POST 598: 04/13/12: DE KALB - OREGON, ILLINOIS

A bittersweet day was today. Breakfast at 7:00 am with Carol and Ruth; goodbyes to new friends at the Pines Acres Nursing Home; a drive out Highway 64 to park SPIA at the intersection of SR 64 and SR 251; a first walk of the day BACK toward De Kalb for 8 miles; then West on SR 64 for another 14 miles, taking us to the town of Oregon, Illinois.

The above Wigwam a.k.a., Teepee, is to be found throughout the pristine town of Oregon.


SR 64 on the way to Oregon, Illinois.


Corn Harvesters by JOHN DEER, awaiting buyers.

Local farmers are in the process of preparing their fields; some fields are still lying fallow - some have been disked once - some have been disked a second time - a very few are being fertilized - and fewer yet are being planted.

There are literally hundreds of large fields of corn from within the State of Ohio continuous to and beyond Oregon, Illinois - we will find corn all the way into the far west as we walk with the Sun -. Preparation, planting, and harvesting must be done in a rotating manner...it would be quite impossible to harvest all the fields at once.


SR 64 as I walked West toward Oregon, Illinois.

The wind today was from due South (180 degrees on the compass), so I had to fight the 40 + mph wind all day walking in both directions.


Arriving in Oregon, Illinois, was pleasantly pleased to find a pristine smallish town with some artistic class.



Bordering the East margin of Oregon, Illinois is the above ROCK RIVER.


Teepees are to be found in several places throughout Oregon, Illinois.


As with many towns in the "East / Mid West", murals abound on city buildings.


SR 64 bridge over the Rock River.


Please click click to enlarge...the narrative is historically interesting.



Main street - SR 64 - in Oregon, Illinois.




Court House.


Court House Main Entry.



Court House side street view.


War Memorial.




Once the Movie House...now H&R Block.

Not only did the wind blow hard all day, it also rained for a good part of the day. Forecast is predicting thunder storms the next 48 hours or so with up to 1 inch rain...with continued winds to and exceeding 40 miles per hour.

Will be a bit challenging for walking; but, we will walk each day, wearing our rain outfits.

We are parked in downtown Oregon, Illinois for the night. I have, this evening, already walked 8 miles West on SR 64 to the town of Mt. Morris; so, in the morning, will drive SPIA to Mt. Morris, park and walk West on SR 64 toward the intersection with US 52 near Brookville, Illlinois.

We should reach the Mississippi River at Savanna, Illinois on Sunday, April 15, where we will enter into the State of Iowa.