| Must See |
This group of bikers makes its way from Utica toward the Buffalo Rock rest spot west of Ottawa.
Biking on THE BEATEN PATH From the return of a bike share program to a completed construction project, bicycling through Starved Rock Country is more convenient than ever Story by Mike Murphy, Photos by Tom Sistak
J
ulie Weston wanted to relive the past during a July visit back home to Starved Rock Country. “We grew up riding the (Illinois & Michigan Canal) towpath from Peru to Utica,” the Texas resident says. “We were looking for something to do.” Weston was able to make that ride without having to bring a bicycle on the plane from Dallas to Chicago. The Illinois & Michigan Canal bike share program made it convenient to do so
8 | Fall 2021 • Starved Rock Country
from five different canal locations. “It was super easy. The bikes were in great shape and the setup was easy,” she says. Had Weston wanted to ride further east, she could have done so without physical interruption. A washed-out portion of the towpath at Higbee Run creek between Utica and Ottawa was repaired to include a new box culvert and bridge structure that now span the waterway
