The soft dirt path below stretches for miles; around me are a dizzying number of sun-dappled shades of green, with bright blue sky and dark-as-night trees poking through. Around a bend, yellow wildflowers pop out of the underbrush, where curious deer and rustling ground squirrels (squinnies to this Iowan) startle. Overhead, a shadow passes. I grab my camera to catch it-not a hawk or an owl, but a plane coming in to land at the airport less than 5 miles away. The juxtaposition of scenes feels surreal until I remember: I'm in Chicago.
Mid-pandemic and filled with wanderlust, my husband, Tom, and I bought a condo in the city for long getaways and more time with our two adult kids who live there. Keeping our home base in Des Moines, we toggle between two very different living styles in neighboring states. We're equally happy hiking and exploring rural Iowa as we are hustling through busy streets to catch the L train for a night of live music. So when I heard about the Chicago Outerbelt, a 210mile trail that encircles the entirety of the city, I was intrigued. I set a summer goal: Complete as many miles as I could and learn more about our new part-time home.
The trail is the brainchild of outdoors enthusiast Jay Readey, who cofounded the Outerbelt Alliance with Benjamin Cox, Emily Leu and Molly Fitzgibbon. The nonprofit's mission is to promote eco-recreation in metro environments and engage diverse communities in outdoor experiences. Chicago has an astounding network of rec trails and green space, many found along rivers and lakes. (There are 70,000 acres of preserves in Cook County alone!) The Alliance mapped one big, grand loop by charting connector routes between existing trails. "The waterways did the work for us," Readey says. "We just needed to connect them."
This story is from the Spring 2024 edition of Midwest Living.
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This story is from the Spring 2024 edition of Midwest Living.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
SPRING AWAKENING
Brown County: You might know the southern Indiana region for its namesake state park or shop-packed main street in tiny Nashville. Or maybe you know it as the muse of Impressionist painter T.C. Steele. But do you know the people who call it home? Those producing sweet mash whiskey, farming sustainably or running an artsy inn that stands out among chockablock cabins? Meet three entrepreneurs and the creative pursuits they're bringing to this popular area.
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YES, TOP CHEF
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STUDIO SESSION STYLE ON REPEAT
WHICH COMES FIRST: THE COLOR OR THE PATTERN? CHRISTIANA COOP AND AIMEE LAGOS, THE DUO BEHIND WALLPAPER COMPANY HYGGE AND WEST, SAY THE QUALITIES NEED TO BE IN PERFECT SYNCJUST LIKE THEIR PARTNERSHIP.
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