Blogs

The Kern River Parkway covers about 15 miles.  Most of it runs along the Kern River, which unfortunately is usually dry due to agricultural diversion upstream.  The actual path along the parkway is blacktop and is heavily used by cyclists, walkers, runners etc.  The thing that makes this Parkway so appealing to me is that several miles of the eastern end of it has a dirt trail that more or less parallels the bike path for several miles.  As this video shows, it can be very challenging to run when the temperature is in the 100 deg range but is definitely doable.  In Kern County in general, spring through summer running any time of day requires close attention to...Read More

Today, August 22, 2013, I cycled about 15 miles in the town of Lisle, IL.  There is cycling routes in and near downtown Lisle and also in many of its neighborhoods.  There is also a cycling path, The Green Trail, that runs through Community Park.  Community Park has an extended trail system with a large pond and a prairie style wildflower - prairie plants area.  The Green Trail connects with other trails south of Lisle and one can cycle many miles with all of the extended trails.  Also, Lisle has a museum park in its downtown with a small late 1800's farm and also a railroad museum.  

On this last Sunday, August 18, 2013, I completed the thirty mile ride of the Wright Ride, sponsored by the Oak Park Bicyle Club of Oak Park, IL.  The ride started in downtown Oak Park, went south to Berwyn, then west through Riverside, Brookfield, Lagrange Park, and and stopping in Western Spring for a rest stop.   Each of these towns have great downtown areas.  The photos above were taken in Riverside.  Brookfield is famous for Brookfield Zoos, one of the most popular zoos in the United States.  Oak Park, just west of the western edge of Chicago and now a very diverse community, is the childhood home of Ernest Hemingway and also has homes designed by Frank...Read More

The Lakefront Trail in Chicago extends 18 miles from the south end in the South Shore neighborhood to the north end near the Edgewater neighborhood.  I rode from Hyde Park and he University of Chicago to Navy Pier to see the tall ships docked at the pier.  Navy Pier is about the half way point of the trail.  On the way back to Hyde Park, I stopped at Grant Park to see the Buckingham Fountain.  I also stopped at the Shedd Acquarium and Adler Planetarium.  There is too much to be seen to see everything in one day.