Day 05 - Manteno to Ottawa

Rockville Township Hall/Garage

The first part of the ride west of Manteno was on a busy road, even on a Saturday. It's not as though the Illinois bicycle map hadn't warned me. But by the time I got as far as Rockville Township Hall, the road was quiet. (I'm not positive there isn't another township building elsewhere that is separate from the highway building, but such an arrangement is not common in this part of Illinois.)

Rockville Township plows and road equipment

Township garages in this part of the world usually have some old plows and other such equipment outside the building. It can be an identifying characteristic telling you that, "Yes, this nondescript building with no sign to identify it is a township garage/hall." In this case there was a sign, though.

Rockville Township rock pile

Very tiny crushed rocks, it looks like.

More Rockville Township gravel

More of the assortment of gravel piles. It seemed that the pole barn shown here might have been part of a neighbor's property.

Looking west from the Rockville Township Highway Department.

The view west from the Rockville Township Highway Department. This is the direction I was headed.

Ritchie

There aren't a lot of places to cross the Kankakee River, but just west of Ritchie is a multi-use trail that has its own bridge across.

Wauponsee Glacial Trail Crossing

Here it is. The Wauponsee Glacial Trail, just ahead. It starts in Joliet, over 20 miles to the north, and ends just across the Kankakee River. I will be using only the last mile of it.

Wauponsee Glacial Trail

The trail itself. Only the crossing was paved, but it was in good shape.

Rival's Lookout

I didn't take time to visit the Wesley Township hall. It's close to the Waponsee Trail, but to the north. However, at least I got a photo of a Wesley Township Park, right next to the bridge over the Kankakee River.

Bicycle Bridge over the Kankakee River

Bicycle bridge (and horse bridge) over the Kankakee River.

Custer Township sign

Once upon a time township governments ran the local school systems. It was good to see a trace of the old connection between township and school on this sign in front of the town hall.

Custer Township Hall

Custer Township Hall from across the street

Custer Township Hall and Neighbors

Custer Township Hall and neighboring residences

Reed Township sign

Usually I try to find out ahead of time where the township halls are located. But some counties and townships don't put that information on the web. In this case, I stumbled on the Reed Township Hall.

Reed Township Highway Department

No gravel piles or equipment are lying outside, but perhaps that kind of neatness is important when the township buildings are located inside a city such as Braidwood.

Reed Township Hall

Reed Township has a good-sized parking lot, which I take to be a sign of well-attended meetings.

Goose Lake Township Hall

Goose Lake Township hall on the north side of Pine Bluff Road in Grundy County, Illinois

Goose Lake Township Hall

Looking west-northwest at Goose Lake Township Hall.

Goose Lake Township Hall

Looking back east in the direction I had come from.

Trump sign

This was taken on the south side of the Kankakee River, but getting close to the bridge at Morris. I presume the sign is pro-Trump rather than anti.

Bridge over the Kankakee at Morris

The last time I rode across the Kankakee River here (1996) there was an old, narrow truss bridge, and a sign that said no bicycles were allowed. I didn't quite get all the way to the peak before traffic started to accumulate behind me. This time there was no problem.

Morris Township Office

Morris Township office on Washington Street.

Washington Street

Looking west from the Township Office on Washington Street

Canalport Plaza

It would be nice to come here again and learn more of the history of the canal days. A note on a sign said that in the days when were still competing with railroads, canals were considered more democratic than railroads.