Lover's Leap

Legend has it that an Illinois boy met and fell in love with a Potawatomi girl. Since the tribes were at war, neither chief would marry them. The lovers walked around for a while trying to find a solution. When they could not find one they decided that if they could not be married they would die together. So they proceeded to the cliff, joined hands and jumped so they would be together through all eternity. Of course, it's just a legend. If you really look down that cliff you can see it's no longer than 8 feet!

That's one of many stories told at the beloved Starved Rock State Park. I haven't been back since Jeff proposed to me at the nearby Matthiesan State Park. It's the prettiest place I've found in the state to enjoy nice, paved hiking trails. It's especially nice to enjoy the park in the fall as the leaves are changing color. And the surrounding water makes the trails much more scenic, in my opinion. It kind of reminds me of a hike I took with a dear friend of mine in Walden Pond.
Of course, Jeff and I are terribly out of shape and had folks our grandparents' age pass us by! How sad is that?
But seriously, for the first time this fall season, I've actually enjoyed the fall...the crisp air, colors on the trees, and bundling up to hike a few miles. And since we were somewhat close to Chicago we drove into the city to enjoy dinner. If you like Thai food there's a place called "Tac Quick" in Wrigleyville. The menu is very Americanized so you have to ask for the "secret Thai menu." Jeff tried pan-fried duck eggs...I had the crispy pork skin dish. Very good. And cheap. But if you're not as adventurous I hear the generic stuff is good, too. Just a tip...Facebook won't let me post all my pictures to an album which has frustrated me all morning! But I'll get it done at some point.