Kankakee River and Joliet IL

Sep 2014

Kankakee State Park and Campground is southeast of Chicago. We ended up here for several weeks while we explored the surrounding area, including Chicago..

We had access to a wonderful bike or walking trail which ran through the campground.

In places it ran right along the Kankakee River.

There were other trails in the area as well.

Rock Creek Trail took you to this small creek which fed into the river.

In the town of Kankakee was another Frank Lloyd Wright home.  

We were about 23 miles from Joliet.  I don't think we have to worry about this police car coming to get us.

Joliet like to use the famous Route 66 to draw the tourists.  We even had ice cream from this small drive up ice cream shop on Route 66.

All around were parks along Route 66 which had items such as this historic Shell gasoline pump.

Joliet has another claim to fame, this Old Joliet Prison, built in the 1850s by inmates.  At one time, it held 1800 prisoners, one of the largest in the U.S.  It was closed in 2002.

But it is also famous for its role in movies, notably, the classic movie, 'The Blues Brothers', filmed in 1980.  But it held cameo appearances in at least six other movies and several TV series, including 'The Untouchables'.

One of the later buildings, this was built in 1895.