Earlier this year I received a comment from a reader named Jerry. He stated that if my dream of being able to travel more ever happened I should write about it. Well, here goes.
After years of hearing how many people love the Shawnee National Forest in southern Illinois, my wife and I crammed 2 bikes into a Kia, parked the combine and hay baler, and headed south. The internet stated that Shawnee is busiest in April and October. That meant we had to stay 2 nights a tad bit south in Paducah, Kentucky. The wallet loved it; gas was only $3.39 versus $4 plus north of the river.
Paducah was very interesting. We dipped our fingers into the confluence of the Ohio and Tennessee rivers while we walked the riverfront after breakfast. The river was so far low/down the slanted boat ramp/pier that it was hard to imagine the water ever being 60-70 feet higher and the height of the flood markings on the historic buildings in downtown Paducah.
After visiting Ferne Cliff State Park, Tunnel Hill Bike Trail, Cave-In-Rock, an old Indian village on a bluff, Elizabethtown and The Paducah riverfront, I thought the internet was wrong about October being a busy time of year for tourism. We were usually all by ourselves. That was until we made it to the Garden of the Gods and the overflowing parking lots.
Some quick notes from the trip: Superman did not mind when I tugged on his cape in Metropolis. Almost none of the vehicles on the highway drove aggressive or sped more than 3mph like in northern Illinois. There are either a lot more raccoons down south or they are reckless, I saw close to 100 of them dead on the roads. I drove Route 45 much more than I do in my own county, and the Route 45 bridge over the Ohio river is fun to drive.
The Kia only managed 26-27 mpg while traveling close to 80 mph south on the interstates into a headwind. The return trip on Routes 1, 34, 45, 121, 145, 146 and many county roads north with speeds of 50-65 mph and a 30 mph tailwind produced 38.9 mpg for fuel economy.
The weekend weather was amazing with daytime highs approaching 80. The creek beds were dry with no rain for 6-10 weeks for much of the area. On our arrival we hardly noticed a leaf falling; by the time we left it was snowing leaves. I will caution you that climbing the rocks and hiking trails in rough terrain was more interesting/challenging when wet and covered with leaves. Despite Southern Illinois being known for its large amount of wheat acreage, I only saw 2 fields of growing wheat the entire trip. On my first day home, I saw more green wheat growing in Manhattan Township than I had the entire time in the tip of the state. I suspect the drought and later growing season had much to do with that observation.
On the trip home I did find a tidbit on the internet that claimed Bell Smith Springs Scenic Area was a hidden gem in Shawnee. That was a true statement. The paved road became narrow and then gravel with hardly a soul to be found in the area. There were only a few small parking lots that would not even hold 50 vehicles, but the trails and terrain to the natural bridge, old grist mill and Devils Backbone were the highlight of the trip.
I must return. I never made it to Fort Massac, Shawneetown, or several parks close to the Mississippi River. I didn’t see Bigfoot, or take the Cave in Rock ferry across the Ohio river. The Cave in Rock is well known for the Robbers/pirate that would lure travelers in to be robbed. The ferry is free! How can that be? Nothing is free! Is it possibly a modern-day ruse like the cave dwellers used years ago? Once the ferry crosses halfway, do they negotiate the fee for a safe return to land?
I hope to survive this encounter and write about it soon.
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