Friday July 22, 2016 Hello from Utica, IL, What a beautiful area. We are surrounded by cornfields on all sides. The lightening bugs have been in abundance. Jim and I visited the town of Utica, Ottawa, Starved Rock and the Illinois/Michigan canal. There is a lot of history here as Illinois is the home state of the great President Lincoln. Our 1st stop was to Starved Rock. There are various local legends about how Starved Rock got its name. The most popular is the tale of revenge for the assassination of Ottawa leader Chief Pontiac, who was killed in Cahokia on April 20, 1769, by an Illinois Confederation warrior. According to the legend, the Ottawa, along with their allies the Potawatomi avenged Pontiac's death by attacking a band of Illiniwek along the Illinois river. The Illiniwek climbed to the butte to seek refuge, but their pursuers besieged the rock until the tribe starved to death, thereby giving the place the name Starved Rock. The park has 2 million visitors a year and is the home to many hiking trails. Jim said that the bald eagles come back and nest here every winter. I also like the fact that they had a little history on the Conservation Corp as my Dad helped build the roads going into Glacier Park back in 1930. A lot of heavy machinery was not invented yet so a lot of the work these men did where by hand. We then went across the river and visited the Illinois/Michigan canal and dam which opened in 1848 and made Chicago and northern Illinois the key crossroads of the American mid-continent. Jim and I also drove to Buffalo Rock State Park where long before explorers, settlers and immigrants arrived in the passageway, native people lived here. Florida seashells found in this area suggest how far, and how complex the Native American trade routes were. We visited the small town of Utica and shared a drink with the locals which Jim and I love to do. Jim got some tips to the best golf courses in the area and as I write this that is where he is today. We went and had lunch in the small town of Ottawa which was as quaint as its name. Ottawa is the home of Washington Square which on August 21, 1858 is where Abraham Lincoln and Stephan Douglas had their 1st of many debates. Lincoln came to Ottawa several times throughout his career. He practiced law before the Supreme Court of Illinois at sessions held in the old LaSalle Courthouse. Lincoln also served as a claims commissioner for the Illinois/Michigan Canal. Have a great day, Jim and Debbie