8/7-The Great Wall of Indiana

After a great dinner with Andrew and Zoey, Bethany and I stayed up way too late. 6:00am came all too soon. Considering we had to pack up, load Wanda onto the bike rack, get back to Frankfort, and put everything back on the bikes, we got a decent start just after 8:00.

Let’s go for a ride, Bethany!

Today was another day of trails. We finished up the Old Plank Trail. It seamlessly connected to the Thorn Creek Trail.

Riding with Bethany was awesome because I had my own personal tour guide. We went through (on the trail, of course) Chicago Heights. Bethany said Al Capone had a vacation house there. She said the mafia still has a presence in Chicago Heights. What kept running through my head was Bad Bad Leroy Brown!

Waiting to safely cross the street without getting gunned down (just kidding)

We came to the end of the Thorn Creek Trail after riding through cool prairie/meadow sections, and green tunnels.

Took a snack break at this preserve shelter

Why did the turkeys cross the road? Because they were running away from Wanda!

 It was quite a bit of stop and go with the street crossings. Every once in a while a car would stop for us. It’s not the law to stop for pedestrians in Illinois. 

We had a short section on the road. We were going through neighborhood streets. The route said to continue straight, but there was a wall. We just rode the sidewalk around it. I said to Bethany it was a sly dog cut neighborhoods cut through. Not exactly. Turns out it was the Great Wall of Indiana! Yes, by going around the wall I crossed into my 9th state!

State number 9-Indiana!

I was flabbergasted! This wall is the state line? Yes!

If it wasn’t for Bethany, I would have had no idea I was now in Indiana!

She noticed the street signs were now blue (Illinois’ were yellow)

I just thought it was the funniest thing! A neighborhood that was part in Illinois and part in Indiana!

We continued on. We came to a very busy intersection. I saw a gas station across the street. We went there for chocolate milk and water (for Bethany). Then I spied a place back across the street. I said to Bethany, “Look! Oh my God, Pastries!”. Yeah, that was the name of the shop. OMG Pastries. Of course we had to go there!

Best name for a bakery!

They had very good pastries. Bethany had a lemon tart. I had a chocolate eclair. I was a little bummed because, since I had had the chocolate milk, I couldn’t eat all of the eclair!

Bethany decided this was a good turnaround spot for her. She would end up going all the way back to her car at Frankfort for a total of 48 miles! Coincidentally, I ended up riding about the same distance, only continuing on.

Bye Bethany! I’ll miss you until you get back to Washington! 

The next trail was the Monon Trail. It was just a short bit to get to the Little Calumet Levee Trail.

The Levee Trail

Nice new bridge!

The Little Calumet connected to the Erie Lackawanna Trail.

Going right!

Really nice trail

Then, the Erie Lackawanna connected to the Oak Savannah Trail!

Such good signage

Smooth trail

Funny sign!

Nice mural

I was working my way toward Portage. I had stopped to make a hotel reservation at the Baymont in Portage. I couldn’t check in until 3:00, so I had some time to kill. In Hobart I noticed a DQ just off the trail. I went over for some ice cream. 

Back on the trail, I came to this. 

It doesn’t seem like I’m actually there yet, but maybe…

Then I was on another trail into Portage. 

Now the Duneland Trail

I got off the trail at Willowcreek Rd, and headed closer to the interstate where the hotels are. Tomorrow, I will get closer to Indiana Dunes State Park. Might take some time to check it out.