There are things we all want to see during our lifetime: children giggling while they build a sandcastle, the way the sun shines down on the world when we are looking at it from the top of a mountain, the skyline of a city or maybe a wall that has been traveled by millions, yet meant to separate.

Then, there are wonders of the world that go unnoticed because they are commonplace: the way that a woman fills her cart while she is grocery shopping, the way that a child smiles when a drawing is finished, the way a bee falls in love with a flower or the way the trees creak in the wind.

East Central Illinois is not a place that people travel to expecting to see something majestic. Maybe they come for a work trip or to see a basketball game, but rarely, if ever, do you hear someone say, “I came to hike the trails of Champaign County.”

But, visitors and residents alike are missing something extraordinary when they don’t venture through the prairie.

Days quickly fill with everything from work to dinner, chores to games.

We rush from one place to another, wondering if we are fulfilling our purpose in life. Is this what I’m supposed to be doing?

Then when spring break or summertime rolls around, we make plans to go somewhere to fill our soul. We retreat to the mountains, drive through the desert or pack up our towels for a week at the beach.

And we say, “This is it. This is what life is supposed to be about.”

It wasn’t until I was at the Timberdoodle Trail at the Homer Lake Forest Preserve, that I realized we really don’t have to travel 17 hours away to experience the quiet, serene, wondrous world.

I will say, though, that when you are on the Timberdoodle Trail, there are several points where you ask yourself if you’re on the right path.

The trailhead sits next to the Homer Lake Interpretative Center.

Walking down a paved path, you will find an observation platform where you can sit, overlook the prairie and check out the birds sitting in the trees nearby, right past an outdoor classroom surrounded by trees.

From there, the path goes from paved to grass; but it’s East Central Illinois, so even the grass path is pretty flat. When I took this trail, it was just as our rainiest season had ended, so there were some muddy spots, but nothing that I could not walk around, that is until I got to the end and my feet got very muddy.

I followed the trail, choosing the path to the right the entire time. I ended at a dead end where I discovered a secluded picnic table that would be completely private if someone were to bring a picnic there (hint, hint). With the proper fishing license, it’d also be a great place to spend the afternoon, catching fish.

I turned around and headed back, staying to the right along the path again. Once again, I found myself winding through creaking trees, watching the dragonflies zip around me and pausing as the bees found the flower that would cause them to stop.

Have you ever just stood and watched the bees in the prairie?

Sometimes when the world gets loud, I go to the prairie just to sit and watch them.

They don’t care about who gets to a flower first, they don’t seem to make a fuss if the wind blows a flower out of the way, they just are.

And then I wonder:

Do bees ever wonder about their purpose in life? When it is time to wake up in the morning do they hear the fields calling them? With so many flowers to choose from do they ever wonder if they’ve chosen the wrong one? Or do they just thank their creator for the abundance of goodness?

Do they know that they are making food that will sustain them through the winter? Do they get mad when another animal takes it away from them? Or are they amazed that they have created one of the most nutritional foods in the world?

Like you, I love to travel and explore.

In fact, as I am writing this, I am sitting on a beach in Florida watching the waves roll in, witnessing a mother help her daughter find shells while the son is taking their picture in the sunlight and a family of three is walking by speaking Spanish.

I am in a moment that people long for and work for. But for whatever reason, the prairie and forest are on my mind.

What I found when I was at the Homer Lake Forest Preserve is that there are wonders all around us, but we don’t take the time to notice them or we deem them unimportant.

A few years ago, I was helping a friend move to Colorado. When we dropped off the U-Haul, the man asked what we had planned. I looked out the window and pointed to the top of Pike’s Peak. I said, “We are taking a train up there tomorrow.”

He informed me that he’d lived in Colorado Spring his entire life and had never been to Pike’s Peak. I thought he was crazy.

Taking the train up the side of the mountain, I just looked at the monstrous rock formations and thought about all the flowers that no one would ever see because we couldn’t possibly get to all of the spots within the Rocky Mountains.

I was reminded of that when I was on Timberdoodle Trail; after ending up with a view of the lake, the trail followed the edge of the forest. There, barely peeking out of the high grass was a purple flower. To my right, a boy was taking some of his first casts off the north peninsula with his mom and dad.

After you leave the lake, the trail takes you into the 200-year old Sugar Maple Grove. It’s beautiful in the summer with the different shades of green between the grass and the leaves. In the fall, though, just as the leaves turn, the Champaign County Forest Preserve hosts its annual Maple Sugar Days where you can learn about how syrup is made, and even have a chance to tap the tree on your own.

Before I knew it, I was able to see the platform I stood upon about 20 minutes prior.

Not all trails take us back to our starting point. Sometimes we end up at dead ends. Maybe the right path is only in our heads. Maybe getting out there is more about the experience than the destination.

There are a lot of things that I know I don’t know. But I do know that we can’t forget that there is goodness all around us, even in our own backyard.

So, friends, Timberdoodle Trail truly is something to experience. Go by yourself or take a loved one. And remember there is a lot more to do out in this little prairie land of ours. Just do it with an open heart.

The post Let’s Take a Hike: Finding the right path on Timberdoodle Trail first appeared on SJO Daily.

CCFPD’s Riverbend Forest Preserve is known for its lakes created after sand and gravel mining were complete. But surrounding the lakes, which are trails that wind through the prairie and forest that lead back to the Sangamon River.

This walk will take about 20 minutes, if you just walk through, but there are many more sites to experience if one just takes their time.

Parking at the lot on the south side of the park (the first lot after winding through a few jogs) there is a trailhead. We chose to keep the gravel trail last and entered through the prairie. You will quickly come to a “Y” in the path. Traveling to the left will take you to the forest and eventually the river. It’s a dead end, although a lovely stop.

The right side of the path will weave you in between trees until you come to the first plaque, which talks about the 9-11 Memorial Woodland, which was dedicated on 9.11.2002 as a living memorial to all those who lost their lives on that fateful day. Packed with White Oaks, Black Walnut, Black Cherry, Silver Maple and American Sycamores, the forest serves as a sign of resilience and triumph. 

There are few rules at the Champaign County Forest Preserve Parks, but one important one to remember is to always keep your furry friends on a leash. This not only protects nature, but also wildlife and your best friend. Please also remember to pick up any pet waste that is left behind.

You’ll then have a choice to make, do you stay on the gravel or enter into the forest?

I chose to enter into the forest. The path will narrow, but it is well worth it. 

The terrain isn’t difficult to travel through, just remember to wear long pants and tennis shoes because there is a bit of poison ivy here and there. 

But if you don’t enter into the forest, you may miss seeing the snail that is just hanging out before sundown. Or the green that will fill your heart with life. You will miss looking up into the canopy to see the leaves dance with each other.

The trail does not make it’s way back to the Sangamon River, although you can see it at certain points. In the fall and winter, though, the flood plain is accessible and the river is easy to get to. In the spring, the bluebells emerge creating a sight you don’t want to miss.

Coming out of the forest, you will hit a larger grass path lined yellow flowers in June. 

Winding around the river and the prairie, this is a great place to watch the dragonflies feast on mosquitos during the early evening hours. So, yes, you might want to wear bug spray. But it’s beautiful, nonetheless.

The CCFPD is also working hard to fight back against the invasive honeysuckle plants in this area and restore native bush such as the bladder nut, spicebush, eastern wahoo, wafter ash and paw paw. 

But one of the coolest things in all of East Central Illinois is growing at the end of this trailhead: Equisetum. Equisetum, which has been around for nearly 350 million years, filled prehistoric forests. At that time, equisetum, or horsetails as they are more commonly known, could reach heights of 30 meters. Today, two species of equisetum might reach about 4 meters. 

Can you even believe it? I could spend all day with these plants. There are only about 20 species of equisetum left, and we have some right here at the Riverbend Forest Preserve.

I feel like the universe can just drop it’s mic now.

My daughter went on this walk with me. She said, “look! It’s like bamboo.” We stared at it, and wondered when it would flower. I said, “maybe in a few weeks. It’s not warm enough yet.”

The next day I was on the Zion National Park Instagram account and saw the plant we’d seen the night before. That night, we went back to make sure that it was the horsetail. When she shook the plant, we witnessed evolutionary magic. 

These plants existed before flowering plants and cone-bearing trees. So, the way they reproduce is also unique. They produce a cloud of dust from the head of the stalk that is full of spores. 

It’s really just everything. 

From this point, you can see the lake and a gravel trail that will go to your left and right. To get back to your vehicle, you will need to go right. 

The path will take you through some familiar sights, like the beginning of the trailhead. This time pause to look for the blackberry bushes. They should begin to ripen within a few weeks!

The post Let’s Take a Hike: Horsetails at Riverbend Forest Preserve first appeared on SJO Daily.