White Pines Forest State Park, Castle Rock State Park, Lowden State Park, Kiwanis Park

September 29, 2024

Fueled by an excellent buffet breakfast in the Fireside Room, we built a campfire at one of the communal fire pits. While I was tending the fire, one of the employees driving by toward the cabins stopped and asked if I’d heard any noise from the neighboring cabin. I hadn’t; I’d slept as soundly as I can anymore. He told me the people next door had damaged the screen and inner doors as well as the rustic towel rack.

I followed him over to check out the doors. It had taken a fair amount of force not only to rip off struts from the screen door, but to tear off the strip from the edge of the main door. I didn’t see the towel rack. It’s just as well as I was as enraged as the maintenance man about what they’d done to “this 100-year-old historic building” (not quite 100, but close enough). I left him to repair what he could. I hope they were able to get something out of those “guests.”

I had no plans for today other than a visit to Castle Rock State Park and checking out some artwork I found via either Atlas Obscura or Roadside America. First we visited an overlook (wetland area?) I think is part of Castle Rock State Park, followed by the primary area of the park (although this time I was unable to walk up the stairs to the overlook, alas). We also checked out some higher ground across the road from the river that is also part of the park. While driving around, at some point we spotted a turkey vulture flying up into a tree. I hope we weren’t being followed.

Afterward we drove toward Oregon, where we found a low dam, also on the Rock River. Then it was on to the Black Hawk statue, which is (1) in Lowden State Park, also on the list to visit, so two birds, one stone, and (2) a creation of Lorado Taft, the sculptor behind Hyde Park’s “Fountain of Time,” into which he snuck his own likeness. This statue wasn’t intended to be Black Hawk, but the name has stuck.

The final planned stop was to see a smaller statue of a man with a fish on his head. It’s at Kiwanis Park, which we’d passed on the way to Lowden State Park, both on the Rock River.

On the way back to Chicago, we passed wind turbines — many wind turbines. I wonder if they’re the source of my electricity?