A hiker uses a make-shift bridge to cross the creek running through Illinois Canyon at Starved Rock State Park. One of the last unseasonably warm days in January, just a few days later several inches of snow would cover this area.
To get to the end of this box canyon (canyon that ends in a dead end) you'll need to cross this creek four times as it meanders back and forth.
The Old Burlington Northern Railroad lift bridge over the Illinois River in Ottawa, Illinois on a sunny, unseasonably warm January day. The approach to the steel span is supported by wooden pilings.
Thorns of a locust tree - beware. A defense left over from the days of the Wooly Mammoth. They're several inches in length and can cover much of the trunk and lower limbs. They will even grow from the roots, preventing animals from getting too close.
A few hundred yards from Lake Michigan, many different environments can be seen from the top of this dune. Beach, grass, conifer forest, interdunal ponds, wetlands, all within a short distance. This is one of the few places this progression can be seen so close and so clearly.
West Beach, Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore.
The season's first significant snowfall blankets the dunes along the Lake Michigan shore. While it wasn't too windy at the time this photo was taken, it was when the snow fell, bending the Marram grass in the direction of the drifts.
Tiscornia Park. St. Joseph, Michigan
The colorful, sunbathed canyon walls reflect in the shaded stream running through Illinois Canyon at Starved Rock State Park.
Walking through this canyon is interesting. You need to cross this winding stream at least three times, and the sunlight only hits tiny portions of the ground at a time.
A peek at the St. Joseph, Michigan inner lighthouse through the icicles formed on the pier railings. These rails often become completely covered in ice and can be surrounded in ice over 4 feet thick.
Interesting color in the water. The water turned green about 1/2 mile from shore; probably sand kicked up by the waves.
Yes, winter! Sunday the weather was unseasonably warm in Northern Illinois - in the 40's. No leaves in the trees or flowers on the ground, but Illinois Canyon remains colorful throughout the year. The layers of color in the stone walls bring life to the winter months.
Less than a week later, this canyon is covered in snow. Winter has finally reached Illinois.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The moon in the afternoon sky as seen from the Indiana Dunes National lakeshore. A warm day for December 31 in northern Indiana.
A nostalgic barn painted to advertise Meramec Caverns, a roadside attraction in Missouri. Between Dwight and Odell, Illinois, along historic RT66.
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.
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
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.
