Other than the airport, this area is almost exclusively residential. Therefore, my attention turned to the airport itself. I recalled the controversy regarding the expansion of O'Hare and the relocation of not only many homes, but also a small cemetery which is close to the airport. When I looked on Google Maps, I found out just how close this cemetery is: It's practically in the middle of the airport!
I wasn't sure if the relocation of the cemetery had started yet, so I decided to ride out and investigate. It was a long ride out west to the airport - about 14 miles. The last few miles, I was riding on a wide shoulder of the street where the speed limit is 55 mph. Passing trucks were scary! I took a wrong turn into the airport on Cargo Road, and ended up in the wrong area. The guard at the guard post told me to go out on Irving Park Rd again and go further west past the railroad tracks until I saw a construction access road on the right. His directions were right on target.
I went down the access road, over a ravine and down a hill and I finally found the cemetery. In fact, I found two of them! I was looking for St John's Cemetery, but I came upon Resthaven first.
St John's is further down the road. Many of the gravestones have been replaced with wooden crosses. I'm guessing, but I think those are the graves which have been exhumed and moved to a different location.
On my way back from the airport, I stopped to watch the planes take off. If you're in a car, there's no place to pull over (other than the shoulder) to watch the planes, but since I was on my bike, it was easy to jump off and sit and watch these big birds take off. Another day, when the wind is coming from the north, I'll have to come back and watch them land.
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