Growing up in Moline, it was a common family past time to "go to the river to feed the ducks". I think we know now that it's actually not ok to the feed the ducks. Not bread, anyway. But it’s still a lovely place to take in a sunrise or sunset, watch the ducks or geese, and get some exercise in. The parkway features a 2.2 mile paved path along the Mississippi River…

In my mind, Chang Mai was going to be a sleepy, historic town, but we arrived to a bustling city! And since we chose to stay in a condo near the university on Nimmanhaemin Road (or Nimman Road), we were right in the thick of it. The entire experience was so different than what I had imagined, and isn’t that the point?

During the summer of 2020, I biked the 62 miles of bike path that runs along the Illinois side of the Mississippi River from Rock Island to Savanna known as the Great River Trail. I completed my journey over a series of trips beginning Memorial Day weekend and ending Fourth of July weekend.