Flint Hills Nature Trail - Ottawa to Rantoul and back

This afternoon we decided to Labor by driving over to Ottawa and ride to Rantoul and back on the Flint Hills Nature Trail.   To get to the trailhead take 7th Street East out of town about as far as you can go and it will be on the right.  We just parked in the grass along the trail . This was going to be a challenge as it would be the furthest we had ridden in one ride.   We had the pleasure of my Daughter joining and pushing us along the ride.  She is a long distance Cross Country runner and in far better shape than we are!  There was some decent traffic on the trail on this beautiful afternoon and evening.   Today's temperature stayed in the 80's so it made for a very enjoyable ride! Daughter smoked us on the way back,  riding all the way to the cars from the bridge and then back 3 miles to us just as we were getting back to the bridge under I-35 just outside of Ottawa.  So proud of my Sweetie and I.   I remember talking to her about a 20 mile ride back in June when we started riding and both of us thinking Hell would be a lot colder place before I would be able to do it.  :)  Seems We proved ourselves Wrong!  They must be selling snowcones in the pit today!     

S~~

Encountered 5 other cyclists, 2 dog walkers and a jogger on this trail today.  And multiple piles of evidence that a horse had been there at some point.  Always glad to see the trail being utilized!

And yay us!  20 miles and we are alive to blog about it! If you had said to me back in late June when we started this new lifestyle that by Labor Day I would go 20 miles in a single ride, I would have said, "What choo talkin' bout, Willis?" LOL :)

~~H

Getting ready to embark on our longest ride yet!

Evidence that plans are in the works for a fence on this bridge.  But as it stands now, it is mildly terrifying. 
This is a long drop if you would go over the side.

Dad and daughter

One of the very few unshaded portions on this stretch of trail

Our halfway point!

Snack stop!

I was disappointed that this photo didn't come out better of us on this neat bridge.  So, here are a couple of doctored Photoshopped attempts to make a crappy exposure picture look a little better.  Black and white version.

I'm kind of partial to this one.  (Diffuse glow filter in Photoshop Elements in case anyone gives a flying fork). LOL

This one came out much better.

The end of the ride.  Goal met!  20 MILES!!!!!!

Video coming someday. :)

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