Moored and Waiting

Two barges moored using steel cable and tires - yes, tires - big truck tires. The tires act as shock absorbers between the barge and the mooring point. Called "snubbers", they take a bit of stress off of the steel cable when the barge surges and pulls on the cables.



Notice how stretched the group of five tires are. These barges will be unloaded at a company located at the confluence of the Illinois River and the Illinois Michigan Canal's steamboat basin, the end of the I and M Canal. LaSalle, Illinois

Prior to finding this, I noticed a few groups of tires tied with steel cable over an inch in diameter. I assumed they had washed up on the bank, but then I found more tied to the shore. These were probably placed in specific locations just to moor barges waiting to be unloaded.

The Edge of the Fen

Cowles Bog trail runs right along the foot of a dune, right at the transition from Oak savana to wetland. Cowles Bog isn't a bog at all, it's a fen, a wetland with a source of water that is not acidic, but rich in minerals.

One portion of dune progression is easily seen here where the trees turn from Oak and Maple to Birch on the edge of the wetland.

Watering Hole

An interdunal pond tucked away between coastal dunes and a conifer woodland provides water for teams of animals. Evidence of this activity can be seen by the thousands of animal prints in the soft mud surrounding the pond.

Interdunal Pond

On a hike just off the beaten path - following a narrow animal path - I came upon a beautiful interdunal pond. Even though it was only a few hundred yards from a well traveled area, the number of animal prints and absence of shoe prints proved this was not a place often visited by humans.

Dune succession is evident here as the Oak Savanna behind me opened up to this pond between coastal dunes. On the other side of the dune a conifer forest is holding fast, and just beyond is Lake Michigan.

An interdunal pond is a small body of water formed in the "valley" between coastal dunes. The water collects in the low areas and provides a great habitat for small animals as well as wading birds. There are several in this area and many at the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore.

Vintage Gas Prices

The Standard Service Station in Odell, Illinois along historic RT 66 has on display a vintage price sheet. It's difficult to imagine prices like this, plus, instead of the common 9 tenths price, it's 7 tenths including tax.


An old gas pump stands in front of the service station, and can be seen reflected in the window of the top image.

Starry Night

This piece of driftwood reminded Chris of the painting "Starry Night" by Van Gogh. He found it on the beach during a New Year's Eve walk at the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore.

Trees and Roots

A view through trees and roots of the Sag Quarries and St. James of the Sag Bridge Church. A bit of ice on the shady parts of the water are the only signs of winter so far this season.

New Years Eve Moon

The moon in the afternoon sky as seen from the Indiana Dunes National lakeshore. A warm day for December 31 in northern Indiana.

Meramec Caverns

A nostalgic barn painted to advertise Meramec Caverns, a roadside attraction in Missouri. Between Dwight and Odell, Illinois, along historic RT66.

Ambler Becker Texaco

A roadside attraction along RT 66, the Ambler Becker Service Station in Dwight, Illinois has been preserved for travel buffs.

Complete with vintage gas pumps, and the hose cars used to roll over to ring the bell to signal the attendant, this station brings you back to the 40's. I wish they had vintage gas prices too.

Chicago Alton Station

Built in 1891, by the Chicago and Alton Railroad, this station still serves Dwight, Illinois' Amtrak customers between Chicago and St. Louis. These people were heading toward Chicago three days before Christmas.

Downtown Dwight, Illinois, near historic RT66

The Oughton Windmill

One of the most interesting windmills I've seen can be found in Dwight, Illinois, just off of historic Rt. 66. Built for pumping water on the Oughton Farm, this windmill was designed to be attractive as well as functional.

Built in 1896, the windmill is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Rock Creek

A view of Rock Creek near the confluence with the Kankakee River. Both the Kankakee and Rock Creek flow through limestone canyons carved over the centuries by the waterways.

Buried Alive

Mt. Baldy is a living dune, meaning the winds move constantly blow the sand to the leeward side of the dune, causing it to "move" inland. Due to the traffic on the dune, grasses do not grow and therefore do not hold in the sands.

The dune is moving at a rate of about four feet a year, and in the process is burying the woods adjacent to the dune. The parking lot is also in the path, and may soon be buried as well.

Here's a photo of the dune in 2008. You'll notice the same trees, yet the evergreen is completely buried.


On the windward side of the dune, water erosion is also contributing to the movement. The Michigan City harbor piers are starving the beach for sand, so not much new sand is deposited on the beach. After storms, large logs are often uncovered along the dunes, probably buried for centuries under the sands.

The spring of 2011 marked the beginning of an attempt to save Mt. Baldy. Areas were roped off to prevent people from trampling grasses and eroding the sands. Let's hope these actions will help preserve Mt. Baldy for generations to come.

From the Seventh Floor

Holiday shoppers roam the Marshall Field building in search of the perfect Christmas gift at Macy's on State Street.

The Walnut Room Christmas Tree

Our annual trip to view the Walnut Room Christmas tree took place on Sunday. As usual, there were lines waiting to view the tree, and lots of people waiting to eat in the Walnut Room.

Since Macy's took over the State Street Marshall Field store, lots of things have changed, but this tree remains festive.

Louisville, Evening

On our return trip from our fossil hunt, we stopped back at the Ohio River for an evening view of the Louisville, Kentucky skyline. In what looks to be a recently rebuilt part of Clarksville, Indiana, a small park provided a great view of the city.

To get there, we drove through what must have been old flood walls and gates. They were missing the gates across the streets and sidewalks, but I'll bet they once protected the city from the floods of the Ohio River.

Joppa Missonary Baptist Church

Within the boundaries of Mammoth Cave lie the remnants of rural life before the park. Cemeteries and churches remain part of the landscape. The Joppa Missionary Baptist Church was founded in 1862, and the wooden church dates back to the turn of the last century.

The building had two doors in the front, one for men and one for women, and inside, the unwed (and perhaps wed) men and women often sat on opposite sides of the church.



Inside the church, a single wood burning stove provided warmth during services.

Warning: Road Ends At Water's Edge

Driving through Mammoth Cave National Park, you'll notice some beautiful terrain, and some interesting means of crossing the Green River. The Green River Ferry is one of two operating ferries in the park, and these two are some of the few operating rural ferries in existence today.

I can only imagine approaching this spot on a dark, icy night and not being able to stop before the water's edge.



Relocated to this site in 1934, the ferry provides transport to park visitors as well as local citizens. This crossing is the most direct route for citizens living north of the park to travel to points south of the park and vice versa.

The ferry is propelled by a waterwheel, much the same as old riverboats. Two overhead cables span the river - one on each side, about 20 feet above the water. Four smaller cables connect the boat to these overhead cables, keeping the ferry in line with the road and preventing it from floating downstream.

Each crossing takes approximately one minute from bank to bank. Two cars or one RV are able to ride at a time. Over 90,000 vehicles are transported across the river each year.

During high water periods, the ferries are shut down, forcing traffic to use alternate routes to get to the other side of Mammoth Cave National Park. These alternate routes add as much as 40 miles to the drive.

A recent study by the National Park Service has indicated that while some minor improvements to the approach of the Green River Ferry would improve service, the ferry itself posed "No significant impact" on the environment. So it seems, for the time being at least, a permanent bridge will not replace this small piece of history.

High Water on the Ohio

The recent rainfall in the area has raised the water level on the Ohio River, covering the acres of fossil beds at the Falls of the Ohio State Park. Built in 1868, the Ohio Falls Bridge spans this part of the river, leading to Louisville, Kentucky on the far side.