We at BTR have a solution.  Go EAST, young man.

To the Green Bay trail, along, what else, Green Bay Rd.  Take Lake Cook Rd east until you run into the tracks and then jump on to the trail wherever you feel.  The quickest entrance is just south of Lake Cook Rd.

The Green Bay Trail, mostly crushed gravel is a straight shot south and east back to the city.

There are a few Metra parking lots to negotiate but these are short obstacles in com parison to the wide open uninterrupted biking available on this trail.

The path rides adjacent to the Metra tracks for much of the trail which is actually much safer than it sounds.

At some point the trail will wind down at you will find yourself biking down Poplar Rd on the eastside of the railroad tracks.  Look for Isabella St., which won't be difficult as Poplar pretty much ends at Isabella.  

 

Travel East (left) on Isabella, wich is a two way side street with little traffic.

You will pass Dyche Stadium, home of the Northwestern Wildcats, to your south.  This is a great place to catch Big Ten football, a friendly, convenient stadium.  Love 'em or hate 'em, it makes for a fun saturday afternnon in the fall.

FOUR!!!  After you cross the electric transit tracks be aware of the golf course you will be passing.  The chances of catching a Titleist 1 in the noggin are slim on this three par course but its not a bad idea to keep a 'heads-up' while biking past.

Make a right turn on Sheridan Rd. and you will come to one of the coolest parts of this little connector route.  The legitimate lighthouse, one of the very few remaining on Lake Michigan, is a true part of history.  You nautical types will appreciate it's history and even if that's not your thing, this is pretty neat.

 

You are now passing Northwestern University, you may opt to bike through the campus but when school is in session, the ride is crowded with pedestrians.  The school is architecturally remarkable and the ride is worth it.  Resist temptation and don't get suckered into rushing some house or another during greek week, you're too old and you really don't go to school there.

Continue south along the lakefront through some of the nicest parks and beaches on the north shore.  Evanston certainly knows hoe to keep a nice park as evident with this beautiful reflecting pool and fountain.

This is a great little snack shop along the route.  Cheat a little and order that ice cream drumstick, really, you'll bike it off later.

 

Follow Sheridan Rd to the abrupt left it will force you to make at Cavalry Cemetary.  There is a narrow path (sidewalk) along the lake, continue south.

Make the turn at Juneway Terrace.  This will bring you past some of the best, uncrowded, hidden street-end beaches in the city that Rogers Park is good for.

 

You will have to navigate between sheridan Rd. and the parks for a bit but basically you can ride the lakefront from Touhy to Pratt Ave.

 

Ride along the sea wall adn stop to admire the artwork.  Approximately every six feet is painted by a different artist ranging from the truly amateur to some real masterpieces.  The beauty of this sea wall is that it gets a new paint job EVERY SUMMER!  So the work never gets stale, as a matter of fact we at BTR even had a contribution a few years ago, no advertising, mind you, just an atrtist's submission.

 

Farwell Pier affords one of the best views of the lakefront from the north side.  Take the detour down the wide concrete pier, you won't be dissapointed.  The fishermen out there are usually fishing for two things.  They have their 3 lb test on a jig for perch and they have their serious rods cast out as far as possible for Chinook.

(image 1084)  Get back on Sheridan Rd, to about Hollywood of Ardmore St. and get back on the Chicago Park District's Lakefront path.  (See Lakefront North)  One thing to be aware of on this leg of the tour, there are a good number of elderly pedestrians along this section of the route.  So many, in fact, that their Alderman has made it illegal to ride on the sidewalks.  There are warning spray-painted on the sidewalks and there have been cases of the police, through no fault of their own, performing the civic duty that has been asked of them and writing tickets to bicyclists upwards of one hundred dollar fines.  We at BTR suggest taking either Kenmore or Winthrop to Bryn Mawr and avoid th whole mess.