Channahon State Park - Starved Rock State Park bike loop

Monday August 3: Channahon State Park to Starved Rock State Park. 53.64 miles

The route: 

The bike loaded up and ready to go...

Starting off point:

First rest stop was at Aux Sable Aqueduct, Lock and Locktender's House

This is the aqueduct (bridge carrying water over another river)

View of the aqueduct from the side

Looking down Aux Sable Creek, which runs under the aqueduct pictured above. 

The lock. A few guys were fishing here.  

Dresden mule barn.  When the I&M Canal was in use, mules would walk the path I rode while towing boats down the canal.  This barn is a mule barn from circa 1850.  The mules would rest here and be swapped out with fresh ones. 

The front of the mule barn (had to cross the canal and backtrack). 

The mule barn is now part of this family farm. 

The farm has some cool playhouses. 

Along the Canal nearing Morris some houses had stairs and piers down to the canal.  I doubt they get in the water??

If you look closely under this deck I see a hockey net.  Does the canal freeze in winter? 

Messages at an underpass.  (No idea what any of this means). 

Typical view of the I&M Canal trail. 

Seneca, IL is along the trail and home to the oldest surviving grain elevator, the M.J. Hogan Grain Elevator. 

Entering Marseilles, IL with a dated trail sign. You can see the canal is dry in the background. 

This sign was interesting.  You can see the I&M trail that the man in yellow is on.  Do semi trucks really follow their GPS and go down that?!?!

Ottawa, IL has several historical sites.  This is the "toll house" where boat captains on the canal stopped to pay a toll and rest. 

There is a replica boat outside the toll house. 

Ottawa, IL is also home to the Reddick Mansion.  It was built in the 1850s by William Reddick: sheriff, state senator and founder of local glass industry. 

During the 1858 U.S. Senate race, Abraham Lincoln debated Stephen A. Douglas in Ottawa, IL. Pawnee style (Parks and Rec)  mural to commemorate that debate. 

In Ottawa, I crossed to the south side of the Illinois River.  There was a cool park with some metal sculptures.  View from the bridge over the Illinois River.

Getting close to the campground...

Mileage for the day.

Grilled cheese dinner.

Camp set up. 

Tuesday August 4:  Starved Rock State Park to Channahon State Park. 54.49 miles

The route: 

Monday afternoon I was too tired to explore the park, so I did so Tuesday morning.  

I was early to the park (7:30am).  I didn't take too many pictures due to the sun/glare.  But below is my best attempt to capture the "Starved Rock." It just out on the right (there is more too it I just couldn't get there with my bike).

Here is a Google/stock photo of it.

Did you know there are Buffalo in Illinois??? They are at Buffalo Rock State Park. 

This park is somewhat sad in my opinion. 3 buffalo (mom, dad, baby?) are penned in by two rickety chain link fences.  Not quite Yellowstone...

Sign on the bathroom door at Buffalo Rock State Park.  Seems like a very specific and odd problem. 

Coming back through Ottawa, IL.  The canal is dry here.  I noticed some signs in town for a fundraiser to "fill the canal?"  They are doing some work on the dry canal. 

Stairway to heaven?  Stairway to nowhere? 

Cool building along the canal in Marseilles, IL. 

Gatorade stop at Casey's in Seneca, IL. 

Seneca, IL is home of the Fighting Irish (not my Fighting Irish). 

Got stuck by a freight train.  There were many tracks crossing the trail with no lights, warnings or gates.  This train surprised me. 

Old theater, new church in Morris, IL. 

Canal east of Morris, IL looking a bit stagnant. 

Mileage for the day. 

Back where I started, 30 hours and 110 miles later. 

Corona Shelves

I found a nice log on the grounds of Rustic Falls Nature Camp a few years ago.  I finally got around to making some shelves/ mantel pieces with them.  Bill and I did this while social distancing during the coronavirus. Thanks to Bill for letting me use his “shop.”

Here are the logs from beginning to end.

Piece of wood we started with:

Practice cut:

Rigged up to run through the saw:

Two shelves:

Illinois State Beach Bike Ride

October 26 - 27: Group bike ride to Illinois State Beach Park and back organized by Out Our Front Door.  

Saturday, October 26 Buckingham Fountain to Illinois State, 54 miles

Out Our Front Door organized this ride to begin at Buckingham Fountain, overnight at Illinois State Beach in Zion, IL and return the next day to the northwest side of the city.  We did the first day ride and detoured off the second day (routing to our house in Buffalo Grove).  

Below is an overview of the two day map.  On day 1 we rode along the lake from the green marker up to the state park, near the Wisconsin state line.  

Here is our starting point, Buckingham Fountain.  Julie is in the right side of the pic. 

Looking at the city before we take off...

First rest stop was at an old lighthouse in Evanston, IL.  

The group milling around the lighthouse.  

The second rest stop was at an old water tower in Ft. Sheridan, IL.  Here we are beneath the water tower.  

The end destination was the campground at Illinois State Beach park...

But due to the rain, our end destination was the hotel at Illinois State Beach park.

Day 1 mileage: 53 miles. 

Day 2 took us from Illinois State Beach, north into Wisconsin, west along the state line and south down the Des Plaines River trail.  We split from the group in Libertyville, IL.  Below is a map of our route (it shows part of day 1 ride too). 

Sunrise over Lake Michigan. 

Our group ready to leave the state park Sunday morning.  

Riding up the shore of Lake Michigan through the north section of Illinois State Beach park.  

Sunday's riding group...picture of people taking pictures of each other.  

Close to Wisconsin we cut through a huge marina.  Here is a picture of the Sea Dog.  Notice Julie in the picture for a size comparison.  

Going west through Wisconsin we crossed the "subcontinental divide" (which I didn't even know existed).  

Day 2 rest stop in Independence Grove: 

Much of the Des Plaines River trail was flooded south of Libertyville.  This ultimately lead to a detour to Milwaukee Ave.  The trails have nice signs to let you know if the trail is open or not...unfortunately they are not up to date.  (Notice trail directly behind the sign). 

Day 2 mileage: 54 miles

THE END!