This Isn't The Illinois I Knew

I am staying at Ferne Clyffe for four nights. It is such a luxury. I can spend more time exploring the area and also spend more time sitting in my lawn chair. You can never spend too much time sitting in a lawn chair.

Just down the road a piece is another Illinois State Park called Giant City State Park. It got it's name because there are a bunch of big sandstone bluffs and the way these rock formations are laid out, it could resemble city streets. After seeing the City of Rocks last year in New Mexico, Giant City was a bit of a disappointment. We did the nature trail and there were a few places where you walked between the rocks, but the trail mostly just went around the bluff. It was still a pleasant walk, but I guess I wouldn't go out of my way to see this.

 

On the other hand, I would definitely go out of my way to see the Garden of the Gods in the Shawnee National Forest. It is sort of the same idea as Giant City, but much bigger and better. The trail winds in and out of some massive rock formations. I was really surprised that people were able to climb all over the rocks. Seems to me that it would some sort of liability issue or something. It is a long way down from the tops of the rocks into the valley.

 The trail is only a quarter mile long, but it takes over an hour to do the whole trail because you just can't help but veer off onto the tops of these rocks. Let me just say here that Miko is much more sure footed than me. She also has no problem going out to the very edge. Just watching her out there was enough to give me vertigo.

These two girls were maybe around 12-13 years old

This sad guy was hanging out right outside the Garden of the Gods