Due to our extended stay in the Rockford, Illinois, area, we moved from Rock Cut State Park to Blackhawk Valley Campground so we could enjoy full hook ups. Blackhawk Valley Campground is located on the southern edge of Rockford just a few miles west of I-39. It has four camping sections; one for seasonal camping, one for monthly camping, one for short stays, and a tent camping section. It also has a recreation room, laundry room, mini golf, shuffle board, volleyball, basketball, soccer, playground, and the Kiswaukee River runs along it southern border.
This is our rig on site #117 (monthly section)
Kamper Kallie!
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| "Hurry up and take the darn picture. I can't sit like a princes all day!" |
After we got set up, we took a walk around the campground. This is a well kept campground. The seasonal campers have flowers planted around their units and everything was neat and orderly. One of the seasonal sites along the Kishwaukee River really surprised us. It had a garden train in the front yard! I have never seen anything like this. The owner was not home so we didn't get to see it in operation. Hopefully, we will catch him home next time. A neighbor informed us that the train stays up all winter. It looks like last years harsh winter did not hurt the garden train.
The Garden Train!
A short distance east of the campground is a Winnebago County Forest Preserve called Kishwaukee Gorge. The three of us (Kitty, Kallie, and me) hiked the wooded trail down into the gorge. With the heavy rains we have been having, the trail was a little slippery in some spots and the Kishwaukee River was very swollen and muddy. The trail gets rather steep as it gets closer to the river and caution is needed to avoid falling into the gorge or the river. The gorge was not impressive and not worth the effort it took to get there, but the view of the river was nice.
You can see some people standing in the Kishwaukee Gorge.
Here's a view looking up stream.
This one is looking down stream.
Don't ask me why the large "X" is painted on the two trees above because I haven't a clue. Perhaps they are scheduled to be cut down before they fall into the river, or someone buried a treasure there!
Coming up next is the Simmons Family reunion.
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