Bridge Remnant

Both bridges along the roadway in Raceway Woods are new, perhaps five years old and clearly not wide enough for any automobile race course.  One bridge remnant does remain, though.  Parking years ago was on the east side, near Rt. 31, and a footbridge allowed spectators to cross over the race course.  While all of the decking is gone, it is an interesting artifact, as trees that did not exist fifty years ago have grown up thick and huge.
On this quiet and pretty afternoon, it is far too quiet here.  A half-dozen years ago, my first visit to Raceway Woods was also on a quiet day, but I could almost hear the roar of the engines as they spun around a turn.  Today, those years seem impossibly long gone.

Meadowdale International Raceway

Our mystery location is Raceway Woods, a public walking/jogging/bicycling park between  West Dundee and Algonquin along Rt. 31.  A silo from the earlier farmstead was painted for the Raceway back in 1958 and it still stands, now repainted as a wonderful souvenir of the times.  From 1958-1967 this was Meadowdale International Raceway, a 2.75 mile track for the much more complex European style of racing.  The course had hairpin turns and a Monza wall, where drivers had to keep up to speed as they raced along the upper areas of the wall without falling.  A straightaway nearly a mile long promoted high speeds.  Google the Meadowdale name and find out much more about this interesting place to visit.

SUNDAY POSTER

More Mystery

Two more views from the mystery location in the Fox River Valley.  Any ideas?

Fox Valley Mystery Location

Took a nice photo walk recently in the heart of the Fox Valley.  I will post a handful of images; if you have a guess as to where this might be, send it in the Comment section.  I will reveal the location on Saturday.  Or sometime soon!

Last Bird

On the walk to the parking lot, one more Redwing posed for me on two different branches.  A successful day of bird photography all around.

Raptors

A Sharp-Shinned Hawk heading in one direction, and a Great Blue Heron in the opposite one.