After 3 days of hiking in Starved Rock S.P we decided to take a break before hiking in Matthiessen S.P and drove to the beautiful town of Ottawa IL to see the famous murals and if we were lucky to watch a barge go through the locks.
The volunteer in the information center was very helpful and surprised to see 4 visitors at this time of the year ,but was happy to be busy for a while instead of being by himself.
The murals decorated huge walls mainly in the center of downtown mostly “telling” the history of the place and were beautifully painted,here is just a sample of the murals decorating the town.
A brush with history public art program was developed to help revitalize Ottawa’s downtown and create a cultural attraction for tourists and residents of the community. The program is sponsored by the Ottawa Visitors Center and overseen by a committee of citizens devoted to public arts.
The painting program began in 2002. As of early 2005, five murals have been completed, and more are scheduled to begin! The murals thus far have focused on figures or events that have been important to our history, including local industry, prominent citizens, or the creation of a major internal improvements project.
Ottawa was the site of the first of the Lincoln-Douglas debates of 1858.
All this did not disturb this busy squirrel from getting his tommy full to be ready for the winter.
After a short beak in the local colorful coffee shop we walked the river trail and watched the barge getting to the locks ,it is a long procedure but sure worth watching.
A great day ,with a great weather with great friends….
1 comment:
Those are great murals. And the photo of the squirrel is adorable. So glad you convinced it to pose for you.
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