Michiana Adventures

please check the weather before departure and have appropriate clothing and equipment https://weather.com/weather/today/l/46301:4:US . bring along a lunch which we will eat on the trail, plus enough water (one quart minimum).

remember, this is a fee area--you must DISPLAY A PERMIT to park here--so before you come to the lot, make sure you study the rather Byzantine and non-user-friendly fee structure at the National Park website
https://www.nps.gov/indu/planyourvisit/fees.htm

i'm not sure how much they enforce this off season, or what the fines are, but be informed and beware.

i will pass a hat for a small donation to cover expenses: mostly, this is the cost of using the meetup website, but sometimes I need some dinero to pay for occasional gifts to neighbors who let us use their parking, prizes for contests. as long as i can cover this with people putting $2-3 in a can, i prefer not doing anything more binding or complicated.

this is a complex route, with lots of unexpected twists and turns--if you get ahead of me, make sure to stop whenever you come to a junction with another trail or road, or in any place where the trail is ambiguous or confusing. also, make sure you know where your car is parked.

i also encourage you all to take and post pictures to the site. if you don't know how to post to the site, text pictures to me, and i will post them.
i decided to tweak our route so that we hit more of the points of historic interest first, and move the long walk across the prairie, over the river, and through the woods to later in the hike.

we will gather near the restrooms off the parking lot, and wait till 11:20 CT for all to arrive. then we will turn right at the valley's edge and walk a short distance till we come to the Chellberg Farm.

this is a preserved farmstead which was owned by Swedish immigrants to the region, and run in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. there are animals in the farmyard and the barn.

after that, we will ascend some bridges and stairs up a streambed and across a road to the Bailly Family Cemetery. it is quite elaborate for a pioneer graveyard, with a stonework mound and a tall wooden cross, and carved gravestones with passages from the Bible and the Apocrypha.

we will tarry there awhile, then cross Oak Hill rd, and begin the west leg of the Bailly-Chellberg trail. after a short distance, we will come to a junction where you can make a choice.

if you go left, within a half a mile, we will come to the Bailly Homestead, with preserved buildings covering about a century of construction from the family of fur trapper-trader Joseph Bailly and his descendants. we will look around for a while, then arrive back at the parking lot in 0.3 miles, for a total day's hike of 1.8 miles. i will lead this shorter version of the hike.

if you go right, we will walk about 3/4 of a mile through the woods, then over a boardwalk, and cross the Little Calumet river on a bridge, then ascend a hill, and cross the Mnoke' Prairie, then back over the Little Cal, and arrive at the Bailly Homestead, and back to the parking lot for a total day's hike of 4.0 miles. Erin will lead this longer version of the hike.

hope to see you there,

Rick

directions:

from US 12, turn south on Mineral Springs rd; enter the parking lot marked "Chellberg Farm"; if the parking lot is full, there is ample overflow parking across the road; try to arrive by 11:00; we will wait till 11:20, then depart on foot.

from US 20, turn north on Mineral Springs rd; enter the parking lot marked "Chellberg Farm"; if the parking lot is full, there is ample overflow parking across the road; try to arrive by 11:00; we will wait till 11:20, then depart on foot.

* * *
to view photos of previous hikes by this group at this location, see below.
our group has actually been doing this hike since November 24, 2002, but photography was in its infancy then, so i don't have albums for those years. : )

2009 https://4142298.xyz/ricks-hiking-fun-group/photos/765778/

2010 https://4142298.xyz/ricks-hiking-fun-group/photos/1167250/

2011 https://4142298.xyz/ricks-hiking-fun-group/photos/4540442/

2012 https://4142298.xyz/ricks-hiking-fun-group/photos/11801082/

TUESDAY Turkey Day Week, Day Trip to Chicago
to visit the **German (Christmas) ChristKindlMarket! Wheeeee (<

Let's get in the spirit with a fun wander about the market. No clue on how long it takes. I am sure it will be busy, with the holiday week, but the more the merrier. This is something I have been wanting to do, no time like the present (ish).

Meet at Southshore Train Station in lobby or on ramp if not too cold by 9:15chiam for 9:39am departure and 10:43am arrival in Millenium Station.

❄️☃️🎄🎁🦌Dress Festive, for the weather, and super dooper wooper comfy shoes PLEASE.

1. It is a 5-10 min walk to the market. We will see what there is to see and determine any additional sightseeing upon completion.
2. There will be plenty of opps for vittles and bevvies
3. We have option to purchase an ornament glass blowing (make our own with guidance) ticket for $40.
4. there are wine tastings and probably some good overpriced giftees
5. looks like there is ice skating too

>>>>We will probably shoot for the 5:30ish CT train departure and 8:30ish SBN arrival. (though you are welcome to stay later if you like!). IF there is something special to see/do that evening, I could possibly be talked into staying for the 8:15p departure & 11:15 SBN arrival -yawn😴💤.<<<<

Southshore tickets are about $30 Roundtrip,[ you can purchase via app, or in lobby or on train. the App is the best way (<

🦃🎅🎄❄️⛄🏂HOLIDAY EXTRAVAGANZA EVENTS🦃🎅🎄❄️⛄🏂

• 1. Nov 26th Chicago Christmas Market
• 2. Dec 14th Baroda Winery / Igloos (Stasia)
• 3. Dec 18th Zoo Lights & Live Reindeer🦌
• 4. Dec 19th Candlelit Holiday Concert
• 5. Dec 22nd Beach & Lake Wander + River St Joe BONFIRE

As always only rules are KINDNESS and INCLUSIVITY!!