Can you tell which scene above is in an eastern Maryland peninsula and which is in the Chicago area?

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Discovering Maryland: Michelle and I took a road trip to her cousins' place southeast of Washington so they could take us out on their boat, from which we watched July 4 fireworks over Chesapeake Bay. Of course I brought the bike on the trip. It turns out bayfront views from roads were hard to come by — but I did find them — while the surprise was the selection of pretty forested roads. Here's my little tour.​

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In our backyard: I shouldn't have been surprised by what I found in east Maryland given the location between a major river and the big bay, which comes off the Atlantic Ocean. Meanwhile, the Sunday after we returned home, I took a big ride involving some of my favorite roads in suburban Chicago.

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First I pedaled into Barrington Hills and my longtime favorite Spring Creek Road. I always find its varied scenery of horse farms, old trees and (ahem) grand estates peaceful, even if there's some hill work. I finally captured it in pictures and video.

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After that, I got myself through Cary and onto another favorite road, Rawson Bridge Road, and into Port Barrington, Island Lake and Lake Barrington, which I had just photographed and written up as a favorite ride.

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We don't have a bay or the East Coast forests, but we don't do too badly here.
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IN OTHER NEWS

* The invitational/charity ride calendar is light until August, but the 10-day Chicago Grit bike race series is taking place across the suburbs starting today in West Dundee, then Saturday in Glen Ellyn and Sunday in Winfield. It continues for a week. Here's the full schedule. In the Tour de France today, they're doing a time trial up to the Peyragudes ski lodge. I rode there once! It's on video.​

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Now I'm off to the Northwoods of Wisconsin, another bicycling paradise. New picture challenge to come? BTW, Maryland's on top above, then it's Barrington Hills. — Neil

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