Off the beaten path in Illinois...following the Illinois River

On Jim's day off, Wednesday, we headed east for Starved Rock State Park. It's a huge park, just under 3000 acres, with a resort complex, and horse trails, campgrounds, and river activities along the Illinois River. Frankly, we liked the feel of White Pines better, but the bluffs and higher elevation, along the river was awful pretty. In autumn, it must be breathtaking. There is something for everyone there. The original lodge, built by the CCC in the '30's, just like White Pines, was impressive. We preferred that building over the new hotel with the huge Olympic sized pool.

LaSalle, is an old canal town. We walked along the canal on some of the back streets there after a nice dinner in a local bar & grille. The I&M (Illinois and Michigan)canal was famous in its day. The town of 1600, being so close to Starved Rock, is full of shops to cater to the weekend crowds and biker dudes.

We drove downriver to view the lock and dam area. It was after hours, so we couldn't get in, but we did see a barge go through the locks. It's run by the Army Corp of Engineers. Further along, we ended up at another small State Park where 2 bison reside. We saw a pair of twin fawns, and later a doe in the woods. Flying squirrels live there too. (Yes, Rocky is alive and well!) The rivers in Illinois provide many interesting and historical places to explore. Call us cuckoo, that's just the kind of stuff we go for.
Labor Day is fast approaching and White Pines is filling up fast in the cabins, and the two campgrounds. Jim and I will be busy down at the permit station tonight, checking in campers. Our friends from Logansport are here, and it's been fun showing them the area. Joe and Garth will canoe down the Rock River, and end up at the boat landing across from the John Deere historic site. They plan to visit Ronald Reagan's boyhood home in Dixon too. Paula and I will peruse the old piano factory, now filled with 30 eclectic shops, as our day's activity. There's gonna be a nice cup of coffee and lots of catch up conversation included at some point and time, believe me!