Circumnavigators Club 2026 International Annual Meeting

Get ready to join fellow globe-trotters for an unforgettable in-person gathering. Share stories, swap travel tips, and connect with members who have a passion for exploring every corner of the world. This is your chance to celebrate adventure, make new friends, and be inspired by amazing journeys. Don't miss out on the fun and camaraderie at the Circumnavigators Club 2026 Annual Meeting!

Info: Chicago’s River and Lake are so important to the City that they’re both represented on the Chicago flag. We will have the unique opportunity to learn more about both through a tour of the Jardine Water Purification Plant, located near Navy Pier. The Plant is where the City of Chicago draws raw water from two water cribs far offshore in Lake Michigan and ultimately supplies two thirds of the water Chicago provides to consumers in the northern, downtown, and western parts of the city and to many northern and western surrounding suburbs.
Photos and videos are not permitted.
Meet at the Chicago Cultural Center entrance at 78 E. Washington Street no later than 12:30 p.m. Chicago Chapter President and International Committee member Jim Franch will coordinate the tour and transportation.
You must be prompt; late comers cannot be accommodated.
The Jardine facility is not accessible; this tour will require vigorous walking and climbing stairs.

Info: Welcome to Chicago! Please join us for a special welcome event featuring Chicago originals from Al’s Italian Beef to Tootsie Rolls and to meet other Club members from around the world. Dress code: Come as you are. Heavy hors d’oeuvres and desserts will be served and an icebreaker activity will help you get to know fellow attendees. Chicago Annual Meeting Committee Member Jan Aaron and her husband Rich Aaron will be our hosts for this welcome event. The residence is reached by elevator.

Info: Each registered attendee is welcome to select ONE Saturday concurrent tour featuring Chicago’s architecture. Each tour's capacity is strictly limited and pre-registration is required. You will be able to select one tour during the registration process. Option 1: Chicago Architecture Foundation Tour of the Chicago Cultural Center. Option 2: Tour of Chicago’s Loop via Elevated Train. Option 3: Chicago Guided Photo Walk. Option 4: Tour of the Chicago History Museum. Option 5: Tour of the Art Institute of Chicago

Info: Our annual meeting, luncheon, and keynote address will be held at the Cliff Dwellers Club. The Club’s predecessor Attic Club was founded in 1907 by Chicago author Hamlin Garland (appropriately enough, known for books such as Main-Travelled Roads and Son of the Middle Border).
At 11:30 a.m., we will have a cash bar and time to mingle and share all that you’ve learned and experienced earlier in the day. The annual meeting will begin at noon, presided over by International Club President and Chicagoland resident Dan Peterson. After a short break from 1-1:15 p.m., lunch will be served at 1:15 p.m. followed by a keynote address from a speaker to be announced.
The Cliff Dwellers Club is reached via elevator.

Info: This evening you are welcome to take advantage of recommended activities in Chicago or explore on your own.

For those who prefer a structured option, you are welcome to join an informal, self-host outing to Chicago’s Chinatown. Those who are interested will meet Annual Meeting Committee Members Amy Gardner and Keith Sbiral at the Chicago Water Taxi Michigan Avenue Stop along the riverwalk below the Wrigley Building. To travel to Chinatown with the group on the water taxi, we recommend arriving to the Michigan Avenue Stop by 4:30. The taxi departs promptly at 5, can fill up, and we are not able to hold it for late comers. Please be prepared to purchase your water taxi pass and/or other transportation costs, to cover the cost of the restaurant you select, and any mementos or bubble teas you purchase for the ride back.
The Chicago Water Taxi is accessible, though some restaurants in Chinatown are not.

Info: No Chicago visit is complete without an Architecture Foundation River Cruise. Learn about the architects who created our city's magnificent buildings—and the stories behind them. As you cruise on the river, you'll also hear how Chicago grew from a small settlement into one of the world's largest cities.
River cruises sell out well in advance; purchase your ticket for the 10:00 a.m. cruise directly through the Architecture Foundation website; ticket is not included in your annual meeting registration. https://www.architecture.org/city-tours/river-cruise
Cruises depart from the northeast corner of Michigan Ave. and E. Wacker Dr (112 E. Wacker Drive). Look for the black awning marking the stairway entrance and arrive 30 minutes prior to the cruise departure time. Annual Meeting Committee Member Jacqui Winship will be at the bottom of the stairs to greet you. Accessibility details are at https://www.architecture.org/city-tours/river-cruise

Info: Join us for a farewell lunch at one of Chicago’s best vantage points. While Navy Pier didn’t originally open (as “Municipal Pier”) until 1916, the Pier has served as a shipping, recreation, and passenger facility; a WWI Pr*son; a WWII naval training base for 60,000+ personnel; and a University of Illinois campus (1946–1965). Landmarked in 1977 and renovated into a major tourist attraction in 1995, Navy Pier is now home to fine dining restaurants, including our host venue for our farewell lunch.
Navy Pier is an accessible venue.

Info: After the farewell lunch on Navy Pier, you’re invited to a casual open house at the home of Club member Carol Sommers. She and her husband Nick purchased the 1878 Queen Anne-style home in 1977. It was originally built for C. Hermann Plautz, founder of the Chicago Drug and Chemical Company. Today, the home has been beautifully restored and retains the flagpole and 1912 cannon from its days as an American Legion Post. Join your fellow Circumnavigators for a beverage in the home’s speakeasy on your way to O’Hare. The home is located in Chicago's Wicker Park neighborhood just one block from the Damen Avenue stop on the CTA Blue Line (which goes directly to O’Hare) or you can share Ubers/Lyfts from Navy Pier. As a historic mansion, the home is not completely accessible. (The exact address will be distributed at the farewell lunch; see general transit and location information below.)

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