On our way up to the Chicago area to see family and do some portrait shooting recently, we were curious about a small town on our trail called Bluffs, located in western Illinois. Growing up in Illinois, we knew there weren’t many places owning bragging rights to anything resembling elevation. This little settlement was nestled nicely along the south-eastern edge of the Illinois River, and there were actually bluffs. The population of the community hovers around 750. On the day we were there, not much was going on while walking around getting a feel for the local flavor of Bluffs.
There were some dilapidated old buildings on the main street. Sleepy’s looked sleepy. Rather like the rest of Bluffs.
As we walked along, there was a railroad crossing.
Trains have always been special to us. The allure of playing on the tracks (forbidden to us growing up near the then Soo Line tracks) was too much, and we stopped to explore. Then all of a sudden; action!
Were we tempted to gain the attention of the engineer to blow the whistle? Absolutely.
On the next track, lonely cars stood in the sun, telling tales of adventures past.
Who climbed this ladder to the top? Train robbers? Hijackers? The train and adventure-loving minds of our childhood took over.
Uh-oh. Was that a warning of impending doom, or a comment on past events? (Craig doesn’t look too worried.)
It may end here.
It sure was fun to let our imaginations take over and relive youth spent playing adventure games.
Bluffs, Illinois. A nice place to stretch your legs on the way to Chicago.
Coming Soon: New Focus on Family Portraits
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