DAY 2: INDIANA & ILLINOIS

I’m writing to you from my tent in Illinois in Starved Rock State Park, a place I found in my research and later learned that my cousin got engaged here. I can see my breath before the screen as I type and we’re bundled up all cozy. It’s 37 degrees. Portland is wiped out after our long day. It’s 7:15pm, and I’m sipping hot peppermint tea, cuddled under Grandma’s purple wool camp blanket and recording memories.

The morning got off to a good start, sleeping in until around 8am and then breaking camp down while Portland tangled himself around a tree with his long ten foot lead. That meant he couldn’t get to his breakfast bowl by the picnic table. The campground at Warren Dunes had really nice, clean and private single stall showers, so I loaded Portland into the car and freshened up to start the day.

We headed into the small town of Sawyer to a café called Infusco where I grabbed a hot coffee, cheese danish and a blueberry apricot scone (Dad loved scones) to take outside and try to get my day one blog posted. When I got Portland out of the car, he jumped and started off and my laptop in my other arm went crashing onto the concrete of the parking lot. I was horrified! The blog: was it over before it had even begun? Luckily no, the laptop survived the fall with just a few scuff marks. But all WIFI is not created equal. I didn’t get to publish the post, but I did get a little work done between bites of breakfast and sips of coffee. I wished it was later in the day because there was a tortilla shop next door that seemed popular and their taco menu looked amazing.

Portland was getting impatient, so we packed up. When I stood up, I realized just how much coffee I’d drank from the twenty ounces I’d ordered (about 18 ounces, so I’m not too much of a lightweight!). So I felt a little “zoomy” as we made our way toward Indiana Dunes National Park. Before leaving Sawyer, I couldn’t resist snapping a selfie with their “Keep Sawyer Weird” mural on the opposite side of the parking lot.

It was about forty minutes to the West Beach area of Indiana Dunes National Park, and it looked so familiar because this was the place where we all chickened out of a hike last year on our family road trip. The ticks!!! Well, I was back and there was no chickening out today. A little tick ban spray and we were off, the Dunes Succession Trail ended up being a pretty easy loop on mostly stairs and boardwalk around “Diana Dune” with less than half of the hike on sand or in closely wooded dunes. I laughed and shared this news with my family -- not the highest risk for ticks after all! They are more in the grassy and forested areas. It was a pretty walk, and though the morning was grey and dark clouds threatened rain, it held off. On the beach, the waves were choppy, but Portland had to take a drink. The walk back to the car on the paved trail from the public beach area, was the route we’d taken before, and I remembered walking there as a family.

After our hike it was onward to Illinois and the skies opened up. Not a downpour, but a steady grey drizzle. The drive wasn’t long, under two hours to Ottawa, Illinois, where we stopped for lunch at Tangled Roots Brewing Company. I ran in to ask about outdoor seating, but since the weather was bad, the only option was their large tent space where Oktoberfest festivities were taking place. Unfortunately, the WIFI didn’t quite reach out to the tent, so I had to squat in my car outside after eating to publish my post. But lunch was excellent with the happy and festive surprise of live polka music from Die Musikmeisters. The song I most enjoyed was called, “You can’t buy beer on Sunday”. Well. Myth Busted.

Before I go on, I’d like to answer a reader question about safe travel during the ongoing COVID pandemic. (Thanks, Mom!) When I think of Oktoberfest, I think large and rowdy throngs of people sloshing beer, but I’m from Pittsburgh, and this was not that type of celebration. As I experienced in my travels earlier in the year, it is actually very possible to travel “normally” with social distancing, masks, and hand sanitizer -- especially when you love the outdoors as much as I do. Trails are usually not busy, and it’s easy to wear a bandana or neck gaiter to pop up as a mask when passing other hikers. All businesses have strict mask policies and social distancing in place, so it’s easy to feel comfortable and protected. With Portland, I usually try to social distance naturally, to keep him away from high traffic areas, other dogs, and distractions. Ultimately, it’s everyone’s job to do their best at protecting themselves and others, and knowing their own comfort and risk level. If a situation is ever too questionable or uncomfortable, you leave, walk away (and I have before). I'm going to be seeing friends a little later in the week, so keeping them safe is also something I keep in mind.

But Oktoberfest was a happy surprise, amazing that these types of traditions can still be celebrated safely, and our awesome server ended up being from Pittsburgh!! Actually, very close to where my family and I live! There are Pittsburgh connections everywhere, I’m telling you. This won’t be the last of the trip. I ordered their Wet Hopped Pale Ale and took a chance and tried the dill pickle soup, an Oktoberfest special. It was actually delicious! I would love to find a recipe. Hot soup on a chilly, rainy day...there’s nothing better. It’s soup season! Before the rest of my food came out, the host brought over a spent grain dog biscuit for Portland -- he’s so spoiled! He loved it. I think they all thought he was cute, with his fleece blanket hanging over his shoulders for warmth at our table in the back corner. I tossed him a few fries and a piece of bacon and turkey once my turkey panini came out. A special that was reminiscent of Thanksgiving but not a direct take, it really hit the spot with pulled turkey, sweet bacon, brie, an IPA apple cranberry spread and arugula. My big meal of the day was definitely a good one.

After finishing lunch and squatting out front at the brewery to publish my day one post, there was just a short drive to get to Starved Rock State Park. It was a beautiful drive out along the Illinois River and up through a forest of golden fall leaves. It reminded me, somehow of Oak Creek Canyon in Sedona, a similar drive that I experienced on a trip with Dad a few years ago, and have always wanted to return to and hike.

I stopped by the Visitor Center, and quickly grabbed a park map from their supply outside the entrance. The trail I had chosen in my research on the All Trails app was the St. Louis Canyon Trail, and my cousin said that one was her favorite. It was a short walk from the parking area, down a paved path to a set of stairs, and the rain had stopped just in time! Other than one young family with a little black dog, we had the canyon all to ourselves. The path seemed like packed sand, continuing the feel from the dune trails just a bit. Browned needles from the pine trees above dusted the trail surface, and all around the fall leaves were in perfect golden hues. The path lead down to a tall canyon that formed a wave shaped dead end to the trail, a waterfall tucked in to the back. The waterfall was just a slight trickle, and the kids from the family were standing on the canyon wall behind it. We found our own little cave on the canyon wall to climb up into and, had it been raining, it would’ve provided a nice respite. We enjoyed the views for a few moments before starting back toward the car.

We did the time warp today, not from Rocky Horror, but in our jump into the central time zone. It’s always a little bit confusing, and it seemed like some of my technology made the jump while others did not (my phone’s resistance is really puzzling).

It was an hour or so until sunset, so we headed back toward the visitor center to do the short hike on a paved path and stairs up to Starved Rock, the park’s namesake. The series of lookouts at the top provided 360 views of the water, lodge, and forested area below, but I couldn’t really identify anything too special about Starved Rock. I should’ve taken my cousin’s advice to check out Lover’s Leap, but that seemed like walk that would take a little more time than we had.

So, we headed up to the campground and checked in at the registration booth. Just inside the gates, I spotted a 24 hour firewood vending trailer and someone with the same autumn green Subaru Outback as mine. I passed it up, but then backed up. If it’s convenient, a fire would be nice tonight. The guy looked like he wasn’t having much luck. I poked my head out the window from across the lot. “We match!” I called, laughing. “I noticed that!” He said and told me that the magical firewood vending machine was, indeed, out of order. There had been a sign for a supply stop down the road, but that seemed like too much trouble. I was okay with a simple night.

At site 80, I backed in and the site next to mine was partially exposed and the two girls staying there had two dogs that barked in greeting. Oh no, I thought, and the barking between their dogs and Portland went on for awhile. I left him in the car while I made camp, and the $2.50 tarp I’d picked up came in handy on the wet ground under the tent. There are a few things that I’ve always had a hard time learning: exactly what is “The Sound of Music” all about, and how to identify poison ivy. Dad was good at both of those things, and as I was setting the tent poles into place, I looked down and immediately and easily identified the poison ivy that (fingers crossed), I’m pretty sure I didn’t touch. I didn’t pack any Technu wash. So, I slid the tent over a foot or two and whispered a thank you to Dad for looking out for me.

I boiled water for peppermint tea on the camp stove while I got the tent ready, and without the wind, I was really able to get it to a rolling boil fast! When camp was set, I backed the car in to the open space between the two campsites and then let Portland out and tied him off, fitting him into his old blue winter puff coat for added warmth. The dogs barked on and off for awhile, each taking turns being the instigator. Portland was the least barky of the three, and as a dog Mom, it made me proud.

For dinner, he got canned dog stew mixed into his dry food to help him eat quickly in a new environment. He’s not a picky eater, but he usually eats on his own schedule and can take time warming up to a new location. I had an apple and some dried apricots as I cleaned up a bit and then we walked over to fill our empty water bottles just around the corner.

We called it an early night, cozying up in our tent around 7pm, to write (type) and catch up on social media. I’m blogging where I’d typically fit vacation journaling into my day, and trying to capture similar detail. This is the second night where there’s a crying baby somewhere within earshot, and families camping with kiddos. I think David from Schitt’s Creek might be in a neighboring campsite, with some autumn camp revelers, but the dogs are mostly quiet. There has been a sound every once in awhile that is either a pack of coyotes or a wild party off in the distance -- maybe both?

Tomorrow is a longer day of driving, on to Nebraska! So I’d better start my tent/air mattress yoga (a first!) for the day so I can dream along with Portland. Until manana, Live Wildly!