YOUR TRAILS YOUR HOME YOUR COMMUNITY YOUR COLLEGE

Enjoy the natural beauty of the Sugar Grove Campus on June 3 at our Annual Foundation 5K/10K Trail Races. All proceeds benefit the Foundation Scholarship fund and help students reach their educational goals. waubonsee.edu/5k

Waubonsee Community College provides affordable, accessible education and opportunities to the people living in our district.

Our network of four campuses:

Sugar Grove: the main campus located on a beautiful 243 acres

Aurora Downtown: a full-service campus in the heart of downtown Aurora Fox Valley: home to our health care programs

Plano: known as the Innovation and Design Center GET STARTED TODAY: waubonsee.edu

Check out trail access at our Sugar Grove Campus content strategist. The Wilds at Red Oak is scheduled to open in time for summer nature programming and camps. The center offers hands-on indoor activities, adventurous camps, animal exhibits, Nature Play Preschool and special events like MapleFest and BugFest. The center is devoted to nature and conservation education and is well worth a stop along the trail. The preserve also includes hiking and a cave.

Waubonsee does not discriminate on the basis of any individual’s actual or perceived characteristic protected by law in its programs or activities. Inquiries regarding this policy may be directed to: Michele Needham, Title IX/ADA/Section 504 Coordinator, Route 47 at Waubonsee Drive, Sugar Grove, IL 60554, compliance@waubonsee.edu.

Make a stop in historic Batavia, where you’ll find thrift shops, ice cream, records and the Batavia Depot Museum, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Housed in an 1854 railroad depot, you can learn about railroads, transportation and local history.

You can also learn about windmills and see one for real. The Fabyan Windmill, constructed in the 1850s, is a 68-foot national landmark located along the river. Then head to Geneva, where you can tour the Fabyan Villa Museum, on the National Register of Historic Places, and home of Colonel George Fabyan who owned the windmill.

Up the trail, visit historic St. Charles where you’ll find the Arcada Theatre and Hotel Baker, both on the National Register. Or make a stop at a local cafe before you head back on the trail. Spend time at Pottawattomie Park where you can rest along the river, or take a sightseeing trip aboard the Fox River Queen or St. Charles Belle II on a St. Charles Paddlewheel Riverboat Cruise, learning about area history.

No matter where you start or end your Fox River Trail adventure, there is always something to enjoy and history to celebrate.

My 85-year-old dad hadn’t ridden a bicycle for years, but after hopping off one of our electric bikes he exclaimed, “Wow, I felt like a kid again!”

Not only is cycling an enjoyable, low-impact form of exercise – it also shows remarkable mental health benefits. Cyclists and people that maintain an active lifestyle are generally happier and less prone to depression. A retired friend of mine recently shared how he thinks he has discovered the fountain of youth in biking, citing how he is in better shape and happier than ever before. I have a good feeling that retirement had something to do with the “happier than ever” bit, but I’m satisfied with giving cycling all the credit.

It is true: exercise is a good form of preventative medicine.

Unfortunately, this message has been lost over time as our society has become increasingly sedentary, leaving aging adults unnecessarily frail.

The phrase “use it or lose it” is key for people of all ages. Staying active helps reduce or delay typical age-related conditions like dementia, osteoporosis, immune system deterioration, and loss of muscle mass.

Can people who opt for electric bikes still reap these benefits? Absolutely! Electric bikes are an excellent and innovative way to exercise because each rider can customize how much the bike’s motor will assist him or her based on their abilities. With the partial motorized assistance the electric bikes offer, the rider can simply get up a hill faster, travel further, and keep up with faster companions.

Newly designed three-wheel bikes have also become popular by expanding the availability of riding to even more people. The sporty designs are offered with electric options and no longer resemble the tricycle you rode as a kid. This makes it possible for all ages to get their bodies moving and feel confident riding a bike.

Young or old, we can all enjoy the freedom of cycling. Maybe it’s true that the fountain of youth can be found on a bike. Hop on one soon and find out for yourself!

See you at the shop, for 40 years and counting

When Youth Minister Rusty Skipworth was faced with the inevitable during the pandemic, he found a purpose and love in cycling.

“It was right at the beginning of the pandemic when everything kind of went weird,” says Skipworth. “I work for a church, so I had a lot of time at home and most of everything we were doing was remotely.”

Skipworth’s son looked for any way to stay active when stuck at home, a predicament he took in stride. “My son was very active and he started riding his bike just to fill up time in the day when he wasn’t online doing school, and I decided I would ride with him,” says Skipworth. “So, we started riding and I couldn’t keep up with him –we were doing maybe six or seven miles at a time. It kind of got to the point where I just wanted to ride more and more, and so I did to the point where he didn’t want to ride with me anymore. That’s how it started.”

As Skipworth continued to find his footing in the cycling world, he started to realize the sheer amount of natural areas, paths and trails he could access and explore on the back of his bike. “I like all the paths and areas, with the area we live in, we’re very fortunate for the trail systems we have,” says Skipworth. “When I started, I didn’t know about all of that. I’ve lived next to these trails for all these years and I had no idea.”

The Fox River Trail was a particular favorite of Skipworth, who became a frequent flyer on its gorgeous path. “I go right up the Fox River Trail, as it starts right where I live, but I was only going three and a half miles or so,” says Skipworth. “Then, one day, I decided I was going to cross the street. So, I crossed the street and continued on

“We’re very fortunate for the trail systems we have. When I started [cycling], I didn’t know about all of that. I’ve lived next to these trails for all these years and I had no idea.” the trail. Then I realized it connected to the Gilman Trail, which took me all the way to Sugar Grove. I started realizing all the places that the Fox River Trail leads to.”

Eventually, Skipworth met a bevy of amazing friends and joined a group called Gravel Goofballs, cyclists who prefer to bike over gravel-type paths and trails. “I think we would consider ourselves gravel cyclists,” says Skipworth. “We like the offroad type of stuff and it’s not really mountain biking, it kind of gets you away from everything.” The Gravel Goofballs even have merch like shirts and hats to commemorate their love for the ride. “For us, we just like to ride gravel and that can mean different things to different people,” says Skipworth.

Outside, in the open air, Skipworth has found a place for peace and reflection. “My job is Youth Minister at a church in Naperville and [cycling] gives me an opportunity to get out of the four walls of the church building,” says Skipworth. “I’ve met so many people and made so many friends I wouldn’t have if I had never started this.”

OTHER TRAILS

21 20 18

RESTROOMS RR 23 13 13

17 19 20 21 22 23 24