[Ubuntu Chicago] Ubuntu Fun Ride Maybe

[swoody]

> What we could do, is for those of us out in the burbs, we could all
> meet at the park in Geneva, then hop on the train with our bikes and
> head into the city. Do know though that this ride would be around 40
> miles long to head back out to Geneva.
>
> I think the fox river path out there would be ideal.
>
> I know down south around Joliet and what not there is the Old Plank
> Trail which I have ridden.

First two trials sound good to me :) Also, I'm not familiar with Old Plank
or Busse Woods, although they both ring a bell for some reason. I've
probably come across it at some point or another with all the time I spend
in that area.

Another trial that will give us options for the length of the ride, and
chances to stop places may be the I&M Canal [1,2]. It's about 60 miles
long and runs from Joliet to LaSalle. I've actually rode on a section of
the trail, and from what I saw it was very easy (flat) and well
maintained. It also has a nice mix of cool historic sites and scenery.
Steph and I rode it, and we stopped for a picnic in a park that overlooked
the canal. It would be a really cool backdrop for a BBQ if that's what we
decide to go with.

Along the same note as historic trails, there's also the Route 66 trail. I
haven't ridden this trail before, but you can almost be guaranteed there
would be plenty of awesome places to stop along the way. Again, this would
be very flexible in choosing our length/location as the trail starts in
Chicago and runs all the way through St. Louis. I have a feeling this
trail would be very cool for stopping at places along the way, but it
probably won't have a very scenic atmosphere - especially near large
cities like Chicago or Joliet. You can find a detailed .pdf with a ton of
trail info here [3].


-- 
Steve Woodruff
swoody at ubuntu.com
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/swoody

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illinois_and_Michigan_Canal
[2] http://dnr.state.il.us/lands/landmgt/parks/i&m/main.htm
[3] http://www.bikelib.org/maps-and-rides/route-guides/route-66-trail/