A Day Exploring Near Princeton, Illinois

July 9, 2023

On July 5, 2023, we decided to go for a motorcycle ride and see some local sights before buying some groceries.

Since it was Wednesday, we expected the visitors center at the Hennepin Canal Parkway State Park to be open. We rode to the visitors center and found it closed. I took some pictures of the outside.

We rode east to Lock 21 on US 34 to see the lock and the campground at the lock. Unexpectedly, there was a lift bridge at the lock.

We rode the motorcycle over the bridge and back to the entrance to the park on US 34. We found the very small campground.

Since we rode the motorcycle around the small campground, I didn’t get any pictures. The campground has no hookup. There was a building there that may have had toilets. We didn’t stop, so I don’t know.

We rode back to US 34 and headed east to Princeton. When we got to Princeton, we ate lunch and discussed what we wanted to see before getting groceries. I suggested the Red Covered Bridge and Bruce thought it would be interesting as well.

We rode through Princeton on Main Street and turned left onto 1990 East Street to see the Red Covered Bridge.

There is a pull off on the east side of the bridge. We stopped there and walked through the bridge. There is a small picnic area on the other side of the bridge. We walked back through the bridge, then rode the motorcycle through the bridge. The echoes were loud. We took the road next to the sign that said Red Covered Bridge Park, but found it was a private drive. The sign was just for the picnic area.

Te Red Covered Bridge was built in 1863 for $3,148.57. It spans149 feet. It is one of six remaining covered bridges in Illinois and was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places on April 23, 1975.

In case you couldn’t read the lower sign on the bridge, “Five dollars fine for driving more than twelve horses, mules or cattle at one time or leading any beast faster than a walk on or across the bridge.”

We then rode back to Main Street and to the grocery store. We bought our groceries and rode home along Backbone Road and a few other small roads.

Nox looked at us when we opened the door and then relaxed. The message appeared to be, “I am sleeping here, so leave me alone.”