Midwestern Rustic Red Barn

A lot of people make fun of the fact that the Midwest is so flat, but its big blue sky and expanse of prairie grass is quite endearing. Dotted with rustic red barns, bucolic farm fields stretch as far as the eye can see. The clean scent of fresh mown hay drift along the gentle summer breezes. I love our state of Illinois and adore the beauty of all the old barns. You’ll discover they appear in a variety of colors but my absolute favorite is the rustic red barn.

This pair of beauties resides in Leroy Oakes Forest Preserve. The preserve itself is peaceful and idyllic and I love that history has been respected with the preservation of several buildings on the property. I shared photos of the barn on the left previously, so today I’m focusing on the second barn on the right.

 

Isn’t she gorgeous?  I love this rustic red barn’s peeling paint, white trim, and cute outdoor light.

 

A gravel drive leads you to the side door of the barn at Leroy Oakes Forest Preserve. I have many memories of this park, most of which occurred in high school but we won’t go there right now. <Smile>

 

Farm implements dot the property surrounding the barns. School children come here for field trips, runners like me come here to run the bike path that runs through the preserve, and families of all ages enjoy picnics.

 

The large silo wears a matching red roof, slightly rusted which adds to its character.

 

 

The south end of this rustic red barn has its own special charm and details, like the stonework surrounding the door.

 

A pair of iron lanterns flank the rustic red barn door.

 

So much attention to detail has been given to the buildings and surrounding grounds. It’s truly beautiful out here! The historic Pioneer Sholes School is located here as well and I shared photos of it in a previous post.

 

On this particular day, the sky was slightly overcast creating great conditions for taking photos of this beautiful rustic red barn.

 

Paths snake through the property creating miles of training opportunity for my upcoming marathon in November. The rustic red barns provide much needed eye candy when running mile after mile after mile.  I’ll soon be taking more photos of the trails so you can enjoy Midwestern beauty as much as I do.

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