El Camino de los Santos - New Route - Finally

Yes - finally the road construction between Yorkville, IL and Plano, IL has been completed - along with a new walking - hiking - cycling path that will get any pilgrim safely between the two towns. This pilgrimage - El Camino de los Santos - The Journey of the Saints - is an easy 5 to 6 hour round trip walking pilgrimage.  Distance one way is approximately 6½ miles or 10.5 Km and complete round trip is 13 miles or 21 Km.  Cycling takes about 45 minutes one way or 1½ to 2 hours with no breaks.  The new route runs alongside US Rt. 34 and boasts such amenities such as food, drink and restrooms. There are no extreme up or downhills except for one slight hill on the edge of Plano.  

Saint Gianna Bretta Molla Shrine - Yorkville, IL 

Staring from the Saint Gianna Shrine at St. Patrick Church in Yorkville in the parking lot you will be on sidewalks or the new path all the way into Plano.  Once in Plano you will use either sidewalks or neighborhood streets to get to the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The recommended path is:  Saint Gianna Shrine to the sidewalk on Walnut Street and walk to the left - right turn on Freemont to a left turn on Landmark to Rt. 47.  Cross at the light and follow the bike path to US Rt. 34 and turn left. Follow the bike path until you get to Cannonball Trail. Cross at the light to the opposite side of the road and continue left on Rt. 34 on the path until you get to Wabounsee Drive at Waubonsee College.  At the light cross to the opposite side of the road and continue on Rt. 34 on the bike path into Plano.  At Hale Street turn right and cross at the light and take either the sidewalk or neighborhood street to Church Street.  Take a left at Church Street and cotinine to Center Street.  Cross the street at the Stop sign and turn right past St. Mary School and continue past St. Mary Church.  Turn left into the church parking lot and continue to your left to the shrine. If walking you can cross the grass off Center Street to the Shrine. 

Our Lady of Guadalupe Shrine - Plano, IL 

This completes the first leg of your Camino - stop to rest - eat - drink - pray - reflect. The return trip is the opposite way that you arrived. At each shrine before you depart it is recommend that you start and end your Camino with prayers - your intention for walking or cycling the Camino - prayer for blessings received - prayers for those in need - prayers for whatever you wish. This is your Camino and there is no correct way or wrong way to journey on Camino. If starting in Plano the directions to Yorkville is the exact reverse of the directions above. In Spain when walking El Camino de Santiago de Compostela we were constantly encouraged by the locals who smiled - shouted and encouraged us on with "Buen Camino". That was a journey of one month and almost 500 miles. this short Camino is excellent for those who wish to mimic the Camino in Spain here at home in Illinois. 

Buen Camino  (Good Journey) 

Deacon Dale Metcalfe  

Moving Along - Like An Old Turtle

I cannot believe that it has been almost two and a half years since my last post and the new biking/hiking/walking path still has not been finished.  I know the State of Illinois has issues - this is ridiculous.  Of course - more important issues have taken precedence - hopefully to justify such slow action.  I am wintering in Arizona for now - at least out here in this State - things happen - very quickly.  In the same time that the crews have been working on widening US Rt 34 between Plano and Yorkville and adding a new walking path - a stretch of some five miles - the road crews in this part of Arizona have built some twenty plus new miles of a huge four land highway which includes massive bridges and sound walls.  Of course they have better working conditions - still the amount of time invested in the Illinois project pales compared to the Arizona road crews.  As of this date - I am hopeful that the road between Plano and Yorkville will be completed by this coming summer.

One can only hope.  Eventually this has to be completed - correct?   In the meantime the original path is still viable. 

Buen Camino
Deacon Dale 

Route Update

One year ago - June 2015 - I wrote that the path for - Camino de los Santos - was being improved. Sadly nothing more has been accomplished. The newer safer path - a bike/jogging path added between the YMCA and Plano has been completed for a year now - the connecting path from Yorkville - no movement. Yorkville has added some people friendly paths - not going west - rather north and south. Hopefully the proposed path between Yorkville and Plano will be completed sometime in the short future. One can only hope and pray.

Buen Camino

Deacon Dale 

New Route

It is June 2015 - construction moves slowly in Illinois. Although not as complete as we would like - the new walking/biking path from Yorkville to Plano is completed - unfortunately it starts at the Yorkville city limits - does not go all the way to Saint Patrick Parish. The good news is that from US Route 34 and Eldamin Road the new asphalt path runs smoothly to the edge of Plano where it joins pre-existing concrete walkways. With the addition of this segment it is now safe to walk along US Route 34 between Yorkville and Plano. An added bonus - this gives access to food and bathroom options for those who would need those options. You do lose the beauty of the rural country - but enough does remain - to keep the feel of walking through the beautiful fields of Plano.

This does add the option for a possible cycling Camino - to test - Arlene and I brought our bikes to the YMCA located at the corner of Eldamin Road and US Rt. 34.  Parking our car in their lot we unloaded the bikes and proceeded to bike to the shrine at Saint Mary Parish in Plano. It was an easy ride with only the uphill into Plano being the only real challenge. After spending some time at the shrine - observing the changes to the shrine and saying a prayer or two - we returned to the YMCA parking lot. The Total distance was 7¼ miles - total time 55 minutes. We rode at a controlled pace - more aggressive riders would be faster and others slower. If riding with a group or younger children the ride would be 90 minutes maximum. We look forward to the city of Yorkville adding their own bike path and connecting to the one from Plano - which was the original concept. In time - it will happen.
Click the link below to see the route. We could go directly down US Rt 34 to Center Street in Plano - however that would take you through the town area and more traffic. Turning on Hale Street gives you less traffic and a safer route.

                                                             Bike Route

If all goes well we will sponsor a biking camino this summer - until then - buen camino!

Deacon Dale 

Happy New Year!

We are now into January 2015 and nearing the half way mark to completing our first month of 2015.  Those who are frequent trekkers always know where their half way mark is - keeping bearings on where they have been and where they are going.  The last time I drove the path of El Camino de los Santos - I saw that the road construction along US Route 34 was nearing completion - a bonus of that construction - a new walking - biking path - between Plano and Yorkville.  That path is not entirely complete - some walking alongside Rt 34 at the end near Yorkville.  This new path saves about 2 miles from our original path and for those concerned about safety - especially for younger trekkers - is safer than traveling on country roads.  Expectation is that the new path will be completely ready for spring hikers and bikers.

Click the link below for a view of the construction and path

https://goo.gl/maps/15rEo
Courtesy Google Maps

Shown is the rough path from late fall 2014 - the finished path wil be compacted gravel or asphalt.

Buen Camino
Deacon Dale  

New Route Coming Soon

It has been awhile since our last post on the Camino de Los Santos - not much has happened since our last post - however - there has been a lot of construction on US Route 34 between Yorkville and Plano. It is not completed - yet - but we see promise of one continuous walking - biking path which will make the Camino trek between the two towns much easier.

The downside is that that path will eliminate some beautiful countryside - the good news is that it eliminates about one hour of walking time. In some ways this future path will be similar to the Senda that runs a good distance along the Camino in Spain - a designated path for non vehicular traffic alongside a roadway - keeps pilgrims in more populated areas - which increases safety - availability of services - such as bathrooms - stopping points for food and drink.  I am anxious to see how well the path is finished off.  Very soon I hope to be able to map the path and add to this site as an alternate route.

Buen Camino
Dale & Arlene 

Video Review

We just uploaded a short video on YouTube of our summer 

Camino walks in July and August 2013.  

Click here to view:  CAMINO de los SANTOS

Deacon Dale 

Continuing the Walk

The intent in designing El Camino de los Santos is to be an ongoing camino experience.  As we seek to promote development we will continue to look at alternate routes.  As current construction along US Route 34 continues - we are limited in safe routes to recommend.  We have been told that a bike/walking path is planned between Yorkville and Plano. This would create a shorter route and allow future trekkers access to facilities such as toilet facilities and food - two important ingredients of any trek.  Shown below is one trek that avoids back country roads and follows a major highway - more noisy - less meditative - but shorter and closer to the above facilities.  We offer it as one alternate.  As we look at other routes - those will be added.
Ultimately - we would like to develop an interesting and safe lollipop loop - to make this camino as enjoyable as possible for future participants.

Continuing 

Create Maps or search from 80 million at MapMyFitness

Buen Camino
Dale and Arlene

August Update

The time has come to let this Camino now take a rest.  It has served us well as a training tool for the Camino de Santiago in Spain.  We are now double checking our list of equipment and preparing to head to Spain.  Our hope is that other trekkers will discover this blog and walk their own Camino de los Santos.  Hopefully by next spring all the major road construction will be completed and other paths to Saint Mary in Plano and Saint Patrick in Yorkville will be developed.  There is some redundancy in the present Camino - but we have been looking at alternate routes which we will publish in the future.  Discussion is underway with both parishes to develop permanent Camino teams to continue to promote the concept of walking pilgrimages - for both teens and adults. 

Work is progressing on the new shrine in Yorkville and should be mostly completed by next April or May.  With the new shrine and alternate paths we have hope for continuance of this Camino.

As we move from this blog we return to Dale and Arlene's Camino - we hope you follow our adventure into and across northern Spain.  We are allowing ourselves 45 days in Spain - so with the grace of God and using good old common sense we will be able to make it all the way to Saniago de Compostela and the "end of the world"!

Buen Camino
Dale and Arlene

Participation Forms

There are two forms that are required to participate on this Camino for August 3rd

Registration Deadline August 1, 2013

You must click the links provided below and print out each page. 

Your completed "Participation Form" should be mailed to:

 DeaconTravel Ministries  

PO Box 124   

Bristol, IL 60512

 OR

You may Sign and Scan your Form and send as an email attachment

to:  camino@deacontravel.org

If you want a commemorative Camino t-shirt, then indicate your shirt

size on the Participation Form and enclose your donation of $20 (if mailing)

otherwise your donation will be collected the day of the Camino.

Checks should be made out to:  St Gianna Molla Shrine Fund

Camino Participation Form (pdf)

Camino Participants Information Form (pdf)

c

camino@deacontravel.org

No email?  Phone Your Questions to Deacon Dale

630.334.5065

Buen Camino

Deacon Dale