Chicago you are definitely a butt burner. Wove my way from Zion, IL through Chicago and drifted into Indiana in such a stealth fashion I didn’t even know I crossed the state line.
A couple highlights on the day…
- Got into the Windy City on some fabulous bike paths. A majority were well paved and well marked and the others weren”t. But a met a lot of helpful young moms pushing baby strollers. Impressive that they knew how to give directions – both by street names and landmarks. ”Take a left on Sheridan and you’ll see a Starbucks and Jewel Osco…”
- There is a phenomenal path that runs parallel to the passenger rail line. The train stops are well marked with cute depots surrounded by lovely architecture including church steeples, trendy shops and, most encouraging, bike racks packed with the 2-wheelers of commuters who hopped the train to head to work.
- Spent most of the day on the popular Lakeshore Trail. It’s a good 20+ miles of direct south with a beautiful view of Lake Michigan and popular attractions like Navy Pier, the Shed Aquarium, and local artwork.
- Oh poop. Found a bubbler to fill my water bottle and I must say it is chalk full of chemicals that have really cleaned me out. It was also warm… like hose water. But if I had my druthers I prefer the latter.
- Stopped to help Sue who was standing on the trail examining her bike like a rookie mechanic. ”It’s making an odd noise,” she said. ”Could it be that bungee cord strap on the back bike rack rubbing against the tire?” said I. And it was. Sue and I pedaled and chatted. She worked from home 30 hours a week and found it challenging to find the time to bike. But she did know her local trails. ”If you take this south it will bring you around Wolf Lake,” she said. ”Will this take me into Indiana?” I asked. ”You’re already standing in it,” she said. ”We”re on State Line Road and this side of the road is Indiana.”
- Without a lot of fan fair or picture taking… I made it to Indiana.
- Mark me down for a 75 mile day from Zion, IL to Hammond, IN. Such a long sweaty day in the saddle I had to double up on my biker shorts for extra padding.
If the way that somebody lives pleases the Lord, the Lord will lead him into good things. Psalm 37:23 Easy English Bible
The 2022 Amazing Ride for Alzheimer’s is raising money this year for music programming for seniors at Cedar Community, a 501c3, so all donations are tax-deductible. Donate via the secure website through Cedar Community. Donations should be marked “Amazing Ride 2022.” Click HERE to make a secure online donation. Checks may be made payable to “Cedar Community” with “Judy Bike Ride” in the memo line and mailed to 113 Cedar Ridge Dr., West Bend, WI 53095 Be sure to include the Federal Tax ID Number for the Foundation: 39-1249432 You may also find a downloadable donation form HERE. Cedar Community is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization, and donations are tax-deductible.