...is only the start of a million steps if you walk the trails at Mathiesson State Park in Illinois. This park is only down the road a piece, as they say, from Starved Rock. It centers around a canyon formed off the Vermillion River. To access different parts of the canyon, Illinois has built a million steps and I think we stumbled up or down them all yesterday.
Well, at least the kids did. There were some spots where we waited halfway down while the kids descended to the canyon floor. We aren't afraid to be wimps.
I hate graffiti and defacing public property, but if it has to happen, a sense of humor is good. At one of our waiting spots, "5 men died here" was carved into the railing. One benefit of waiting is that you get to meet other people in the same boat. We visited with several interesting persons, as much as gasping for breath will allow.
But the scenery was worth it. It's hard to imagine that a mile down the road from these canyons are corn and bean fields. There is a lake at the park also but the kids were disappointed that we never found a place where swimming was allowed. Others in the Glamper group came later and apparently went to the other end of the canyon than we did.
We rewarded ourselves with lunch on the deck at the beautiful Starved Rock Lodge. By the time we got back, we indulged in the AC of the camper and some long, much needed naps.
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