7/25/2015
The buildings in Chicago provided plenty of shade as I weaved in between pedestrian traffic. After so many days of country farmland, I enjoyed running through the urban jungle once again. With each step north the buildings shrank and they took the shadows with them. I found Crystal waiting for me just past Wrigley Field. She went for a run but we ended up at the trailer at the same time. I chilled under a tree next to a statue of Abe Lincoln reading a book. Crystal heated our leftover Chinese food for lunch. The spices and scent of fried rice and noodles filled the trailer. Our little home on wheels was like an oven. Wave of heat followed us as we left the trailer for a nice patch of grass. We enjoyed a little picnic in the park and lounged a bit before taking off again.
The suburbs were very clean and the houses were big. While I ran on the bike trails, I remembered the reason I enjoyed running Illinois. The ample amount of trails for pedestrians and cyclists meant I could run without the worry of drivers on their phones. My destination was the town of Lake Forest. When I ran into the town I could hear a group of people chanting something in the distance. I realized they chants were coming from soldiers when I ran past a military training area. At the same time my cell phone notified me that I had a message. Crystal had found a place to park at the First Presbyterian Church. It was a mile away from my original destination. I ran there since I didn’t want her to miss an opportunity to use the shower in the church. They were closing their doors if she didn’t take advantage. My sweat soaked body didn’t have any option except to take another bottle shower in the trailer. At least we had a peaceful place to stay for the night. 
The next morning I couldn’t wait to hit the road. Despite 6200 miles I had put under my feet, I was excited to run. I was about to cross into my 26th state. It was a place I had never seen before and I loved the experience of new places, customs, and culinary delights. As I ran through the last parts of Illinois, I ran past high schools that looked like colleges. The academies could have been built by Charles Xavier for gifted students. The trails that carried me to the end of the state were shaded so I stayed cool most of the day. It made my thirty miles pass quickly.
After snapping a few photos at the border, Crystal headed into Kenosha ahead of me and I finished off the last few miles. Although I didn’t run on a trail, the side of the road was ample. Next to the large asphalt lane plenty a wide dirt shoulder gave runners and cyclists plenty of cushion from the traffic. When I reached the town of Kenosha, I expected to see lots of people attending some country music festival. But the masses never materialized. I ended my run at Penoyer Park. As I ran to the trailer I saw hundreds of birds on the beach. The calm waters looked like a good place for my sweaty body.
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