1 trash truck to Summit IL (Monday)

... spending the night at Rochester

No breakfast at the hotel. We do grab some yogurt and fruit for later.

We are out of the hotel by 9 AM.

1st stop is in Fountain at the end or start of the Root River trail. It is not maintained in the winter but it is late enough in the season that it is all clear. Before we walk, we eat our yogurt ...

The trail is listed as a 'rail trail' but on this end of the trail the hills don't seem to be graded, the trail is almost the same as the lay of the land.

There is a large paved parking lot at the edge of Fountain right next to their city park so it also has restrooms that are open already in later March.

We only walked the first 1/2 miles today as we are planning on walking all day. This part of the trail is all open. There are fields on one or both sides of the path.

Along on the path there is a 'sink hole education area.' It looks like they are common in this area.

2nd stop is the Forestville State Park. There are signs that the bridge is closed so we park before the bridge. BB uses the restroom, they are open here also. Then we walk.

We walk along the river in the direction of the Historical Society town. The bridge is blocked, but it seems to be because of a non-park issue. We can see people on the other side of the river but not a way to get over there.

So we just walk. Again it is about 1 mile. Partly snow covered trails.

3rd stop is the Mystery Cave portion of the same park. We know it is closed, the caves are closed but we can still drive into the area.

We sit here and eat our lunch of leftovers.

Then we walk the short distance to the cave. Interesting signs, of how the water on one side of the cave area is warm and on the other side it is cold. And that in dry times, the creek bed drains to the area below ground.

This walk was only a few blocks and on flat ground.

4th stop was in Preston at the start of that wing of the Root River trail. For the third time today we walk about a mile. This time on a flat, likely railroad bed along a river.

Parking area is paved and the rest rooms are open. The walking rail trails are free. The State Parks require a park pass.

5th and final stop is back at the hotel in Rochester. Food tonight is from next door at the 5 West. Soup and burger. The Easter Bunny was there today but BB would not get her picture taken with it.