We took the small car ferry over to Washington Island at the top end of the peninsula beyond Green Bay. 25 square miles of woodland, farming, vineyards, cabins. A harbor to the farther Rock Island, itself a nature reserve.
A farm museum
Interesting real variety of farm buildings, tools and cabin of the day. Bleating goats gave noise to the location.
Leafy Roads
No need to go fast. Perfectly paced for the go-slow feel of the place. Relax.
My commute home took me along Wacker Drive that follows the Chicago River through the towering architecture of downtown Chicago. Setting sun light warms the upper floors of the Tribune Tower behind me.
– with rising May temperatures a loop around north east Illinois was on the cards. A stop by Fox River for a well earned coffee; being the first time since the start of the pandemic on our weekend rides. Taking back roads along the Illinois Wisconsin state line we rode to the Lake and back down Sheridan Road with a quick stop at the Durand Art Institute in Lake Forest.
– one of the landmarks on any ride north out of Chicago takes you past this house of worship. Sat like a luminous jewel on the lakefront in Wilmette, the nine sided dome represents a closed lotus flower. Nine, being the last number in the decimal system, which Baha’í’s believe to mean completion and thus perfection. It looks stunning under a clear blue winter sky.
– halfway along Fairfield Road a little north of Volo sits this ragged red clapped barn. I’ve passed by it numerous times so decided to stop today and memorialize its presence on the Lake County outings.
– Brief stopover at this northern Illinois town yesterday for a coffee and seat outside the old bank building watching the world go by. The late 19thC Main Street architecture is still part of the towns character.
– late summer weather is spot-on today. So a new loop added to the local repertoire. Out along Ogden Ave to Oswego then north along art 25 which follows the Fox River through the historic towns of Aurora, Batavia, Geneva, St Charles, Elgin and Algonquin. Finally turning for home back down the leafy swoops of Gilmer Road from McHenry. This building is a hint of the various levels of decrepit industry that supported the River corridor in the past.
– standing proudly on the east bank of the Fox River near Geneva IL a mid Nineteenth Century Dutch mill offers an historic backdrop to my early morning ride along the Tri-City region between Elgin and Aurora. The all wood structure is fully functional driven from its fabric covered sails. This pre-industrial age technology was a stark contrast to the particle accelerator at nearby Fermilab with its circular Tevatron which runs its circular path around a prairie grassland.
Near my garage where the bikes are kept is this old garage and loft. The old doors, siding and shingle are great time worn vintage features that are only seen along this Evanstonian alley.