Dune State Park, IN to Highwood, IL (84 miles)
I had a long day of urban cycling. I rode through Gary, IN, the Eastside and Southside of Chicago, and right past downtown Chicago. Chicago has some good dedicated bike lanes, even in the less desirable parts of town. Of all the type of riding, I think I like urban cycling best of all. One would be tempted to think that biking in a highly urban environment is the more dangerous than pedaling in less concentrated population centers, but, in my experience, I have found it to be untrue for a few important reasons.
Firstly, in an urban environment, cars generally move more slowly when compared to less populated areas. There are more stop lights located at more frequent locations which serves to keep cars moving at lower speeds. The pedestrians, drivers, and other cyclist also seem to move more deliberately; they’re decisive. While one certainly has to keep his head about him, the fact that there’s so much going on, forces one to pay attention. I’ve noticed that drivers, for example, don’t typically text while driving in urban traffic. How could they? One must be engaged actively, not passively--as in the type of driving I witness in suburbia (the absolute worst environments for bike riding).
I stopped for lunch at the beach in Chicago. Chicago has a wonderful stretch along Lake Michigan where people can swim and eat at the various outdoor food vendors. There’s a nice bike path that runs for about 10 miles between the lake and Lakeshore Drive. I met a nice couple from Charlotte, N.C., Tom & Martha, who were spending a long weekend to enjoy the sights of Chicago. They had asked me to take a picture of them together. I, of course, obliged them. We got ourselves into a conversation, and they asked me about my trip. As we started talking, we found we had some things in common. Tom’s brother for instance, had taught high school English for 35 years. One of their sons had attended Hampden-Sydney College, my Alma mater, before transferring to another school.
Tom is a CEO of a software/technology company that assists large companies and corporations who deal with the public from inadvertently allowing terrorist or other illegitimate entities from using a service with the intent of committing a criminal act. I asked Tom some questions about his work. It was quite interesting. It is simply overwhelming when one stops to think of all the components and players enlisted in the war against terror. The less obvious organizations and people who’s jobs also protect us often go unrealized. Tom insisted on paying for my lunch. I thanked him and Martha and wished them well. I was still miles from Milwaukee and needed to get moving.
Later in the day, I arrived in Milwaukee! My old friend from my soldiering days at Ft. Ord, CA, Chris Robles, lives in Milwaukee. He’s been expecting my arrival.
When I got to Highland, IL, I called my buddy, Chris. Chris offered to drive the 50 miles or so from Milwaukee and take me to his house. As I had already ridden 84 miles, I welcomed his offer. We ate dinner when he came to pick me up. I hadn’t seen Chris is nearly 25 years. Aside from a slight bit of gray, he had aged very well, and still looked very much like the young guy I knew back at Ft Ord, CA. He weighed about the same as he did in 1985. After a few minutes of conversation, it was difficult for me to grasp the idea that it had been two and a half decades since we last talked face-to-face.
When we arrived at Chris’ home, he introduced me to his wife, Sarah, a very attractive woman with a pleasant smile and exceedingly friendly demeanor. I liked her immediately. We all chatted until midnight and went to bed.
I’m looking forward to just relaxing for a few days and catching up with my old friend.
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