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Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve may be the most astonishing parcel of open space in DuPage County, if not northern Illinois. One of DuPage County's largest preserves, Waterfall Glen contains 2,488 acres of some of the most diverse plant and animal populations in the area, along with some of the most rugged landscape. A popular place with hikers, cyclists, equestrians, cross-country skiers, wildlife watchers and model-aircraft enthusiasts, Waterfall Glen truly offers something for everyone who enjoys the outdoors.

This hike can be considered medium difficulty if you take into consideration that it will take about 4 hours to cover the 9.8 miles. The terrain is mostly level but you will notice the easy hills. The trail is a loop and if necessary a person could backtrack to the parking lot without getting lost. The trail is a fine gravel and about 15 feet wide, noticeably wider than the blacktop bike paths that we sometimes hike. Hikers share the trail with bicyclists. There's a few port-o-lets along the trail and a few picnic tables for rest stops.

I will meet you in the parking lot at the main entrance. It is on Northgate Road, west of Cass Avenue. From I-55, exit Cass south to Northgate Road. http://www.dupageforest.com/preserves/waterfallglen.html"

We're going to Falco's pizzeria and brew place a few minutes away after our hike. It's a large and comfortable restaurant at 8501 Route 83 . On their website, it is listed at:
16 w 561 Frontage RD
Burr Ridge, IL
630-654-4644

We'll stop for snacks and a few rests during the hike.

We'll post more details as needed.

Apple Cider Century is an annual one-day, 25, 50,
62, 75 or 100 mile bicycle tour of the orchards,
forests and wine country in and around Three Oaks,
Michigan. ACC is a recreational and social tour for
bicyclists. It is neither a race nor a test of stamina.
It is intended that all participants ride the tour in
a safe and intelligent manner. The weekend of the Apple Cider Century provides
many interesting events Saturday and all you can
eat breakfast and spaghetti dinner on Sunday.

Here is our tentative plan.

If you are coming up Saturday, September 26, 2009.

The events start early on Saturday. Pick-up of the registration information is at the local school. There are vendors there, entertainment, and lots of apples. If you are camping, you can camp for free on the public lot. The bathrooms are very limited and there are no showers. It is the large grassy field with lots of tents close to the registration. We will post information on how to find the group at a later date. You can bring small portable bbqs, dinner food, etc and/or there are a few restaurants in town. The town shuts down early so if you will be coming in late, you might want to eat on the road.

If you are interested in coming up on Saturday night but you don't want to camp, there are several motels/hotel/B & B in the area. Please see the ACC's website for more information.

Sunday morning

Sunday morning, ACC offers a pancake breakfast (for a fee - see their brochure) or you can bring your own food. If you are camping, I highly recommend breaking camp before getting on your bike.

There are several pit stops along the way with lots of great food. There are sag wagons in case you get a flat or just can't keep pedaling up some of those hills!!!

You can pick your mileage as you go however from experience, if you are not on the road early, in great shape and have good weather, I do not recommend the 100 miles. As the brochure says, this event is not for endurance or to prove your stamina.

afterward, the ACC will provide a spaghetti dinner at the local school.

Please remember the ACC is EST, an hour forward.

COST
The minimum cost of ACC for each rider is $35 by July 31, 2009.
This includes: Route Map with Route Markings,
SAG Wagons, High Energy Refreshments, Fanny
Flag, ACC Mileage Certificate, Spaghetti Dinner
and Saturday Ice Cream Social.
NOTE: Children 8 and under are free when
accompanied by a responsible registered rider.
Entries in ACC are limited to 5,000. Entry forms
which are received after the tour is full will be
returned with full refund. Please register early.
All would-be participants in ACC must complete
and return the entry form with appropriate fee and
a self-addressed, stamped, business size envelope.
This will assure a return of your confirmation
letter, with directions and motel and campground
information. Since we must limit entries, you must
act promptly to assure yourself a place. Remember
that more individuals wish to ride ACC than can
be accommodated.

Please do not pay MATS. Please pay the ACC directly.

Here is there website http://www.applecidercentury.com/

Bikes and Safety
Any type of bike is ok. You will see tandem, seaters, road and mountain bikes and carriers. Often times you will see doggies along for the ride too.

MATS highly recommends that you practice safe bicycle safety. Therefore, helmet water, gloves, bright clothes, etc are all recommended. The weather may vary so you might want to wear layers.

Can't wait to see you!

Please email with any questions.

Please join us for our third annual Mammoth Cave Adventure over Labor Day Weekend! We will be caving, hiking, canoeing, horseback riding and more. Last year we also did a little midnight cemetery tour at the haunted cemetery right on the grounds of the park. Your lodging options include camping or hotel right at the park or an off-site motel near the interstate. I expect the group to be nearly equally divided between camping and the Mammoth Cave Hotel right on the park grounds. This trip is all about options, with a little something for everyone. Because of this, most of the trip details are planned among you and your travel companions using the links below.

In other words, the trip organizers are facilitating the many available options, but will not be your tour guide! Take your own initiative and organize yourselves in small groups depending on your time schedules and interests. Talk it up among yourselves during meetings and trips leading up to this. This trip has been terrific in the past due to the many options available and the participant's ability to book their own tour, activity and lodging arrangements according to their own level of comfort and interest.

Mammoth Cave National Park is about a six and a half hour drive from Chicago. In the past, most folks took off a little early on Friday and headed down there. On the way home on Monday, you can head straight back or join one of several options including a distillery tour at Jack Daniels Distillery, the Louisville Slugger Bat Factory and/or lunch at a really funky restaurant called Lynn's Paradise Cafe in Louisville. There's also a quaint little town with lots of antique shops in Madison, Indiana.

To help you gain a sense of where this event will be, here is a link to directions from Chicago:

Directions to Mammoth Cave

Because of liability reasons, MATS will not be sponsoring the transportation. Carpooling will be required. Last year most were accommodated driving with friends. Some did find difficulty arranging rides, ... so start communicating with others early!

As for lodging, some of us (myself included) will camp in the Mammoth Cave Campground. Others will stay in the Mammoth Cave Hotel which is right there on the property within walking distance to the tour starting point.

If you have any questions, drop Tom Besore a line.

Here is a link to the tour descriptions.
Mammoth Cave Tour Descriptions
BOOK YOUR OWN TOURS AND DO IT NOW USING THIS LINK! DON'T BE DISAPPOINTED WITH SOLD OUT TOURS

As of today, June 2, there is wide availability for cave tours on this holiday weekend. But spaces will go fast as the holiday approaches, so make your decision to join us, book your own tours, hotel or campsite, and then keep in touch with the group to coordinate specific travel and lodging plans!

Due to the variety of tours and lodging options available, you must take the initiative and book your own tours/accommodations with your own travel partners. I will be happy to speak and email with you about what most of the group is doing. I will be arriving Friday evening at the campground and will participate in the 3 hour Introduction to Caving Tour starting at 9:30AM on Saturday. In the afternoon on Saturday I may take in a horseback ride or a hike through the wooded trails of Mammoth Cave National Park. On Sunday, my day will be occupied by the six hour Wild Cave Tour that begins at 10AM. Monday, I will likely enjoy a leisurely camp breakfast, break camp and head to Louisville for a bat factory tour and lunch at Lynn's Paradise Cafe.

Tour Reservation Link
If you have questions, contact me directly at this email: thomas at besore.com. Get in early to reserve your spot. BOOK YOUR OWN TOURS AND DO IT NOW!! DON'T BE DISAPPOINTED WITH SOLD OUT TOURS!!

If you'd like to stay at the Mammoth Cave Hotel, a clean and comfortable place right out of the fifties, then check this link for availability. Reserve early! Mammoth Cave Hotel Link

Mammoth Cave National Park Campsite Reservations Link

Where the Buffalo Roam is a two day trip to the Mongo area in Indiana. Paddle the scenic Pigeon River on Saturday and then on Sunday, hop on the back of a pickup and go into the middle of a buffalo herd!

Saturday

Plan to leave the Chicago-land area on Saturday at 7 am and arrive at 11 am EST. Saturday will be spent on the water canoeing or kayaking. Please indicate your preference in your RSVP (there are a limited number of kayaks). We will be paddling our way down the Pigeon River Kayak/canoe (website: http://www.pigeonrivercanoeandcamp.com/)

Trips are from 1 1/2 hours to all day but we have the all day trip booked. Please contact Jill if you prefer a shorter trip.
If you bring your own boat, expect a $15/boat fee from the outfitter to bring back your boat.

The outfitter has primitive campsites along the river.

Pigeon River Camp site: primitive camp site (fire pits, pit toilets)
8310 E. 300 N. Box 71
Mongo, IN 46771
(260) 367-2164
Office hours M-F, 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

http://www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild/3086.htm

* The campground has 44 primitive sites. All camp sites have fire rings. Camping is open all year on a first come, first serve basis. The maximum stay is 14 days.
* Water fountains and pit toilets are available in the campground.

A less primitive option is: the Circle B Camground located on Hogback Lake in Angola, IN.
http://www.circlebpark.com/index.html
http://www.circlebpark.com/rates.html (rates)

* Over 300 Lakefront, Wooded & Pull-Thru Lots
* 30 & 50 Amp Service
* Full Hookup, Water & Electric, or Tent Sites (camping $25-34/night)
* Log Cabin Rentals ($95 toliet/sink only)
* Deluxe Cabin Rentals ($110 full bath/kitchen)
* Lodge Rentals ($125 full bath, kitchen, private bedroom, 2 pullout couches, loft space)
* Lake Cottage Rentals
* 2 Pavilions for Group Activities & Parties
* Volleyball Court, 2 Basketball Courts, Horseshoe Pit, Fish Cleaning Station
* Private Sandy Beach
* Boat Launch & Dock Facilities, Access to 5 Fishing Lakes On Pigeon Creek
* Boat Rentals (Canoes, Kayaks, Pontoons, etc)
* 2 Bath & Shower Houses With Flush Toilets
* Camp Store With Groceries

• The single campsites are: primitive, water/electric on the water, or water/electric away from the water. They also have campsites that hold 2 tents (same amenity options just listed but $15 extra for the second tent).

FYI: There is no single night camping at nearby Pokagon State Park and the lodge is currently full.

Saturday night we will eat at the Pokagon Lodge.
http://www.in.gov/dnr/parklake/inns/potawatomi/dining.html

Sunday

Buffalo Tour (see power point slide show)
• The buffalo tour is a "hoot" for only $8. It was pretty laid-back and lasts about 45 minutes.The preserve is home to 200 bison migrating across 400 acres.
• Our tour will begin at 11 am. They can accommodate large groups. If we want, they can can also cook a special buffalo and noodle lunch an additional estimated $8/head. They have an enclosed gazebo where the group could eat mosquito-free.

They offer food: “Sugar” will cook up a buffalo Rueben, buffalo burger, buffalo wraps, etc. (think meat). The male buffalo will be rutting in August, which means they will be move active and will be making noise. Be warned, it's mating season so we also may see some buffalo "romance".

On the way home, Sunday could also include one of the activities listed below:
• Auburn Cord Dussenberg Museum (35 minutes south of the In tollroad in Auburn, IN) http://www.automobilemuseum.org/about/Collections/Pages/MuseumCollections.aspx
• Warren Dunes (in Michigan) or the Indiana Dunes state park could be an easy destination for those more inclined to hike or play at the beach.
• East Race Waterway white water rafting course. http://sbpark.org/parks/erace.htm
• There is also a winery on the road home from the buffalo preserve. http://www.satekwinery.com/
• Shipshewana is about 35 minutes away (towards home) but is CLOSED on Sunday's, but you can still drive and see the quilt gardens scattered through the area, and/or visit the Hudson Auto museum (http://www.hostetlershudsons.com/home.aspx).

Recap of potential costs

All day canoe/kayak trip = $35/kayak. Canoe cost = $27 for tours 4.5 hrs and under ($35 for the 6.5 hr tour-min 4 boat rentals). A canoe holds a max of 3 people so cut the cost, bring some friends.

Camping $15-34/person depending on the location and number of people sharing the site.

Sunday:
Costs to get into activity of choice
Buffalo + a Buffalo lunch = $16/person

Total cost: $76 (based on primitive camping at Circle B, all day kayak rental, buffalo tour and buffalo lunch.)

Meals you will have to cover: Meals all day on Saturday, Breakfast and lunch on Sunday. You will also have to cover any upgrades in lodging.