I & M Canal Trail

The Illinois and Michigan Canal was laboriously dug to tie Lake Michigan with the Illinois (and thence the Mississippi) Rivers, but its narrow width restricted the size of vessels, so dams and locks were eventually built on the adjacent riverways to permit large ships to pass. Later, the canal was abandoned and decades later renovated and opened as a 60+ mile bike/hike/horse trail. We stopped on our way home and did a quick 12 mile bike ride from the trailhead in Utica, Illinois. Lock 14 has been replicated to show how the original 15 locks operated.




After we returned home, we hiked several miles on the Millennium Trail by my house. Another beautiful day in Chicagoland!



Before we left Starved Rock, Ellen relaxed in Starved Rock Lodge's Great Room and wirelessly added an entry to her blog, Whalechaser's Musings.