Omaha to NYC Day 17
Animated map: https://www.relive.com/view/vmqXGXAxgo6
Finally, a campsite with water I could jump in! The Indiana Dunes. When I got there after a long and varied day of riding I just wanted to run down to the water’s edge and plunge in, but I restrained myself and got changed into my swimming suit first.
The day began with an early start at 6:00, first light. Today was the day I was saying goodbye to Chicago after a four day stay. I was leaving early because I had a pleasant surprise. Due to a fortuitous Facebook post, another old friend from Knox learned I was it town. She had been living in New York City, but has recently moved back to her hometown of Chicago. We arranged to meet at a bakery in The Loop. I wanted to be there by 8:30 so we would have plenty of time to chat. It’s 22 miles from Asif’s house to The Goddess and the Baker. Given my speed, I needed two and a half hours.
The ride in was peaceful on this Labor Day morning. Hardly any cars were out on the big road from Asif’s to the Illinois Prairie Path. Once on the path I was able to cover half the distance car-free. I loved watching the urban environment change as I got closer to downtown. I started seeing industrial sites. I saw my first L train and the leafy, old suburb of Oak Park. I hit the city and starting seeing denser, not quite row housing in a predominately black neighborhood. A few people were out on the holiday morning, but not many. One guy waved from his car.
As I got closer to downtown, I saw new construction and renovated buildings. I crossed I-90, then the Chicago River and I was in The Loop. The traffic was light and I found a protected bike lane. Soon I was at the bakery, miraculously a few minutes early. I ordered a coffee and two pastries. Patricia arrived shortly thereafter. We had two amazing hours catching up. She had two kids who are doing cool stuff, one recently spent time going to school in Salzburg and another just took a climbing trip to Squamish. It’s hard to say goodbye, but I got back on the road at 10:30.
I took the Lakefront Trail south from downtown. It was strange to be loaded down with touring gear in the midst of hundreds of people walking, running, and day rides. I passed Navy Pier and the Field Museum. I just kept pushing south. At some point the multi-use path ended and I was on a bike lane. Finally at the Illinois-Indiana line (which I never quite located) I lost the Lakefront Trail.
Surprises ensued. Hammond and Whiting which I assume were totally industrial had charming bits. Hammond has a nice lake front park and Whiting has a cute downtown. I ate a burrito for lunch there. They also have a ton of heavy industry. The most curious place was a totally square plot of land set right between a huge oil refinery and a huge steel mill. The is the utopian workers housing experiment of Marktown. It was modelled after an English village with semi-detached housing. The actual houses were a mix of well kept, quaint homes and abandoned homes. Probably quaint isn’t enough to generate high demand on a heavy industry site.
From Marktown, I headed east on a US highway towards Gary. I wanted to see what is happening with the city. It’s such as sad tale of population and economic decline. I was also worried about being a disaster tourist, especially because I was just passing through. My RideWithGPS heat map showed that a fair amount of cyclists used the highway, but I found it busy and uncomfortable even with a good shoulder. It got a little better in Gary proper, but both the western and eastern sides were a little scary. I used side roads when I could.
Gary itself did indeed show signs of its loss of population and economic income. It was built as a steel town and while US Steel still operates, it employs far fewer people than in its heyday. I saw a lot of abandoned buildings, but also some nice homes and a church that’s being fixed.
East of Gary, I did a mandatory stint on the highway for a couple of miles pondering the fact that this Highway, 12, originates in Aberdeen, Washington. After a few miles I was able to catch a side road then amazingly a bike path. Sadly, many trees had been damaged by recent high winds that also left Gary with extended power outages.
The rest of the day was a mix of side roads, trails, and the highway which had become a two land road. I was amazed commuter rail extended this far out. I passed another huge steel mill as well. The last path I took became increasing soupy. I was happy to get a paved road for the final push. And then it ended in a sandy tiny pass to the dunes and the beach. I’d arrived.
I reveled in the water. I noted the view of the power plant just east of here, then settled in to cook dinner on the beach. I’ve heard raccoons can be a problem so my plan was to do all my cooking away from camp. It’s 9:15 pm now. So far so good. I bought a replacement long sleeve shirt and lightweight long pants and long sock all in an attempt to avoid getting bitten by mosquitos. So far it is working pretty well. It is mercifully not hot. Thus ends the day. Goodnight!
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