I apologize for giving short shrift to these two campgrounds. Illinois Beach State Park was very nice, with large campsites and clean bathrooms (among the top five things you ideally want from a campsite: large and/or private sites, clean bathrooms, showers, convenient water taps, and natural beauty—not necessarily in that order). Quiet neighbors are good, too, and this campground ticked all the boxes. It was right on the western shore of Lake Michigan, with miles of clean beaches and a nature preserve with multiple hiking loops.

So it was not the campground that diminished this stop in my memory, but a very human tragedy. A man was swimming near a man-made breakwater constructed of large rocks. His 14 year old son, standing on the breakwater, was struck by a wave and knocked into the water. It was three days before they found him.

I was walking the paved bikeway when I heard the sirens, and saw multiple helicopters take up positions facing the lake. They were TV crews, we found out later. Multiple boats and divers were working the area around the beach and the breakwater. It went on until dark, then resumed the next morning, as we gathered updates from bystanders and snips of news broadcasts.

We left sobered by the tragedy. Worse, we were told that drownings at this beach are common. Strong underwater currents drag swimmers away from shore, and few weekend visitors coming from Chicago and other northern Illinois urban areas are aware of the dangers. And there is no funding for lifeguards.

Of Pioneer Trails Campground, there is not much to say (full RV hookups, crowded) except that we met a great couple from Michigan, and spent quite a while chatting with them when I discovered that she (also named Nancy) was a seamstress! I’m not sure what Russ and her husband (Rich? Rick?) found to talk about, but apparently they found something in common, as the four of us talked for at least a couple of hours. Nancy and I exchanged emails, and have already checked in with each other.

Russ left the day before me, to begin riding across the Yoop. He will catch up with me at my next site, Brevoort Lake, in the Hiawatha National Forest. From there, I will cross the bridge and begin our travels down the eastern shore of Lake Michigan. I’m trying to persuade Russ to take the free ferry to Mackinac Island, rather than ride in the car with me across the bridge, and at least get a glimpse of that, as no cars are allowed on that island. I figure he will think it’s heaven.