The only training we were able to do was up until Gurnee, so everything after that was new to us and was neat to experience. There are so many butterflies around the 20 miles of wetlands up there, as well as tons of chipmunks just like everywhere else. It was truly awe-inspiring to experience the vast natural diversity and lush natural space that exists around us but we never explore because it's "boring" since it's basically in our back yard. I really didn't feel like I was anywhere that we were even through we passed through major suburbs which I have been through multiple times. This is true for the whole trip; you're in big populated areas but you're inside of this time-travel back to what everything once was prior to human meddling. It's a whole different world, to be cliche.
My dad surprised us on the way back around Half Day Road which was totally hilarious. I literally screamed, "What the heck?!" at the top of my lungs because he so nonchalantly rode past us and said "Hey, how's it goin?" He rode about 7 miles to find us from where he parked then rode back with us to his car where he gave us ICE WATER which was a huge treat (especially after I drank some well water that needed more pumping prior to drinking and was quite eggy). It was a very sweet and funny surprise and we were so out of it because it was the second day and half way through the 300 miles that we didn't even think to take a picture or video with him on the trai. At that point we were rushing to get home and finish up before it got too dark.
Funny moments!
On day two I was very grateful for bathrooms with running water and also some pit toilets that we found that weren't unpleasant. It matters when you're away from home from 12 hours and exercising intensely for approximately 10 of those hours.
The Des Plaines River was beautiful in the morning in Downtown Des Plaines when we departed
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