So you're looking for a road less traveled

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by M.J. PORTER
Daily Herald Staff Writer(?)

Want to get away from it all this Memorial Day weekend?

The Illinois Prairie Path offers 55 miles of trails for hikers, cyclists and equestrians.

We asked some DuPage County residents to gives us tips about the path using both modes of transportation. Glen Ellyn residents Jean and Paul Mooring, charter members of the Illinois Prairie Path for 32 years, walk the path every weekend. And Daily Herald Assistant City Editor Carla Kemp, a Warrenville resident, is a weekend cyclist.

Q. What are some points of interest along the trail?

A. The trail through Fermi Lab in Batavia is one of the spots Kemp likes to travel to see the buffalo. She also enjoys riding through Herrick Lake Forest Preserve where she can get both a suntan and a workout.

"It never gets monotonous because the trail has so many sections," Kemp said. "You see something different all the time, so you don't feel like you're exercising because you're really enjoying yourself so much."

With all those years on the path, the Moorings favor the Lincoln Marsh in Wheaton. They enjoy walking through the area to see the animals, birds, prairie restoration and the savanna oak area.

"The savanna oak is the rarest ecological system in DuPage County now," Jean Mooring said.

Q. Where can you park your car?

A. The Moorings said parking is available where the path crosses highways as well as at the forest preserves and train commuter parking lots in the many towns along the path.

Q. How about pit stops for water, food and restrooms?

A. Water and restrooms also are available at the forest preserves and towns along the way. The Moorings said there are so many good restaurants that it is impossible to list them all.

Q. Where are some good picnic sites?

A. The picnic sites Kemp recommends are in Blackwell Forest preserve, Herrick Lake and in Geneva along the Fox River Trail.

The picnic site preferred by the Moorings is in Reed Keppler Park in West Chicago.

"This has swimming, two picnic pavilions, ball fields and a beautiful oak forest," Jean Mooring said. "But you do have to bring your own grill."

The other site they recommend is Sesquicentennial Park in Warrenville. This park offers restrooms, two grills, picnic tables, a tot lot and drinking fountain.

Q. What historical points of interest are on the path?

A. The Moorings are very familiar with the history of the path and even offer a history hunt for the path. Some items on their hunt include the buffalo, the Perry Mastadon at Wheaton College and the RELIC Trolley Museum in South Elgin.

There's also Kline Creek Farm on the new trail between the Great Western Trail and the Elgin Branch. The farm offers history of the late 1800s with special weekend events.

Free copies of the history hunt are available by sending a business-sized, self-addressed, stamped envelope to Prairie Path Hunt, 295 Abbotsford Court, Glen Ellyn, IL 60137.

Q. What equipment should cyclists have?

A. The helmet is first, Kemp said. Bikers might also take a water bottle, keys, money for a phone call, a flat-tire kit and lock for the bicycle. An odometer is nice to show distance and speed.

Q. Are the paths patrolled?

A. The Moorings said police patrols are becoming more frequent because more people use the paths. Along with the patrols in the forest preserves, they know of special officers that patrol the paths in Wheaton, Villa Park, Lombard, Elmhurst, Glen Ellyn and West Chicago.

Q. Are there any rules of etiquette for trail users?

A. "The most important thing is for equestrians and bicyclists to say `Passing on the left` to announce their presence," said the Moorings.

Kemp said cyclists should ride on the right.

Both hikers or riders should not travel side-by-side to chat, taking up the whole lane.

"That's an annoyance for serious riders," she said, adding "Don't litter. It's really sad when you see the pristine area, then you see pop cans and garbage."

- M.J. Porter

Copies of a large, detailed map of the Illinois Prairie Path are available for $6 each by calling (630) 752-0120.