Daytrip to Chicago, Illinois

The late summer roadside flowers are beautiful in Illinois. On this trip to Chicago I saw many of my favorites along the road: purple Thistle, blue Chicory, showy white Queen Anne’s Lace, Cattails, and many varieties of tall unmowed grasses that are remnants of the tall grass prairie that once held sway over this land.

The way people in Illinois use the land is so pleasing to my eyes. The wide fields of corn are often boarded with healthy woodlots sheltering wildlife as large as deer and coyote, maybe even bear and wolf. Many of the small towns have roadside parks with tidy man-made lakes for fishing. Illinois water is clean with bass and other catchable fish. I enjoyed driving over the frequent small creeks, the canals, and the Mazon River, a larger tributary of the Illinois River; trying to catch glimpses of it all. I have read that there are fossil beds in the limestone cliffs along the Mazon River. I wish I had strength and time to explore as I used to do when I was young.

I had my first hearing before a new judge in my late father’s lawsuit claiming grievous and wanton nursing home neglect of his foot which resulted in the loss of his limb and liberty: Throckmorton vs. Gillman. It seemed to go well. Anyway, I enjoyed the trip. I have such good associations from previous trips to Chicago, especially the fabulous Chicago River Architecture Cruise that I took just a few years ago. My first vacation as an adult was to Chicago in the 1970’s. I have loved that vibrant, complex city for over half a century. It is always worth the exhaustion.