Cruise Illinois

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9x3Ca1u978&list=PLF969E9D9FA94FCB0

Check out this video and others related Cruise Illinois, A segment from WGN-TV's 2009 Crusin' Illinois series. Join WGN-TV's Julian Crews as he explores Blackhawk and Oregon, Illinois around the Rock River Valley and northwest portion of the state.

May 21, 2013 ride was brutal into the wind, but we did 13+ miles.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/316506583

Sunday May 5th 2013 Ride on the Hennepin Feeder Canal

It was such a beautiful day that we decided to take a ride, we planned to ride down to where the pipeline crosses the canal, which is about 6 1/2  miles from the Guard Lock at the Rock River, I also decided to check the mile marker posts for accuracy, as we progressed they were further and further off. First some background information. My neighbor Ed Kobbeman made these marker points many year ago, when he and his group volunteered taking care of the canal. They mowed, trimmed, pulled trees out of the canal, kept the path clear and more. Ed took small plastic buckets and filled them with concrete and added brass house #'s to show the distance from the Guard Lock. They went out with a distance wheel and walked from the Rock River to Buell Road, marking off the distance and then digging a hole and setting the marker post he had made into the ground. That was about 30 years ago, and they are still there. My hat is off to them, they did a wonderful job with what they had.

Here is Mile Marker 0.0

When I checked I found the markers are off a bit, I have now checked them twice and am satisfied how far they are off, such is the accuracy of GPS, so I plan to move these markers to a more accurate position in time.

 This is what the Canal needs VOLUNTEERS, the state doesn't have the manpower or the money, Ed and his group provided the equipment, fuel, and supplies out of their own pocket. No reimbursement from the state was expected. They all fully retired many years ago, Ed is now 95 and still very active taking care of his own property, mowing his yard, trimming his trees, and splitting wood. But he doesn't do the canal any more. 

So we need to convince the state that a new group of volunteers is ready to help.Along these lines, there was a tree limb hanging in the middle of the path just south of the Interstate 88 Bridges, 

So I decided to trim it back as best I could ,I hung my lopping shears on the handle bars and rode down to it and cut back as high as i could reach and cut the largest portion of the limb as I could with my shears.

I was afraid that someone might run into the stub ends, so I marked them with florescent paint and hung an old T-Shirt I found laying on the path, plus a pile of sticks under the lowest limb.

My little part in volunteering.

Back to today's ride, just south of Buell Road I saw this group of 9 Soft Shell turtles sunning themselves on one log.Only the smaller ones slid off the log when I made a sound, the bigger older ones, with more experience, felt safe I guess, and continued their sunning.

We rode to our turn around point and started back, when we got back to Buell Road, we stopped for a drink of water, while we were there, a couple rode up on Collapsible Bikes, we got to talking and found out that they were from Chicago and were on their way back from Kansas and had flown into the Whiteside Co. Airport and they said they had seen the canal from the air and as they like to do, stopped and rode over to the canal path to ride, they carry the collapsible bikes with them for just such occasions, I gave them a map of the canal and a little background about the path Sonia and Don, I hope you enjoyed your ride, and will come back again to ride some more. And me who always carries a camera, didn't take their picture, Duhh, so here is their picture off Sonia's card.

It was a beautiful day for a ride!

Here is the Garmin report from today  http://connect.garmin.com/activity/308321746

Tunnel Hill Southern Illinois

April 5, 2013 Tunnel Hill

On our way home after we left Paducah, KY on Friday, we drove to Vienna, IL and got off the Interstate and dove up to the Tunnel Hill Road Trailhead and got on the trail. I had read about this trail before and decided to take advantage of the chance to ride a portion of the trail..

 About 100 yards from the Trailhead is the name sake tunnel, this tunnel used to be 800 feet long, but in 1929 a collapse shortened it by 300 feet. The path is crushed limestone and pretty smooth. I would recommend lights on your bikes, you can see the other end of the tunnel, but you must focus on the opening at the other end to ride through and hope for no obstructions.

There are 23 trestle bridges on the trail, this is the first we we came to, the Breeden Trestle, this one is 450 feet long.

The next trestle was not far ahead

This is the wash to the west of the trestle, that during heavy rains joins with the main stream.

Looking south through the trestle

The next bridge is an old I-Beam rail road bridge.

View from the other side

One of the many rock cuts along this portion of the path, in most sections there is a running creek along side the path about 100 feet down.

Here we are coming back to the namesake tunnel.

Surf Side Beach South Carolina

April 3, 2013 Huntington Beach Park,South Carolina

I had a photo shoot in Lorus, SC and once that was done we were staying in Surf Side Beach, SC and so we drove to Huntington Beach Park, just down the road. Most of our riding was actually outside the park on a city supported path from Murrells Inlet to Litchfield Beach. Enjoyable ride. We then rode up the path to Atalaya home of Sculptor Anna Hyatt Huntington, which was buillt in 1931.

Along US Hwy 17 is Murrells Inlet

The curvy paved path

The concrete path leading up to Atalaya in Huntington Beach Park,

we saw an alligator along here in the water just 20 feet from the path.

Atalaya information, double click to enlarge.

Atalaya, looks like a prison, but on close inspection is rather interesting

Judy on the beach dune

The ocean at the park 

Judy riding on the beach, it was unbelievably smooth and easy to ride on.

Judy  shot me riding on the beach, we wish we would have had more time to ride the beach.

Riding the Silver Comet Trail, Spring of 2013

Riding the Silver Comet Trail, Spring of 2013

We were back in the Atlanta area, Hiram, GA from March 29th through April 2nd and rode the trail again. It was a bit warmer, this time of year, than when we rode last fall, we were only able to ride one day, as I had to go to Cartersville, GA and  Lorus,South Carolina for a photo shoot.

The path turns down towards Thompson Creek

Thompson Creek as it flows along side of the trail

The bridge where Thompson and Euharlee creek come together at trail mile marker 36 and the town of Rockmart, GA.

 The infamous hill leading up to US Hwy 278 and GA SR 6,  

we turned around here to ride back to Coot"s Lake. 

You will have to ask Judy about this hill.

Wooden board walk over the marsh just west of Rockmart, GA

On the edge of Rockmart, GA

Old Feed Mill in Rockmart on the edge of the path, the rail road 

probably served this mill many years ago.

Close up of rock cut along the path, this was probably all done by dynamite, picks and shovels and mules.

Riding the Silver Comet Trail day 4

Our fourth day riding the Silver Comet Trail

Remember, you can double click on any picture to see it in a larger size.

Our start point on this days ride

Headed east from Coot's Lake.

Brushy Mountain Tunnel, about 2 miles east of Coots Lake, this is a 700 foot long, lighted tunnel under Brushy Mountain, was built in 1912, it is easy to imagine trains going through this tunnel as you ride through.

Looking east from the tunnel.

Warning to stay on trail and off of private property along the path, along with noting the mileage from the start of the trail.

The path going through one of many Rock Cuts along the way.

Close-up of the rocks in the cut

Close-up of the rocks in the cut

Taking a break at the Brushy Mountain tunnel on the way back to Coots Lake  it was a little cool on this day.

About a mile to go back to Coots Lake.