I’m a road-trip kinda gal, but a few days ago Jesse asked if I wanted to fly to Boston with him. I was packed and ready to go faster than you can say Beantown. Though I had only been there once, briefly, ten years ago, I love Boston; plus I was eager to spend some time alone with my man.
It was a quick trip — we only had one full day in Boston. Jesse had to work and I was there to research The Quarter Millennial Experience which is a play I am writing. The QMX takes place on a commuter train in Boston so I visited places that would be familiar to the characters: the Freedom Trail, a train station, the North End (Boston’s Little Italy), the Holocaust Memorial, the Irish Famine Memorial, Chinatown and two museums. I spent a grand total of $15 — the price of museum admission.
Walking around Boston. I was headed to the Old State House which is the red brick building in the center.
While I walked around Boston and people-watched, Jesse had a site visit for a multimillion dollar show he will be working on next month. His work-day cost several thousands of dollars. When we met back at the hotel that afternoon, he said the information gathered at the site visit could have taken place over Zoom and a couple emails.
The difference in the way we “spent” our days is representative of how my husband and I spend our lives. He’s a spender; I’m not. He’s strategic and corporate; I’m artistic and have a short attention span. He’s the best at what he professionally does — always in demand. I’m…dispensable. After twenty years of marriage, we’ve given up trying to change each other, but we haven’t given up on each other.
It’s a simple thing to love someone and be loved back so sustaining our marriage is somewhat brainless for us. No one has ever tried to break us up and we both have an “us versus them” mentality about society. No way in hell are we going to let society win. Besides, marriage is a place to be fully human with another person. Where else can you say that is true?
I have to finish my chores, which includes weeding the vegetable garden, watering the plants with rain water I collected from the last storm, stirring the compost, and scrubbing the floors with hot earth-friendly soapy water. And I need to work on my play. While I do that, Jesse will be invoicing and working on estimates. When we’re done with our respective tasks, we’re headed to a nearby nature preserve for a hike which is something sustainable we always enjoy doing together no matter how different we are.
Thanks for reading! -Connie
P.S. I took the featured photo about a week ago at the forest preserve we will be visiting later today. The prairie is really coming to life and will be even more beautiful and colorful now through July. Here’s how to RSVP for a free public hike at that preserve.
My daughter Jocelyn is temporarily home from college so we squeezed in a hiking trip at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. It’s located in the upper peninsula of “The Great Lakes State.”
Day One
Halfway into our seven-hour drive from northern Illinois (Rockford) to the central upper peninsula (Munising, Michigan), I realized I forgot to print my park pass. That’s the one-page “proof of purchase” you buy online, print at home and place on your dashboard whenever you park in a Painted Rocks parking lot. If you don’t display your ticket in the national park, you could get fined or, I dunno, towed or fed to the mosquitoes.
Knowing we wanted to legally hike, I texted our motel to see if I could print the pass in their office but she said they didn’t have a printer. She suggested the local visitor’s bureau located a block from the motel.
I called the bureau and a bureaucrat answered. I told her I was looking for a business center to print my park pass.
“You kinda can’t print anywhere in town except here,” she said, “so it’ll cost $5.00.”
“I don’t mind paying,” I told her, “but it’s only one page.”
“Yeah,” she said. “You kinda can’t print anywhere else in town.” She said something about throwing in a map, which we didn’t need or want.
I generally don’t believe in time-travel, but when the bureaucrat told me I was going to have to pay up, I was instantly transported to Cornell College in the year 1991. I could suddenly my college roommate’s 20-year-old voice angry-whispering the following three words into my ear:
bamboozling bureaucratic bullshit!
I don’t know if she still does, but back in the day, Patty had a knack for alliteration. If she felt someone was trying to rip her off — like a tuition hike or an ATM fee — she’d mutter the triple-b with a disgusted look on her otherwise innocent face. Now, 33 years later and with more than 2000 miles separating us, I heard her glorious poetry ringing in my ears.
***
I know five dollars isn’t a lot of money but charging that much for a lousy piece of paper is a crappy way to welcome a visitor. I wondered how many other junk fees awaited us in Munising, Michigan.
***
As I drove, Jocelyn looked up the local library’s website on her phone and learned it would cost 15 cents to print one piece of paper. When we got there, we had the pass printed and tried to pay, but the librarian shooed away the five-dollar bill like it was a pesky fly.
“It would be silly to charge for a single piece of paper,” she said, proving once again that libraries are the cornerstone of humanity and librarians are the best people on the planet.
***
After we procured our park pass, we checked into our motel. It had two beds, a small bathroom and a Keurig for morning coffee. It offered air conditioning but, even better, the windows opened! It was the perfect place to clean up and rest after long, muddy hikes. After we unpacked, we hit the trails.
It was lightly raining and getting late but Munising is on the western “side” of the Eastern Time Zone so we had until 9:22 p.m. to safely hike! In Rockford, we would have only had until 8:18 p.m. This scientific shit blows my mind and if you told me the government has something to do with it, well, I’d probably die.
Anyway, first we hiked an easy half-mile through the Sand Point Marsh Trail, then up and into the North Country Scenic Trail and back. Because it was lightly raining, everything seemed to appear in grayscale (see unfiltered photo above) but once the rain let up, the colors came out in full.
A rainbow appeared and soon after we saw a Sandhill Crane family (the parents and their two colts) cruising through the woods. Zoom in to see the colts!
Not long after we saw the crane family, we encountered this lovely little waterfall.
The “tiny” waterfall on the North Country Scenic Trail whetted our appetite for a “destination” waterfall so we ventured to Munising Falls next and hiked a short distance to this dramatic 50-foot waterfall. Even though this picture (below) was taken at 8:53 p.m., there was still plenty of daylight. Amazing.
Day One — Beary the Lede
We saw a black bear! Honestly, this part of Day One deserves to be at the tippy-top of this blog post, but sometimes ya just gotta bury — or in this case beary — the lede.
After we hiked a couple miles from Sand Point Beach, we drove to Munising Falls. That’s when we saw a bear on the forest side (the left side) of the road. I saw its massive black side and some branches moving up and down. Jocelyn saw its face! We instinctively and collectively held our breath as I stopped and backed up our Bronco (our vehicle, not an actual horse) so we could continue to admire it. This lasted several seconds before it realized it was being watched, turned away and “disappeared” into the woods. We exhaled (dramatically, because we’re dramatic people) and continued driving.
The movement of the bear and the surrounding bushes instantly reminded me of the bell hooks (she did not capitalize her name) poem Appalachian Elegy.
We recite this beautiful poem at every Winter Solstice Poetry Caroling Festival so when I saw the bear “stamping down plants and pushing back brush” I instantly “saw” the poem at the same time I saw the bear. I love when poetry lights the way.
And I love that the bear let us see him, if only for a few seconds. Our hearts were pounding and full.
Thanks for reading about Day One. Have you been to Pictured Rocks? -Connie
Poetry Lovers, Here's the excerpt I remembered from the bell hooks "Appalachian Elegy" poem:
night moves through the thick dark a heavy silence outside near the front window a black bear stamps down plants pushing back brush fleeing manmade confinement roaming unfettered confident any place can become home strutting down a steep hill as though freedom is all in the now no past no present
P.S. It’s worth mentioning that Jocelyn works at her college’s music library and occasionally prints a page or two — for free — for students and professors. And I occasionally print multiple pages for fellow writers, also for free. Haven’t we all been in a printer crisis? If you are able, just print the damn pages!
When my husband wakes up in the morning, he slides open our bedroom curtains, peers through the window and says, “Good morning, Rockford!” I laugh every single time because, you see, Jesse hates Rockford and I sorta do too. But starting the day with a little irony is something that brings us both a little happiness. Recommend.
Four more very simple “everyday things” that bring us happiness include:
waving the other driver in
answering our email & texts with alacrity
speculating who –or what — our new next-door neighbor is (currently think it’s a out-of-state dude running an Airbnb)
hiking in or at nearby woods and prairies
Now here are some simple, everyday things that bring me happiness:
fresh water in clean bowls for our cats & dog
backyard wildlife
our Little Library
not using the Oxford comma
seeing what the Royal Family is up to
And here are five things that bring Jesse everyday happiness:
being nice to gruff people
his decibel meter (not a euphemism — he likes measuring sound levels)
socks that are especially snug around his arches
combing his beard while he talks to me or the kids
his backyard pond and goldfish
Things that don’t happen every single day, rather weekly or monthly, that bring us happiness include:
paying extra principal on the mortgage
finding a really insightful book, podcast, series or movie
playing Trivia or meditating on “interactive” Netflix
TSA pre-check
watching Wheel of Fortune
And here are a five happiness-inducing things that happen a few times a year:
when the price of gas goes down for a few days
when a new animal (wild or domesticated) visits our yard or house
camping and hiking in a different state
discovering a new recipe that our entire family loves
Cookie Dasher
The real happiness comes from:
each other
our kids
our extended family
theatre / performance art
our friends
our pets
But you already know that. Thanks for reading! -Connie
P.S. That is not our dog. He just hung out in our backyard for a few minutes. That’s Angelo on his way to school.
P.P.S. We also kinda love Rockford. That’s just how it goes.
I’ve never “reblog” button before but thought I’d share our Rockford Fringe blog post with you because some of you have asked me where we hike. My dad once told me, “If one person asks, then twelve people care” and I’ve been operating on that scale for as long as I can remember.
We hike all over, but I’m including a short blog (above) about where we hike in the winter.
Hope this information helps and remember, our hikes are free and open to the public so join us!
Witch-adjacent woman waits for Aldi to open during an ice storm. What fun!
Hike. I love hiking in northern Illinois. It doesn’t matter if I’m alone, with the Rockford Fringe, or with my family — it’s always marvelous. But I love hiking out of town (or state) even more. I frequently daydream about where I get to hike next.
Blog. It’s good writing practice and always takes me on new paths of truth. Blogging is like hiking for the mind.
Mushrooms. Foraging for choice mushrooms brings gladness to my heart every single time. I also love cooking ’em up!
Witchcraft. I started reading about witchcraft several years ago when a friend of mine asked me rather seriously, “Are you a witch?” I was like, “Uhhh, no….” He patiently pointed out that I love nature and the outdoors and gave off a certain vibe and should look into it. I don’t usually like being mansplained, but I trusted him enough to read up on the subject and very quickly understood what he was implying. Witchcraft isn’t as scary as it sounds and it’s really just a new way of paying attention to the environment and each other.
If you’re curious about“witching,” here’s something simple you can do: Pay attention to whatever wild animals you see this week. Notice which one you see the most. That animal is trying to tell you something. Google their spiritual meaning and see if you can make sense of the message. Example: If you see several hawks this week, that can mean you are angry about something and need to work through it.
Fasting. In the spring, I fast for 19 days in solidarity with my Baha’i and Baha’i-adjacent friends. I rarely see these friends anymore so this practice helps keep me in touch with them, at least spiritually. It is fun to think of them and pray for them.
Read Romance Novels. Here’s a link to some NPR-recommended romance novels. NPR also introduced me to Emily Henry and Abby Jimenez. I’ll admit I’m a little embarrassed whenever anyone catches me reading a romance novel but the truth is these books can be a lot of fun.
Aldi. I used to detest grocery shopping but a few years ago, I decided to give Aldi a try. My whole world brightened when I discovered this small, approachable store with self-checkout. Now I look forward to shopping. I only wish I thought cooking was fun.
Math. I wrote most of today’s blog when I was in the parking lot at Aldi, waiting for it to open. I don’t usually write on my phone, but I thought I’d give it a try. As such, I wasn’t paying technical attention to what I was writing, lost count and went over the “five item maximum.” I hope you don’t call the #bloganuary police on me!
Thanks for reading. I hope you had fun! -Connie
My first spore print! Another fun thing you can do for free. Place your mushroom “gills down” on a piece of paper and let it sit overnight. In the morning, the spores will have fallen onto the paper and you will be able to properly ID your mushroom AND you’ll have a lovely piece of art!
Testing the trails with my kids at Deer Run Forest Preserve in northern Illinois.
Barefoot hiking with the kids
For the past few weeks, my family and I have been testing several trails in northern Illinois to ensure that they are “barefoot friendly.” To be deemed barefoot friendly, the path must be clear and clean for at least one mile so that the barefoot hiker experiences pleasure, not pain.
Well, maybe a little pain
If you walk too fast, you’re going to get a little hurt. We learned this early in our training. While each of us acclimated very quickly to going barefoot, we started off going too fast. In our first trial week we either got cut, stung, bruised, scraped and/or poked. We’re fine with a little pain, but we have slowed down our pace, especially when others are with us.
A minor scratch from going too fast. Lesson learned.
The perks of bare feet
You can google “barefoot hiking” and find numerous articles, blogs and websites that list the health benefits. But here, I’ll share with you you what I’ve experienced.
One, I feel better. I feel…more.
Two, I’m more aware of my surroundings. Not only do I notice what’s happening on the ground, I’ve become more in tune with what’s happening with the trees and plants. A month ago, when I started going barefoot on a regular basis, I noticed that the trees, hedges, bushes and plants are in a constant state of shedding their leaves, blossoms, blooms and needles. Most of the shedding is pure comfort to walk upon. While I don’t recommend walking on blue spruce needles, it’s very pleasant to walk on white pine needles and yew needles.
Where the sidewalk…begins
It used to cause me pain to take walk on pavement. Now I see where the trees and plants lay down places for me to walk barefoot. A weed growing through the cracks makes a soft landing pad as do the little divots of dried out dirt in fragmented sidewalks. The wind has blown the early spring blossoms of my trees and flowers into a fine floral carpet in my back yard. I no longer slip on my sandals when I take out the trash or walk my dog. I rake the yard less. I stopped sweeping the sidewalk. I’ve found that Mother Nature naturally softens the earth for bare feet. And that’s just in my neighborhood.
Seasonal
I am not a fan of the humidity that comes with a Midwestern summer but I love walking barefoot through a cool forest on a hot day. It’s rejuvenating. I also love walking through hot, dry grass alongside an Illinois prairie. There is a soft crunch that comes with each step and the blades of grass send chills up my body. The textures of the trails are exhilarating.
Where I should go barefoot hiking?
Start small. Go barefoot inside and outside your home. Drive somewhere in your bare feet. Let your feet get used to being bare. When you’re ready, hit the trails. Just remember to go slow.
My favorite barefoot friendly trails (BFTs) are located at Hononegah Forest Preserve and Funderburg Forest Preserve. You can get two safe, sentient miles in at these BFTs.
PRO TIP #1: At Hononegah, start at the trail opening just off the soccer field. Go left and head toward the river. You’ll have a lovely experience.
PRO TIP #2: At Funderburg, if you’re a beginner, I recommend starting with your shoes or sandals on. Head toward the trail that takes you through the woods and to the creek. Once you pass the gravel, you can remove your footwear. We usually just leave our shoes on the side of the trail, but you can carry them with you, if you like.
There are many more paths that are perfect for bare feet which leads me to…
PRO TIP #3: Come with me!
If you’re not ready to venture out on your own, I’m leading several “shoe optional” hikes for the Rockford Fringe this summer. These free guided hikes are one or two miles long and after our walks, we’re having a light picnic and an art pop-up. That means we spend a half hour or more writing, reading, sketching, composing or creating some new kind of art. We call them “twarts” because they’re outdoor adventures with a twist of art.
Did I lose you?
If so, which part?
Does saying or even just reading “twart” make you uncomfortable? It’s a silly made-up word that embodies the Rockford Fringe. It can’t hurt you!
Are you turned off to the idea of exposing your bare tootsies in public? The hikes are shoe optional, so wear your footwear if you like.
Are you turned off to the idea of creating art in the open air? If so, then just observe or leave early.
Are you turned off to the idea of a picnic? Then don’t eat.
Real talk
I love barefoot hiking. I love writing, music, theatre, art, poetry and spoken word. I love picnics. I love being outside. I love meeting people. And I love sharing safe, fun, free events with the public. Why? Because the Rockford Fringe shows me what’s real. It shows me who’s real. It shows me, time and time again, people who think for themselves.
I am excited to see who shows up and gives their feet a chance to connect with the earth. And I’m even more excited to see what is created! We’ve already witnessed one new original song, a new short story, the beginning of a new screenplay, a couple new poems and some sketching and drawing.
We’re looking for a few brave souls and soles to join us at our twarts. Are you one of them? Then click the Events tab and sign up.
Thanks for reading! Hope to see you at a twart! -Connie
My foot at Hononegah Forest Preserve.
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This morning, I was reading a chapter about the benefits of walking barefoot. I’ve been thinking about guiding a two or three-mile barefoot hike at a local forest preserve and was searching for insight and came across the following quote:
Our feet have almost twice as many nerve endings as a penis, making them one of the most intensely tactile and sensuous parts of the body.
After I read that, I put my book down, stared at bare feet and wondered, “Is that supposed to inspire me?”
Because it didn’t.
However, it did remind me of an article I read in the local paper several years ago. It was about a young man who was part of an organization that walks barefoot every day. Even though there was absolutely no mention of the nerve endings of a penis, I was still inspired.
It was winter but I was eager to give barefoot walking a try. I wasn’t particularly good at it, not at first. Walking on frozen sidewalks and earth feels like you’re getting burned and scraped at the same time, but I kept trying and now it’s something I do every day. I don’t do it for long periods of time. I’ll do little things. I’ll take the trash out or go to the basement or drive or walk Barbara. Right now I am writing barefoot.
Though I’ve been a practicing barefoot-walker for more than a decade, my mind still plays tricks on me. It tries to talk me out of it.
“You’ll get stung!” “You’ll cut yourself!” “You’ll get pulled over!” “You’ll step on broken glass!” “You’ll fall!” “You’ll step on a slug!” “You’ll step in…something wet.”
My mind tries to scare me away from connecting with the earth (or my home or my car). My mind tells me to stop being direct.
I hate when my mind tells me to stop being direct and I hate when my body sends me signals that interfere with my intuition. But I love finding ways to rebel against fear.
I hope you’ll consider joining me on a barefoot hike. I’m still working out the details of when and where, but wanted to write about it today in hopes that it would sort of whet your appetite to go on a barefoot hike with me.
Jocelyn and Angelo came with me on a hike yesterday. Sort of. They went one way and I went the other way. They chased each other with snowballs for the full two-mile loop and by the time we met back in the parking lot, they were both pink-faced and drenched in the specific wetness that comes from being pelted, repeatedly, with snowballs.
It must have been quite a workout because even though it was cold, they both had their jackets tied around their waists and were fanning themselves as they got into the car. They were breathless and their hot faces reflected pure joy.
They share a special bond. Jocelyn is 17 and five years older than Angelo. From an early age, Angelo insisted on spending time with Jocelyn, clearly stating, “I hate Mommy and Daddy! I only love Joce!” I suppose I should be embarrassed that my kid said he hated me, but the moment filled (and fills) me with absurd pride. I’ve always loved watching them interact.
As we drove home, they “argued” about who won the snowball fight. By all appearances, it looked like a draw. They both had several pancake-shaped wet marks on their clothes. It dawned on me that I truly didn’t (and don’t) know who won.
Was it really a draw? Did Jocelyn throw the fight?I don’t think she did.
My thoughts were interrupted when I noticed my car shaking. I looked at my speedometer. I was going 80 in a 55 mph zone. Country roads, amirite? I gently braked and set the cruise control to 55.
“Sorry about that,” I said. “I wasn’t paying attention. Remember, cruise control is your friend.”
I always apologize when I make a driving mistake in front of my kids. It’s part of how I train them to become safe drivers and embrace accountability. But sometimes I talk too much.
“I’m just excited to get home and wash my mushroom,” I added quite unnecessarily. “But that’s still no excuse for speeding.”
It’s true: I had found an artist conk in the woods and I was excited to get it home. I am absolutely that nerdy. But that wasn’t why I was speeding.
I was speeding because I was obsessing over their snowball fight. Even though we hiked in separate directions, I heard them shouting and laughing for most of the hour we were apart.
It occurs to me now that snowball fights don’t have winners and losers. I’ve never seen anyone come in from a snowball fight anything other than happy. As I reflect on the snowball fights of my youth, I remember them with warmth and fondness. Of course, I am sure there are people out there who have had terrible experiences with snowball fights. Got bullied, bruised and traumatized. I hate that but for the most part, I am pro-snowball fights, even in April.
Thanks for reading! Time to go dry off my mushroom! -Connie
My 15-year-old son Sam and I went mushrooming today for the first time since December. Neither of us were expecting much but we wanted to get a jump on the season, and some fresh air. We went to Aldeen Park, a city park in the center of Rockford. I followed Sam as he led me several yards off the trail.
“I think I see wood ear,” he said as he took off.
“Really?” I shouted after him. “Are you sure?!”
Sure enough, he had found several of the species. He’s found them before and brought them back to me, but this is the first time I have seen them on the tree. This little guy was “born” last fall, but is still very soft.
It’s really quite a joy to find these little guys. Their scientific name is Auricularia auricula and it’s just a joyful little fungus. Below is the same wood ear, turned inside out. It flips just as easily as a dog ear.
The instant Sam turned the specimen “inside out” the fungus stopped being a mushroom and “became” the ear of a mythical animal. It looked and felt like the inside of a mysterious ear and we both felt like we were invading its privacy. Sam closed it up and we kept hiking. It’s been several years since I felt this way but there are times when I am convinced the woods want to be alone.
We didn’t stay much longer but we did stop to check on our old pal the artist conk. We wanted to see if he grew from the last time we saw him in November. And he did! It’s pretty amazing how he just hides in plain sight getting bigger every day, kind of like someone else I know.
Hey, it’s another late night (and short) blog. Thanks for reading and remember to watch what you say in the woods. You never know who’s listening. -Connie
A stand of white pine trees in the Kishwaukee River Forest Preserve.
I live in Rockford, Illinois with my husband, our four children and pets. It’s neither a small town nor a suburb. It’s a big town or, if you prefer, a small city. And it really spreads out: It has an area of approximately 65 square miles and a population of @150,000 of the nicest people you’ll ever meet.
For perspective, Chicago (pop: 2.71 million) has 234 square miles. Minneapolis (pop: @420,000) has 59 square miles. I include those two cities because I am very familiar with both and love them dearly. But I live in Rockford and am eager to share the beautiful and free places that make it so special. Here’s where we hiked in 2021:
Aldeen Park / Rockford University. If you want to get a quick, rugged two miles in, Aldeen is a city park that has a great trail system replete with a creek, dam, prairie, bluffs, hills and lots of deer.
I don’t have a picture of any of the dozens of deer we saw in 2021 but here is evidence of “buck rub.”
Aldeen also connects with the local university, which offers several unexpected moments of nature.
Sam and Angelo explore a pile of “junk” trees behind the university. They found numerous Artists’ Conks and Dryad’s Saddles growing on the decaying wood.Most of the trees in that stash at the university are decaying and hollowed out from insects and mushrooms. Here’s Angelo taking a peek inside.
Blackhawk Springs Forest Preserve. A family favorite. Spectacular views of the Kishwaukee River, lovely trails that connect with several other preserves, lots of biodiversity throughout the system and the “springs” are always a delight, no matter the season,
The “springs” in December at Blackhawk. Always teeming with spirit and life.
It’s easy to get a quick three miles at Blackhawk but you can track several more if that is your intention. Mushroom hunters: I found old, decaying chicken-of-the-woods and oysters here in December. I hope to harvest some fresh choice edibles in the spring, summer and fall!
Cedar Cliff Forest Preserve. Lovely views of a prairie, a mostly hardwood forest (there are a couple different stands of white pine trees in the woods) and the Rock River. You’re likely to encounter deer, an owl, snails and bald eagles on this hike, not to mention at least a dozen species of mushrooms ranging from coral to milk-caps and beyond! This is mostly a loop and it’s less than 2.5 miles long. It’s close to the Rockford Airport so you’ll see and hear low-flying aircraft while you hike. Though this isn’t a long hike, it’s one of my favorites because it’s close to home but it feels like a completely different state.
Views like this make me feel like I’m far away from home but Cedar Cliff Forest Preserve is a less than 20 minute drive!
Colored Sands Forest Preserve. Terrific prairie, lovely woods, nice view of the Kish. A busy thoroughfare for birds and bird banders so be mindful of the mist nets. Easy to get a quick two miles here. With a little ingenuity, you’ll track 10 miles because it connects with Sugar River Alder Forest Preserve. Wear bright colors during hunting season because hunters are out on nearby private properties. Speaking of bright, check out this Northern Cinnabar Polypore I found at Colored Sands on Christmas Eve:
Beautiful pore structure and a lovely burnt orange color. This is a Northern Cinnabar Polypore (Trametes cinnabarina) I found on a decaying log about twenty feet from the trail not far from the hawk station.
Deer Run Forest Preserve. Fern and I love it here. The trails go on for miles and take you through woods, by prairies and right up-and-into the Kishwaukee River. Easy to get a quick three miles in, but if you want more, you’ll track at least six. Hiking in the winter is delightful, but I can’t wait until the spring so I can forage for mushrooms here. I don’t want to give away too much, but if you see this tree in the spring, summer or fall, you are probably steps aways from several species of choice mushrooms! Hint: not a chicken, but a ______ of-the-woods!
Mushroom lovers: If you see this tree at Deer Run, you are very close to several species of choice mushrooms!
Funderburg Forest Preserve. Go there in May to check out the spectacular meadows. You will see unique shades of green in May. You can cover a lot of miles here, but it’s not my favorite. While most trails are inherently uneven, the trails around the cornfields can be ankle-twisters, not to mention boring. And I noticed there were a lot of horse flies particularly in the deepest sections of the woods all summer long. This is one of those places I wanted (and repeatedly tried) to unconditionally love, but I only recommend it as a place to see cool shades of green in the month of May:
Check out Funderburg in May when the meadows glow with glorious green.
FUNDERBURG UPDATE JULY 10, 2023: On Sunday, July 9, 2023, I was hiking at Funderburg with the Rockford Fringe and was completely astonished to discover that several of the “boring cornfields” have indeed been converted into stunning prairies teeming with yarrow, bergamot and brown-eyed Susans. It is absolutely gorgeous! As such, Funderburg has climbed to the top of my favorite places to hike in northern Illinois.
Funderburg in 2023! They’ve converted the old cornfields into gorgeous wildflower prairies!
Kishwaukee Gorge North. If you’re going for miles, you’ll have to repeat the course, but the gorge is great and the workout going up and down is intense and fun. Lovely views of the Kishwaukee River and lots of mushrooms!
My sons exploring the gorge at Kishwaukee Gorge North in November. Several species of mushroom here.
Macktown Forest Preserve. Sort of small so park at the entrance to get your steps in. This place features lovely trails through a hardwood forest, nice views of the Rock River, an interesting cemetery where Hononegah is buried and educational signage about the history, native plants and more. But be careful. There is weirdness lurking in the woods:
Mysterious bin located fifty feet from the trail at Macktown. I was too chicken to get any closer. Jimmy Hoffa, are you in there?
Oak Ridge Forest Preserve. Unique structure and vibe. I always see something unusual here. Almost feels like you’re in the South. It starts by the Kishwaukee River then dips in and out of the forest.
This is a decaying giant puffball mushroom at Oak Ridge. The sunlight hit it in such a way that you can see its stunning purple hues. Most of the time, decaying puffballs look greyish-greenish-brown.
Rock Cut State Park. Located in Loves Park, this park features a beautiful forest, lovely lakes, camping and delightful trails. Once a year we rent a pedal boat and head out on Pierce Lake. It is especially fun to go early in the morning when it is quiet and misty.
Fern and Angelo on Pierce Lake at Rock Cut State Park.
Russell Woods Forest Preserve. In DeKalb County. Lovely views of the Kishwaukee River, nice trails, peaceful prairie and a nearby farm. Oh, and it has this sledding hill!
Russell Woods in DeKalb County. It’s a sledding hill in the winter but during the summer, it’s where we meet to share our writing or discuss the books we are reading. That’s Fern.
Severson Dells Nature Preserve. A family staple, easy to get in four quick miles. Interesting trails, lovely bluffs, an inviting creek and a pond that is teeming with life. Visit the woods in the evening to hear and see owls. Get an extra mile in by circling the prairie. Highly recommend the dells but avoid if it recently rained because it gets muddy and slippery.
Seward Bluffs Nature Preserve. One of the perks of hiking in the winter is that you will see things you wouldn’t necessarily see during the warmer months when everything is in “bloom.” Case in point: This dead, decaying tree 50 feet off of mile marker 20 is loaded with the biggest artists’ conks we have ever seen!
Angelo and I were stunned to find so many enormous artists’ conks on this old, dead tree at Seward.
I am certain we would not have seen these conks if the leaves were still on the trees. But there’s more to this preserve than behemoth mushrooms. Seward Bluffs has bluffs (duh), a river, campsites and lovely winding trails.
Be mindful of hunting season. Hunters have their lookouts right at the edge of their private property lines which border Colored Sands, Sugar River Alder and other forest preserves. It’s legal for them to hunt on their property and they are careful, but wear bright clothes if you hike in November and December.
Sugar River Alder Forest Preserve. Hands down my favorite forest preserve in Winnebago County. Exceptionally quiet, tremendous biodiversity, lots of long trails. Terrific prairie, woods, trails and creek. Wear bright colors in November / during hunting season.
Sugar River Alder Forest Preserve is vibrant and exceptionally quiet except during hunting season. Though not allowed in the preserve, it’s legal to hunt on the nearby properties and several people do.
Bonus Trails
I’m including two “bonus trails” that are located in Minnesota. I haven’t lived in Minneapolis for several years but I still cherish these natural areas and visit them whenever I am the Land of 10,000 Lakes.
Minnesota Valley Wildlife Refuge. Near the Minneapolis-St. Paul airport. The trails seem to go on forever. Years ago, when I worked in Bloomington, I used to come here on my lunch hour, so it’s possible to get a quick, satisfying 30-minute hike here. But I recommend carving out at least three hours so you can explore beyond the usual two-to-four miles.
Get your “butterfly fix” in the prairie and then head onto the trails of the Minnesota Valley Wildlife Refuge for a long, lovely hike.
Quaking Bog in Minneapolis. Located in the heart of the city and home to a beautiful, mysterious bog and several tamarack trees. If you get your fill of sphagnum moss, the bog quickly connects to Eloise Butler Garden, Theo Wirth pathways, more city trails and interesting neighborhoods. This was my “go-to” nature place when I lived in Minneapolis and it’s the first place I visit whenever I go back.
The quaking bog in Minneapolis in August.
What are your favorite places to hike? I hope you consider adding a northern Illinois trail to your list. If you aren’t ready to hike on your own, Rockford Fringe offers free guided hikes every Sunday. RSVP on the Events Page.
Constance Kuntz 