2004 Year in Review

Bicyclists to travel through downtown Morrison

On June 15 Morrison will again be host to GITAP as it travels through Morrison to Morrison Rockwood State Park. Plans are to bring the ride right through downtown Morrison. Businesses and the community will be encouraged to welcome the riders.

GITAP riders awaken that morning in Johnson/Sauk State Park. The distance covered for the riders that day could be as short as 40 miles or as long as 85 (if they want to ride along the Mississippi). Because of alternate routes the group will be coming in from several directions. Some may come up Genesee Avenue from the Great River Trail while others will come from Lyndon and pass Dairy Queen before heading downtown.

According to Chuck Oestreich, of The League of Illinois Bicyclists, 120 bikers have signed up (with a maximum of 140) for the ride. One-third of riders are women and two-thirds men. The average age is 52 but there are riders as young as 16 and as old as 82 and they are represented by ten states.

Plans are in the works by Friends of the Parks to make them welcome to the area. Members will replicate the welcome tent at the State Park they did last year besides helping with transportation of gear, etc. Anyone interested in supporting the effort can send checks to P.O. Box 14, Morrison, IL 61270 (designate for GITAP). The group is also looking for items to give away at the evening drawing. Friends of the Parks hopes that by sponsoring part of the ride with the IDNR this will assist in finishing the trail to the State Park and encourage the ride to continue to come through Morrison and Rockwood.

by Barb Benson, theCity1.com
February 25, 2004