A Lovely Spring Stroll

Friday Mr. Taleteller took the day off and joined Blueberry, Bunny and me for a hike on the I&M Canal Trail.  Our walk was a delightful Spring walk filled with things the girls enjoyed sniffing and lots of sights to see.  It's got some neat history to it.

The I&M Canal was created as a thoroughfare from Chicago to downstate Illinois.  It was somewhat prosperous until the railroads were built across the country and made travel and commerce much easier.  The railroads pretty much shut down the canals.  The boats that were used were somewhat flat bottomed and had no sails, motors or paddlewheels.  Instead they were pulled along by mules.

Last year they reopened the canal with a boat that volunteers made as a reproduction of the ones that used to travel the canal.  Mr. Taleteller and I rode on the boat last year with my sister, dad and stepmom.  It was really educational and interesting.  They still pull the boat with mules, too.  The reproduction is named The Volunteer.  People in period dress tell different facts about the boats and canal as you ride up to the lock.  The trail winds along beside the canal and offers wonderful biking and walking.  It was a very nice day to be out and we're looking forward to heading back at some point.