Walking Across Chicago

 
 
 

The Vincennes Trace is a path that was created not by humans, but by millions of bison migrating across the Ohio River to the Wabash River through Vincennes Indiana and eventually into Chicago. Native Americans made a proper trail of it, eventually tread by early American settlers, and then European traders, and then an asphalt paver.

Within Chicago, the now-paved Vincennes Avenue is a vestige of the Vincennes Trace. Beginning 1.5 miles outside the city at a diner not far from the Blue Island Metra stop, we'll follow Vincennes Avenue into the city through Morgan Park, Beverly, Washington Heights, Brainerd, Gresham, and Englewood before merges onto State Street- also a remnant of the Vincennes Trace. After cutting across Washington Park, we'll pick up the last remaining stretch of Vincennes from 51st Street to 35th Street to complete a 13.5 mile walk, possibly maybe definitely stopping at a Senegalese restaurant to buy and eat pre-hunted meats because we lack the hunter-gatherer skills of those who tread Vincennes before.

While members of our group come from all over, following are a few tips for arrival. Google Maps will be your best friend when it comes to working out the exact details:

• The Rock Island Metra Line departs from the LaSalle Street Station downtown at 830, arriving at the Blue Island-Vermont stop at 910 AM. If you're late, additional Metra trains run every 30-90 minutes and run along Vincennes from as far north as 87th Street.
• The 359 bus runs from the Red Line to our starting point.
• The 349 bus runs from the southern end of the Western bus at 79th street to our starting point.

 
 
 

Here is the 7.97 mile route: https://routes.rungoapp.com/route/RWNx4eWznL

The shops we will be visiting are:

1. Vaca's Creamery - 2324 W Giddings St Vacas website
2. Paleteria Reina de Sabores - 3015 W Lawrence Reina website
3. Lickety Split - 6056 N Broadway Lickety's website
4. Lincoln Ice Cream - 4919 N LIncoln - Lincoln's website

The beginning and end are a few blocks from each other, so you can drive to the event if you wish. Parking in Lincoln Square is challenging.

I've mapped out a ton of ice cream shops in the city. We'll definitely do more than 1 ice cream walk!

 
 
 

There are just two legs left of the perimeter of Chicago walk. This one will go from Downtown and we will end up at Calumet Fishery on 95th Street.

As it gets closer I will post a route but we will partially walk on the lake front trail. As of now I estimate it will be about 14-15 miles.