six-way intersection at Clybourn, Damen, and Diversey, just a block from the river. This is one of the newer entrants to Chicago’s independent third-wave coffee scene, and they’ve got a serious coffee roasting operation to back it up.
It’s the type of place that ages its coffee beans in whisky, wine, and gin barrels to experiment with new flavors and aromas. Craft beer brewers have been doing this for a while, but Hexe is part of this new trend to adopt these techniques for coffee.
While the coffee bar is at a busy and heavy-trafficked intersection, their patio is on a raised pavilion above street level, and it’s sectioned off by a wall of green space for a feeling of privacy. There’s plenty of room to spread out, which makes it easy to plop down anywhere with kids.
This is a good place to keep in your back pocket when you need a date-night idea without the kids. In the evening, the string lights hanging over the patio are turned on, and the mood shifts as cocktails, wine, and beer appear on the menu.
The rest of this guide has us doing a good bit of walking and paddling, so a hearty breakfast is what this trip calls for.
They’ve got a whole host of pastry options, but this egg, cheese, and sausage biscuit is where it’s at. The biscuit is what makes or breaks any good biscuit sandwich. This one was dense, flaky, and most importantly, kept its integrity with every bite.
If you’ve got some time and everyone is up to do a bit of exploring, then you’ll notice that behind Hexe Coffee is a 34-acre depression-era public housing complex that sits along the river. It was neglected for years, and buildings were left vacant, but finally, in 2017, they broke ground on a massive mixed-income redevelopment effort.
The site’s redevelopment plan was to make the river accessible to the community. In late 2019, the project unveiled a 1/2 mile riverfront walking path designed by the same group behind the 606 Trail and Maggie Daley Park.
This is the trail’s south end, right below the Diversey St. Bridge. Start here and head north.
On a beautiful summer day, you’ll see groups of kayakers from the trail—a little foreshadowing for our next stop.
The trail ends at a small, secluded observation area with a bench overlooking the water. If you take your time, the trail only takes 15 minutes to walk, but keep your eye open in the future as there are ambitious plans to connect this to downtown eventually.
This is the main event of the guide, where you’ll finally get on the water. About a mile up the river is the Rockwell on the River Venue. It’s a riverfront complex with offices, a marina, and it’s home to the Metropolitan Beer Brewery and a few other venues.
Much of this block is still under construction, so you might be confused when Google Maps tells you that you’ve arrived. Don’t worry; you’re in the right place. Follow the signs through these passageways until you reach the front entrance that will take you to the marina. 
Below is a shot of the complex from the other side of the river. Two providers are operating out of the marina.
The first is WaterRiders which rents kayaks and canoes. They are set up right at the edge of the water. Here are some helpful notes to get you started.
– All rentals need to be booked in advance: details here.
– It’s $40/person for two hours on the water
– Anyone under 16 must be in a double kayak with an adult
– They allow small children to be seated in the middle of two adults in a double kayak at no extra cost
The second is the Chicago Electric Boat Company which rents electric boats.
– Rentals start at $150 per hour, and the smallest boat fits four people: details here
– You drive them yourselves
– Food and drinks are allowed on the boats.
After you finish up your trip out on the water, you’ll be back at the marina just a few steps from Metropolitan Brewing’s patio that overlooks the river. After a long trip on the water, you can end the day at this family and pet-friendly brewery. Here are some final notes about this spot.
– Board games are available for free
– If more food is in the cards, they have tacos here, Soul and Smoke BBQ is next door, and you can bring food in or order in from anywhere else nearby.
