Chicago’s notoriously energetic former mayor isn’t kicking back and relaxing after relinquishing his City Hall office to his successor, Mayor Lori Lightfoot.
Instead, Rahm Emanuel donned neon spandex to complete a more than 900-mile bike ride all the way around Lake Michigan, a trip he called a “long held dream,” in a post on his Facebook page Tuesday.
The former mayor shared 40 iPhone photos of the trip, which included images of sunsets, lighthouses, “weathered barns” and many friendly faces he encountered along the way. He wrote that his brother, Zeke, teased him about the photos, dubbing him “Rahmsel Adams” in a nod to the famous landscape photographer.
“The Lake of course is a true natural wonder, humbling in its beauty and mesmerizing in its attraction, from every side,” wrote Emanuel.
“But the true character of the Lake is reflected in the people around it. Everywhere I went, people were quick with a hello, easy with a smile, and generous with their help. It is a Great Lake surrounded by great people in a great country.”
Emanuel was spotted on the bike tour dining at the Red Cup Cafe in Chesterton, Indiana, eating his favorite pecan pie with his wife, who followed him by car, the Chesterton Tribune reported.
When the cafe owner complimented him on his retirement, Emanuel apparently joked that his newfound free time was “more like a divorce from my constituents.”
Emanuel has always been a fitness fanatic. On his last day as mayor, he swam a mile and lifted weights for 45 minutes. In March, he underwent knee surgery to fix a torn meniscus suffered while working out.
