Another Ride Thru The Countryside
Previous to today’s ride, a sunset photo of the radiating sun and irrigation system
Today was a perfect day for August in Illinois
Cool temps to start, little to no wind
Dwight, Dave, and Rich made the trip to Rossville in a somewhat circuitous route — other than Illinois Route 1 there is no direct way to get there
Starting at the overlapped blue line we rode clockwise and did some moraine surfing in the process
Dwight in the lead heading south on 1550E
Lots of corn!
Stop at Casey’s in Rossville — shed provided some shade
Dwight took a tumble on an earlier ride as evidenced by the boo boo on his right knee
View west on Attica Street
Former church is now an Historical Museum
Auto or Implement dealer at one time?
Flat leaved plant behind the asparagus is Compass Plant — aligns its leaves in a general N/S direction
Riding west on Rossville Road
Nearing the North Fork river — note who is in the lead — and who is riding “sweep” 🙂
North Fork flowing toward Lake Vermilion at Danville
Wind farm in the distance
Seed Dealer
Paxton moraine rising in the distance
Wind turbine producing 0 current today
Each turbine pays several thousand dollars a year to the land owner
Prairie Chapel Cemetery
If there was a chapel here it is long gone
Monuments dating from the late 1800’s and a lone evergreen tree
Heading north on Range Line Road
Ellis moraine rises in the distance
Improving farm field drainage continues to this day
This is considered a very “youthful” landscape in geologic terms
Lines of natural drainage were just beginning when settlers arrived
Beginning with hand dug ditches in the 1800’s the swampy, mosquito, disease ridden prairie, was eventually converted to profitable farm land
Native Americans avoided these areas, placing their trails atop the moraines whenever possible
Some of Illinois’ finest black soil
After riding with Dwight to his place, and Dave’s to his, Diamond Back arrives home
(Kitty photo bombs in the extreme lower left)
Great ride, great day, great time
As the Beach Boys crooned: Lets Get Together and Do It Again 🙂
Rich-Illinois
Very much enjoy all the entries you all have provided -- great to see the everyday cycling venues. Being in eastern Illinois, scenery certainly isn't our forte, but oh well, the roads are normally quiet. Look forward to more and more entries from all of you, I do have a few over on BL -- in Bill's Day Rides, and one journal.
7 response to "Another Ride Thru The Countryside"
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“Moraine surfing.” That’s a good one! It reminds of a song from back in the day when I lived in B-N, about “going surfing on the Illinois river.” Keep the Diamond Back on the moraines and off the rivers!
That is some lovely black soil alright, just sand, rock and clay here
Bill said the pictures in my last post look like they were taken in Hoopeston. He’s right. But our Minnesota sun doesn’t get so hot that it can melt a section out of an irrigator like it appears to have done in your feature photo.
Looks like some good riding on nice quiet roads.
I’ve always wanted to ride in Illinois. I had relatives in Kewanee and I remember those flat farm roads in that area. Even sent away for maps years ago, but never made it. Maybe one of these days…
Another nice ride! I always knew I was about to crest a moraine in IL because that was where all the wind farms were!
Nice picture of the sunset and irrigator. A happy ride!