I decided to go for a ride after work today since the weather was so nice. I also thought that I’d try a new trail, since I was doing a solo ride. After a little research, I decided to do part of the Centennial Trail in the Lemont/Romeoville area. I think this is part of the I & M trails, but I’m not sure. Anyway, my intention was to part at Schneider’s Passage and ride from there. My first bust was that there were only four parking spaces there and they were all taken. So I drove back to something called the Isle a la Cache Museum. No idea what this is, but there was plenty of parking and it was only about a two block ride to the first place I was going to park. The only drawback was that I had to cross Romeo Road, which is a pretty busy street where people drive pretty fast. Fortunately, it was around 7pm and traffic wasn’t that bad.

The start of the ride looked really cool because you go over this very old bridge. I didn’t like that there were these pieces of steel on each end of the bridge that was incredibly loud when you rode over it. I know that’s a minor thing, but for some reason, it really bugged me. Anyway, the trail is in pretty nice shape. It goes right next to the Des Plaines River, which is sort of pretty. Though there are lots of trees, so you really don’t see that much of the river. And the other side of the trail is pretty much all industrial stuff because it’s the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal. Nothing pretty to look at there.

I ended up going out eight miles and then coming back. Very few people were on the trail. And, of course, one deer crossed it in front of me. I’m happy I rode it, but it’s unlikely that I’ll do it again. And I can sum up the reason why in one word: bugs. I’m pretty sure I ate a good number of gnats. And I was really happy that I brought my sunglasses with me because I needed them to keep the bugs out of my eyes. As I was riding pretty much in the shade for most of the ride, I would have taken the sunglasses off. But the bugs around my face were just bothering me a lot, so I rode with them on. This lead to a dark ride for a bit.

It’s funny, but now I’m going to be a little leery of riding anything that goes near or along water. I’m not sure if that’s why all the bugs were there, but it’s something I’m going to think about. Possibly it’s due to the Sanitary and Ship Canal, but I don’t know.

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