I thought you might enjoy seeing what I saw as I rode through the country roads of northern Illinois, just nine miles south of my home in southern Wisconsin. (Click on photos to enlarge).
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This route will be used in the cycling portion of the triathlon which will be held on June 12th at North Pointe. The ride covers 17 miles of black topped roads winding through rolling rural scenery.
A haunted barn? Hogwash. I don't believe in ghosts, especially in broad daylight.
What did you say? You're wondering if, considering I'm so brave, I rode up the driveway for a closer look
? Heavens, no! I didn't have time for such nonsense. Now, be quiet and just look at the photos.
Are these horses beautiful or what?
Well, hello to you too.
These guys were hungry. I didn't hear so much as a peep out of a single one of them. Or a MOO either!
I must say that this scarecrow is holding up quite well, although on second thought, he ought to be since it's only the first of June.
This row of trees appears to be standing guard over the pond beyond. Maybe there's gold to be mined in them waters!
Not one flag, not two, three, four or five, but six flags waved as I rode past, a fine sight to behold on this Memorial Day weekend.
I love these old-fashioned metal outdoor chairs. Their bright colors and positioning along the side of the barn caught my eye. I wonder if anyone ever uses them or if they were put there to remind us to sit back and relax now and then.
The popular Ledges' golf course is beyond these trees.
This is another part of the golf course.
Wide open spaces abound as I pedal along McCurry, Free Church, Middle, Manchester, Prairie Hill and Willowbrook Roads.
Oh, there's that pond again. I swear I see glints of gold shining up from the depths, don't you?
I came upon these Canadian geese as they nonchalantly crossed the road. As I approached they gave me a dirty look and hustled off into the grass. "Didn't your mother teach you not to hang out in the traffic?" I called back at them over my shoulder.
Sections of flat road like this are welcome on a long bike ride. That downhill slope up ahead is like seeing an oasis in the desert.
I like this crossroads where I made a left turn. The landscaping in front of that house is beautiful.
Thank goodness for my multi-speed Trek bike on hills like this.
Horses are a common sight around here.
I enjoy being able to see far into the distance. Huh? Did you say you find it extremely boring? Sorry. Next time bring a book.
Silos, barns, tractors...good, ole country living...
Once in a while I do look ahead and watch the road.
A sign beside the tree in the center of this photo says, "Free Kittens." If you're interested, you can pick one or two or maybe even more at this farm on Manchester Road in S. Beloit, IL.
The North Pointe sign is a welcome sight after an hour and twenty minutes of biking.
There you go. All the adventure of a bike ride is yours without the sore butt, tense shoulders and leg muscle exertion.
? Heavens, no! I didn't have time for such nonsense. Now, be quiet and just look at the photos.
Are these horses beautiful or what?
Well, hello to you too.
These guys were hungry. I didn't hear so much as a peep out of a single one of them. Or a MOO either!
I must say that this scarecrow is holding up quite well, although on second thought, he ought to be since it's only the first of June.
This row of trees appears to be standing guard over the pond beyond. Maybe there's gold to be mined in them waters!
Not one flag, not two, three, four or five, but six flags waved as I rode past, a fine sight to behold on this Memorial Day weekend.
I love these old-fashioned metal outdoor chairs. Their bright colors and positioning along the side of the barn caught my eye. I wonder if anyone ever uses them or if they were put there to remind us to sit back and relax now and then.
The popular Ledges' golf course is beyond these trees.
This is another part of the golf course.
Wide open spaces abound as I pedal along McCurry, Free Church, Middle, Manchester, Prairie Hill and Willowbrook Roads.
Oh, there's that pond again. I swear I see glints of gold shining up from the depths, don't you?
I came upon these Canadian geese as they nonchalantly crossed the road. As I approached they gave me a dirty look and hustled off into the grass. "Didn't your mother teach you not to hang out in the traffic?" I called back at them over my shoulder.
Sections of flat road like this are welcome on a long bike ride. That downhill slope up ahead is like seeing an oasis in the desert.
I like this crossroads where I made a left turn. The landscaping in front of that house is beautiful.
Thank goodness for my multi-speed Trek bike on hills like this.
Horses are a common sight around here.
I enjoy being able to see far into the distance. Huh? Did you say you find it extremely boring? Sorry. Next time bring a book.
Silos, barns, tractors...good, ole country living...
Once in a while I do look ahead and watch the road.
A sign beside the tree in the center of this photo says, "Free Kittens." If you're interested, you can pick one or two or maybe even more at this farm on Manchester Road in S. Beloit, IL.
The North Pointe sign is a welcome sight after an hour and twenty minutes of biking.
There you go. All the adventure of a bike ride is yours without the sore butt, tense shoulders and leg muscle exertion.
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Next time, we'll go running on the acreage surrounding North Pointe.
6 comments:
great places,nice photo's
Quite an adventure!
The photos make me want to fast forward to weekend again Shaddy! Love the countryside~ even the smell of cow manure!! hee*
xo
These are great! And they bring back fond memories for me of biking in WI along one of the rail-bed bike trails. I especially like rail-bed trails because they minimize the hills. Once I moved back to Massachusetts and started biking where there were HILLS -- unfortunately I learned that what goes down (whew!!) must go up (ugh!!)
TECH MONITOR: Thank you for visiting and especially for your kind comment.
LENORE: I love all of the smells the countryside offers too. As you mentioned, the "scent" of cow manure is even acceptable and brings back memories of times on my Great Aunt and Uncle's farm.
NATASHA: I agree. Rail-bed bike trails are nice because like you mentioned, they're more level and also you don't have to deal with traffic most of the time. Which trail did you ride in WI? Fortunately, what goes up, must go down...thank God for that more encouraging perspective.
Shaddy -Thanks for taking me along. I love the countryside! - and all those beautiful horses, cows, geese and lush green as far as you can see. It was a lovely trip, and I stayed in my comfy chair the whole trip – didn’t even break a sweat.
JANA: I'm so glad you enjoyed the ride. It was fun taking you with me. I took three times as many photos as I posted here and had a heck of a time narrowing down the number. I try to photo only things I feel are out of the ordinary in some way so I won't bore my audience. Come back again if you can.
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