Teddy and Sarah travel to Grayslake!

Name: Sarah Murin
Location: Grayslake Millennium Veterans Memorial
Miles traveled: 786 miles
Total miles: 6,859.83 miles
Latitude and longitude: N 42.34, W 88.01

I traveled with Sarah to her hometown over Easter weekend! She took me downtown Grayslake to show me around her town and all the historical places that she lives so close to! The main place that we stopped at was the Grayslake Millennium Veterans Memorial.  The plaza features plaques and brick pavers dedicated to the late loved ones of residents in the central Lake County village. A special veterans memorial has a plaque naming the 18 known Grayslake residents who have died in war since 1895, the year the village was founded.  Sarah explained to me that the people of Grayslake take pride in their history, and this memorial was a way of giving back to the community and showing respect to the men and women with military backgrounds.  The memorial included names of people from the Vietnam war, Korean war, WWI and WWII.  The special veteran memorial had a quote on it that stated "so long as they are remembered, they shall not die."  This memorial was a beautiful and memorable place in the town of Grayslake, and the amount of miles traveled were definitely worth it!

George and James Take a Walk

Name: James
Miles from Wham: 2.75 Miles
Coordinates: 37.730548"N, -89.227795"W
Total Mileage on the dog: 2131.95 Miles


People looked at us strange as James carried me down North Oakland Avenue toward a foreboding gray concrete building. If I had walked myself it would have taken me nearly an hour to get there, but there are a lot of mean stray dogs in this neighborhood so James offered to carry me. He showed me the old Illinois National Guard Armory. It was built many years ago by the CCC, but over the past handful of years it has sat dormant. It was recently put on bid by the city of Carbondale and was purchased for various business purposes. I enjoyed the architecture and unique design of the building. I can say that it is certainly not something you see everyday.

Teddy and Sarah visit Giant City State Park!

On April 29th 2014, I traveled to Giant City State Park with Sarah! We left the Wham building on the SIU campus and traveled to explore the beauty within Giant City. We spent the afternoon walking Hiking Trial 1. Giant City was named a state part in 1927 when Illinois acquired more than 1,100 acres of land in Union and Jackson counties. As we walked the trial, we saw many different types of animals. I especially liked the squirrels. I really wanted to chase them, but Sarah told me I couldn't do that! I was so disappointed.  We also climbed a huge rock! We later learned that these huge rocks were formed of sandstone that have been shaped by many many years of weathering and geological faulting. We also saw many plants beginning to bloom and grow! There was a ton of moss that grew over the larger rocks that surrounded the trial we walked through.




When we finished out hike, I was exhausted! Sarah took a picture of me all sprawled out on the ground! I was so tired from all the hills and rocks that we climbed! After we caught our breath, Sarah and I ate a snack that we packed before we left! Our snack consisted of apples and a granola bar! As we were eating our snack, we discovered that settlers who first moved into this area cultivated fruit trees! How cool would it be to have your own fruit tree! After we finished our snack, it was starting to get dark, so we decided it was time to go home. I had a really great time visiting Giant City State Park. I want to go back again and explore the four other trails that they have to offer. I also want to go rock climbing and horseback riding! I can't wait for my next visit to Giant City State Park!

http://dnr.state.il.us/lands/landmgt/parks/r5/gc.htm

Coordinates 37.6050* N, 89.1883* W
Miles Traveled 12.1
Total Miles Traveled: 6073.83

Brady & George venture to Marion, IL.

I had the honor of traveling to Marion, IL over Easter weekend with my awesome friend Brady! On my visit Brady took me to the historic town square in Marion, IL and while we were there we were able to observe the towering clock tower in the middle of the square. On the square there are many historic buildings that give the square that "old, yet elegant" look. The Marion Cultural and Civic Center can be found on the square as well. It used to be named the Orpheum Theater building when it was first built all the way back in 1922! Unfortunately the building burnt caught fire in 1997, but the new Civic Center was built using parts of the old Orpheum Theater. There are plenty of other historic buildings on the square, but the centerpiece is the 93 ft. tall clock tower! The clock was so massive that before we left I could not help but to ANNOY

Brady and say, "but first let me take a selfie." Hehehe

Trip: 18 miles
Total miles: 2129.2 miles
37° 43' 50" N
88° 55' 37" W

Tiffani, Teddy, and those Crazy Girls visit the Coal Miner's Memorial

 

I enjoyed traveling to Herrin so much with Sierra, I was excited to go back with Tiffani and see what else Herrin has to offer! We left the Wham Education Building on Tuesday, April 22nd and headed over to learn about the Coal Miner's Memorial. Little did I know we were going to pick up two little girls on our way there! They were SOO excited to see me, they wouldn't let me out of their hands!! I did get to run around a little bit and explore all of the names of the coal miner's. Here's some history I learned about the coal miners and the memorial:

 

In the late eighteen hundreds there were several mines in the locale that accounted for the livelihood of the residents. There were many thriving communities that were totally dependent on the mines. Now there is a Memorial to honor all miners. The monument depicts a miner returning home, being greeted by his small son, after a day in the pits. Dedicated on October 14th 2000, the Coal Miners Memorial is a tribute to all Southern Illinois coal miners of the past century. The inscription at the base of the statue reads, “In memory of coal miners who gave so much that future generations may benefit with a better life. They labored, served their country, sacrificed for their families and some lost their lives. We honor and salute them so that they will never be forgotten.”

http://www.visitsi.com/poi?pid=190

 

Coordinates: 37°48′9″N 89°1′41″WMiles Traveled: 39.8
Total Miles: 6,061.73

George and Sean visit Oakland Cemetery

Sean and I  took a trip to Oakland Cemetery.  It is located on North Oakland Street in Carbondale.  The oldest recorded burial at Oakland Cemetery is that of James Roberts who was buried on March 31, 1863.  Until the 1940s, the cemetery was segregated.

There have been many supernatural happenings reported.  For example, there is a mausoleum whose doors mysteriously unlock from time to time to allow ghostly visitors to enter.  Wispy vapors and glowing balls of light have been reported along the north side of the cemetery where the railroad tracks used to run.  In 1888, there was a horrific train wreck near the cemetery.  The engineer of the train, John Chapman, was killed in the wreck and buried in Oakland Cemetery.  Also, when transients died on the train, the bodies were wrapped in a sheet or tarp and unceremoniously dumped at the cemetery to be buried the next morning.  People say that it is the engineer and the transients that account for the various earth lights and swirling mists throughout the north side.  It is for this reason that Sean and I visited during the daytime!

37º 44’ 01” N

89º 13’ 45” W

3 miles

George and Vickie visit Ferne Clyffe State Park

On April 13, 2014 my lovely friend, Vickie, and I decided we were going on a trip.  We piled in the car and traveled to Ferne Clyffe State Park.  We stopped and took a picture at the sign because it is spelled in a very weird way!  I learned that Ferne Clyffe is an Illinois State Park sitting on 2,430 acres in Johnson County.  There are so many beautiful things to look at!  There are many ferns which you may have guessed from the name!  There are also rock formations to look at and climb on.  There's even a 100 foot tall intermittent waterfall.  Some activities that are common at this park are camping, picnicking, hunting, and fishing.  Vickie and I mostly stuck to the many hiking trails.  We found out that George Rogers Clark passed through or near Ferne Clyffe on their trip to Fort Kaskaskia in 1778.  One hundred years later, the Cherokee reportedly used the area as their hunting range while on their Trail of Tears march.  We had a good time!  I was so exhausted I had to go home and take a nap!

Miles Traveled: 32 miles
Latitude: 37.5
Longitude: 88.9