Day 90-Channahon to Frankfort (21 Miles)

After milking the 11am checkout time and devouring a burrito for breakfast/lunch, I walked to the junction of the Illinois-Michigan Canal trail that would take me into Joliet. The trail of crushed limestone was infinetley more relaxing than the congested roads that ran parallel to it and it was hard to envision a major US city being just outside the confines of this little forest that was really starting to change into its fall colors.

For a few miles back in civilization in the huge suburb of Joliet I proved to be quite the sight through the neighborhoods as I was stopped several times by people curious as to what I was doing. I worked my way to the start of the 20-mile long Old Plank Road Trail that would take me right into downtown Frankfort where I would be meeting Kristy at the Chew On This Dog Barkery.

I had met Kristy about two weeks earlier outside of Holstein, IA on the shoulder of Highway 20. Her and Corey were driving back home from South Dakota and pulled a U-ie on the highway to see what I was all about. They offered me a place to stay in Frankfort, which at the time I thought would be too far north for me, but here I was.

Near Frankfort two touring cyclists, the first I've seen since Nebraska, passed me on the trail on their way back from Iowa to Crown Point Indiana. After talking awhile, I figured they would be a great resource to figure out how to get out of Illinois once the bike path inevitably ended tomorrow. Andy, a pilot with American Airlines, pulled out a handwritten yellow piece of paper with biking directions from Crown Point to the trail head. If I followed it backwards I would be golden. It had been just 15 minutes earlier during a break that I realized getting out of the state was going to be a nightmare with the seemingly unavoidable high traffic roads. 

After meeting up with Kristy at Chew On This, she directed me to the owner's house just a couple of blocks away where I could shower and stay in a guest bedroom. I walked to Teresa's house where I was greeted by her and her two dogs. When I got cleaned up and smelled halfway decent we went on a tour of the town stopping back in at barkery and at the Old Plank Trail Tavern.

We joined back up with Corey and Kristy, Teresa's husband Tom and more friends at the Dancing Marlin, an amazing seafood restaurant owned by Teresa and Tom. We finished the evening here with dueling pianos and a spectacular menu.

Quite a bit nicer than any road I've been on