The Fox River continues down into
Illinois, meandering through the northwest
suburbs of
Chicago, through
Elgin, Illinois, one of the larger towns there, where it supports many a
riverboat casino. A large bridge across the river seems to be a staple in the
downtown areas of many old
villages along the way. The
river valley slopes gently, and, in some places, where it's as many as 10 miles across, you can see the opposite side. Containing hills and dense
vegetation, it's a little more interesting than the miles of flat
farmland or the
metropolitan areas that lie
beyond.
It's clear that many of these towns were originally founded solely because of the river's
presence.