What we did on our summer vacation

Because money is tight this year, and gas prices are through the roof, Mike and I have adjusted our vacation plans a couple of times. Originally we were going to take two weeks and go out east to Maine and possibly come back through Canada. When we realized that wasn't going to work with our budget we decided we could camp for a week at Sheboygan, WI (which we've done a few times before and really enjoyed). Then we realized that even that trip was out of reach, so we planned a week of camping and biking at Illini State Park near Marseilles, IL. The park itself is very nice and well-kept. Just over the river in Marseilles is the I & M Canal Bike Trail which provides about seventy miles of interesting bike trails. We've camped here before but usually for only a night on our way to or from Sheboygan. Staying for an entire week was an entirely different proposition.

We had a pretty good vacation overall. Other than we had thunderstorms four of the seven nights we camped and one night the tornado siren went off. And the mosquitoes were big enough to carry off a small child. Altogether we rode a total of about 57 miles during the week. On our third bike ride (on Thursday) I had an unfortunate encounter with a railroad crossing and some gravel and thought that I had broken my knee. Of course we were nine miles from the campground at that point so I had to get back on the bike and ride back to Marseilles, injured knee and all.

Aside from all that it was a fabulous trip! We just have never quite mastered the art of the uneventful vacation.