300 Miles in 3 Days! Riding for Openlands: Full Ride Video and Day One: Des Plaines to Elmhurt to Elgin to Elmhurst to Elk Grove

Would you like to watch a complete 20 minute video from the ride? Follow the link below.
Video: http://youtu.be/AMJpro8f9M0

The first day of the ride for Openlands was supposed to be to Wisconsin, but due to the strong storms the night before, we ran into some trail quality issues because of the heavy rains. We saw 16 deer within an hour on the Des Plaines River Trail South. The Des Plaines Forest Preserves and nearby, surrounding cities (like Morton Grove) have the most deer by far.

We decided to ride south on the Des Plaines River Trail to Maywood, then had to take North Avenue on sidewalks and navigate under 294 (where we got lost in a cemetery trying to get off the road) to get to the safer part of the Prairie Path. We stopped at Elmhurst College (my beloved Alma mater) for lunch, then rode the Prairie Path, which I had never done in that direction and ended up taking the Great Western trail north to Elgin (turned around at 50 miles.) When we got there, we didn't know where we were because it was formerly a train line and it's not like riding through marked roads. However, if the silly information booth we stopped at had any indication on the map saying WHERE we were on the trail, that would have helped! We were at the fork where it turns into the Fox River Trail, I now know. I looked at a map and figured out afterwards where we were thanks to some clues in photos I took.

The weather was perfect. I made a comment in the video about being able to wear a shirt, which I meant sleeves because it's nice to cover to avoid sunburn but not be too hot.

We passed through a big dog adoption event around Lombard, passed through a French Market in Wheaton, a festival in Villa Park and saved two very sweet stray dog siblings on the way back in Elk Grove by grabbing them and calling their owners (make sure your pets have tags!) so we were glad they were safe because the sun was setting.

So, the path was Des Plaines River Trail South, North Ave West (NOT ideal, don't do that!), York Road South, Prairie Path East, Great Western Trail northeast, BACK down Great Western trail to Prairie Path, to Salt Creek Trail North to Elk Grove on Oakton Street.