O’Fallon, Illinois 10 Mile Bike Route

VerticalGeo took the opportunity the other day to take to the streets for a 10 mile bike ride through the Illinois countryside using the recently reopened Troy-O'Fallon Road.  The City of O'Fallon widened the road from a narrow two lane road to a much wider and more bike friendly path.  There is substantial traffic on the new road, but the road is well-built and the wide shoulders help a bicyclist safely transit the area.  We also rode on Scott-Troy Rd for a mile or so, and although the traffic was heavy the shoulders are wide there also. Here is the map of our ride as we mapped it with Google's My Tracks on our Android Phone:


View VerticalGeo-Troy O'Fallon Rd-Bike Trail in a larger map

How Bicycle Friendly is the St Louis Metro East?

The Suburban Journal has an article today on how the St Louis Metro East area is becoming more bicycle friendly with the help of the Madison County and St Clair County Transit Authorities.  You can read the article here: Link.

Soldiers, Viet Nam Veteran's Memorial, Washington, DC

I don't know what this monument commemorates because I couldn't find a sign telling me the sculptor's intent.  I believe it is a memorial to the contributions African American Soldiers made in the View Nam War.  It is a very striking monument.

Viet Nam Veteran's Memorial, Washington, DC Photo 1

It was a cold, wet, icy, gloomy day in Washington, DC yesterday.  Not a great day for photo opportunities.  I came across the Viet Nam Veteran's Memorial and thought the mixture of the names etched on the marble wall, the reflection of the landscape, and the Washington Monument in the distance shows proper respect for our Viet Nam Veterans and the sacrifice they made.  God bless them.

Denali National Park, Alaska

This was the magnificent view out of our room at the McKinley Chalet in Denali National Park.

Powell Library, UCLA

Powell Library is one of the great buildings on the UCLA campus.  It looks much older than it is.  The campus opened in 1919, so although Powell Library looks very old and historic, architecturally, it is still very young.  They did a great job designing it.  Believe it or not, Powell Library is more beautiful on the inside than it is on the outside.

Creek Near Wasilla, Alaska

On the drive back from Wasilla to Anchorage we noticed this little creek.  It was so peaceful and beautiful that we had to pull over to take a couple of photos.  What a wonderful place to experience the beauty of creation: