The California Beach Girl's Guide to Life as a Mobility-Challenged Traveler: A Day in Carthage... Summer in Illinois

I've heard they say "A bad day golfing is still better than a good day working" or something like that. Well, I don't know I guess it depends on how well you golf and how much you like or hate your job. But I DO know this...

A drive in the country and a good time on the golf course,

followed by a relaxing visit to a nice winery, even if it rains, makes it a great day!

(It looks like the ball is going into the trees but it actually goes over the trees and lands right where he wanted it to... on the green that you can't see)

Some golf courses are nicer than others.

Some wineries are better than others.

Some days it is sunny and clear.

More often it is clear one minute then a storm comes in.

But usually it is a good day overall.

I have been holding onto the photos from our Golf & Winery Days because I didn't know how I wanted to share these experiences. I have decided to just share them as they happened. Not every day is a hit and not every winery is good. Hard to believe, I know. But there is always something really great that comes out of the experience.

This is where it started...

Carthage, Illinois... With a coupon for a game of golf at half price.

I thought this was kind of "fun" ... not what I expected to see at a golf course.

This is an interesting course... it crosses over the lake...

Yes that is the ball Richard hit...

It looked like they were digging a grave...

It really did look like a hole for a grave and we don't have any idea what it was for.

And there are people fishing on the lake...

And there are stairs up to the tee on Hole 3...

You have to cross over the road twice and the second time we crossed I saw this rose that someone had put here... ?

Of course there were other flowers...

That is one of my favorite things about golf courses.

And is that a cherry tree?

And Richard saw this totally amazing scene... I was able to get some unbelievable photos...

A wasp carrying a Cicada through the grass, stinging it repeatedly

And then, incredibly, carrying it up a tree

This is pretty interesting... Is it a tree or a bush ?

As Richard finished up his golf game we heard live music.
It was echoing over the lake and we were hoping it was coming from the winery.
We decided to go eat lunch in town first.

I saw this out the window from where we were eating lunch and I wanted to get a photo of it so we drove around the square to get a clear shot.

I think it is the Carthage Court House.

Then we drove back to the Lake Hill Winery
and we were pleased there was a musician playing on the back balcony.