I’m biking east along Interstate 80 and today I’m visiting Illinois waterway visitor center.
From this visitor center and Wikipedia I learned that there’s a 100 mile canal here that connects the Great Lakes to the Mississippi river. It has a number of dams that control the water flow, and locks so that ships can go up & down the river. It said it was a major mode of transportation before railroads took that place.
I have many fond memories of river boats. In Tokyo, I took one with my wife’s family and it served Okonomiyaki and beer while we saw Tokyo from a new angle. In London I had a CloudBees team excursion. I saw so many landmarks are on the Thames river, as the Sun sets, the view was spectacular. In Paris, I saw Notre Dame. It’s a great way to get sightseeing done in a short time. You can just sit and let it show the city to you. You get a great view, too, which is perfect for clicking pictures.
I’m looking forward to visiting this place someday and experiencing a river boat trip in this waterway. That is one place Google street map doesn’t yet go. There are some things you still cannot do unless you are physically there, and I like it that way.
Only 125km more to leave Illinois behind and enter Indiana. I’m currently moving at about 150km/week so this will be quick.