From the very first day Jax and I started our trip down the Little Calumet River, we were blown away by the beauty yet coldness of the industrial sites that occupied the river shores. All throughout our journey South, from Chicago to Mobile, factories reminded us that we were on a ride down North America’s backbone. Nature played a minimal role, as huge dredging machines maintained the 9ft controlled depth, as if it were assumed that no wildlife lived there. Young, mostly undernourished, trees covered the shore of the rivers and we did not see many fish, deer or alligators feasting in the mucky water. Yet, fisherman were plentiful, resting on their boats – I wondered if they knew not to be fooled by the trees nearby, for we were all in an industrial water slide.
