Vacation 2007 or How We Missed out on Lutefisk and Charlie Pride

Well, here goes. It’s kind of hard to remember everything because neither I nor Tam kept any type of regular notes, although one of us remembered to buy and BRING a real journal and actually write something in it; at least for a few days. Then she slacked off.

Day 1

We had originally planned to leave on Thursday the 11th. That got changed to the 10th, then to the 9th. The weekend before we leave and now we’re planning to sneak out of town on the 8th. Oh yeah! Tam scammed her way out of work at 2am the 7th and I managed to clear up almost everything I needed to do so I skipped out about 10am. A quick trip home, change clothes and we’re off. The plan today is to haul posterior to the border as quick as we can. No real pics on this leg. It was uneventful except for the last few miles before Texarkana, then the bottom fell out of the rain clouds we had been under all day. Just in case you were wondering mesh jackets are not waterproof. The $20 Plano boxes we will use for hard luggage are.

Taminator packing her Strom



Loaded up and filled up. Note the cold weather gear bungeed on the bikes.



Highlights of the day:

(1) Jacksonville. Seems like every car had “bling” rims. Even the 70 something grandma riding next to us in her Chrysler 300 was pimped out.

(2) The Wagon Wheel café in Ore City. Most excellent special of Chicken, taters, beans, banana pudding and sweet tea. Cheap, cheap meal and it was GOOD!

Props to the La Quinta in Texarkana,ARK. They saw we were on bikes and let us park in the little alcoves around the front doors so the bikes would be dry and safe for the night.

End of Day 1
Total miles 309

Day 2

We left Texarkana and headed up 71 with the intention of covering lots of ground. In Tam’s words “Arkansas is close. We can ride here anytime.” There was so much traffic on 71 we ended up leaving it and taking some back roads to 41, which just goes back to 71 a little north. It was an interesting detour and brought us to the bustling metropolis of Alleene, AR and (I know this will get filtered) Dick Click Grocery. You just can’t make up these names.......






On to Mena, where we stopped for a short time and took some pics. We hadn’t been to Ark for quite a few years and were surprised at the amount of traffic. I’m tired of fighting the traffic and bored with the sprawl that has taken over. I’ll tolerate it though. Tam used to live in Mountainburg, just north of Ft Smith and I know she wants to see how it’s changed. Plus, I want to go to Chester again. Chester was one of those towns with one way in & one way out. Everyone would stop & stare at the “foreigners” every time someone new drove in to town.Kind of like those old sci-fi movies where everyone in town was an alien. At least it used to be. We would learn that due to the new highway Chester is now a modern town and Tam’s old school has grown.
After a visit to Chester and Mountainburg we blast out of town and finally get off 71. The traffic never thins until we pull into the Faubus Motel in Huntsville, Ark. The Faubus is a Mom & Pop hotel and the only hotel I’d recommend in this tiny dot on the map.

Mena RR Depot


Mountainburg school


Chester


Anyone who knows me will know why this one is special:


Highlights of the day:

(1) Tam got to see her old school and the big town of Chester

(2) I got Tam to eat Chinese food.

(3) We didn’t die from eating at the Chinese restaurant or the Mexican restaurant we ate at.

Note to self — Don’t eat Mexican food north or east of Texas.

End Day 2
Total miles 294

Day 3

We walked across town to eat at the Granny something other café. The desk clerk at the Faubus said it was THE PLACE to eat b-fast. Not impressed. I think a convenience store donut would have settled on my stomach better. How do you mess up pancakes?????????

We left town and shortly entered Missouri and rode up the western portion of the state. If you’re looking for scenery and good, curvy roads to ride, I highly recommend ------------ you stay away from this area. I think I could have napped and the bike would have stayed in my lane. There were no curves at all. South of Kansas City we decided to leave the state and head over to Kansas with the intent of spending the night in Lawrence, KS and heading over to Leavenworth prison the next morning. We pulled into Lawrence and got the jacuzzi suite at another chain hotel. Next we headed toward the college area for dinner at the suggestion of the front desk clerk. We stopped at a place named The Great Bambino or something like that. The food was bad, the service was worse. We ended up leaving before Tam could get something to eat because they ran out of the ravioli she ordered and what they talked her into ordering made her make a face that I haven’t seen in a while. This would be the 1st time we violated our rule to not eat at chain restaurants. She stopped at Culver’s to grab a burger. Well, at least it wasn’t a chain where WE are from.

Culver Burger. Boy it looked and smelled good!


A Sea of Sunflowers







Highlights of the day:

(1) Gorgeous fields of sunflowers.

(2) A traffic roundabout in the middle of NOWHERE in Kansas.

(3) Tam didn’t smack the owner at Bambinos.

End of Day 3
Total miles 318

Day 4

We blasted out of Lawrence headed to Leavenworth. The roads out of Lawrence are pretty straight and not very exciting. We would experience our first strong headwinds today.

We arrive at Leavenworth KS and try to find our way to the prison museum. First we turn into the military base there. Not good. I keep waiting to be challenged by a guard as we discuss where to go but it never happens. Evidently they have seen lost tourists before. We finally manage to find the road to the prison and when we arrive Tam sees what she thinks is a parking lot for visitors – it isn’t. She speaks to the friendly perimeter guard who informs here this is not a public parking lot, there isn’t a museum and we can’t take pictures except from the street. Who knew? One of the oldest, most notorious institutions and no museum?? Oh well. A couple of quick pics and we’re headed out of town and stumble on one of the best parts of the trip, the city of Atchison and Kansas scenic 7. We get good food and good service at the Riverhouse Restaurant and get our first taste of a really nice little town. Plus we get some really good riding in on a very good road with great scenery!
At the end of KS scenic 7 you hit Nebraska and we rode through farmland in Nebraska and Iowa until stopping for the night in Nebraska City, NB. Situated on the banks of the Missouri River, this is an absolutely beautiful place. We were directed to the Lied Lodge but it was full so we ended up staying at the Whispering Pines B&B. There weren’t any pine trees but it was very nice. It’s owned by a lady that grew up in the area but spent quite a few years in Austin in the tech industry.

Leavenworth prison


Riverhouse Restaurant in Atchison


Bridge over the Missouri River in Atchison


Overlook on Scenic 7. You could see 4 states from here.







Taminator at the end of Scenic 7 and the start of Nebraska territory


The end of Scenic 7. Great Road.


Whispering Pines B&B. We stayed in "The Barn"



End of Day 4
Total Miles 215

To be continued.....................

Thanx for the ride report, dang, that Culvers burger looked good....mmm burgers.

Well done report (so far), 10-95. You had me laughing early this morning
Anxiously waiting for the next installment Can anyone get enough of those beautiful blue skies?!

db said:

Well done report (so far), 10-95. You had me laughing early this morning
Anxiously waiting for the next installment Can anyone get enough of those beautiful blue skies?!

Click to expand...

Couldn't have said it better. I too look forward to the next installment.

10-95 said:

We arrive at Leavenworth KS and try to find our way to the prison museum. First we turn into the military base there.

Click to expand...

Did you get a chance to enjoy the base or were you too worried about being searched for weapons in those orange camouflaged weapon boxes?

If you were able to cruise down the main base road, you would have seen the houses built in the 1800s among all the trees. I always thought the base was quite scenic. (OK, maybe Tammy noticed... )

I also remember the not-so-polite reception if you happened to venture into the Leavenworth prison entrance - they have no sense of humor.

Just for an aside, Fort Leavenworth is an older US Army base on the river bluff. The federal prison is several miles to the west off the main East-West road. A very dismal and foreboding building.

-------

More! More! Excellent report so far! (especially when the heroes are two V-Stroms)

Culvers may not be in B/CS but there's one here in the Woodlands. Butter burgers!!!!! Can't wait for the rest.

Very nice so far. I can't wait to read the rest.

Who would have thought? Kansas has some good roads?!?!?! Now I have to o check them out.

Great Report

For an interesting read on the Prison:
The Hot House: Life Inside Leavenworth Prison

With the cooperation of the Bureau of Prisons, Earley ( Family of Spies ) spent much time from mid-1987 to mid-1989 at Leavenworth, a maximum-security institution whose nickname, the Hot House, derives from its lack of air conditioning despite the searing Kansas summers. Interviewing the warden, the guards from captains on down and the convicts, many of whom are imprisoned for shocking crimes, the author takes readers into the mind of the recidivist criminal to show an egoistic, violent nature locked into a code of behavior with elements of machismo, hyper-sensitivity to slights and the conviction that informing is the greatest crime of all. There is also hatred of guards, who hate back, all this played out against a backdrop of racism, sexual exploitation, constant tension and sometimes gratuitous cruelty by the staff and the bureau toward the inmates. A remarkable book.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Food rules which have served me well:

1) Only eat Mexican food in states/countries which directly border Mexico.
2) Culvers gets an exemption to the no-chain-restaurant rule. Was introduced to them during a bicycle ride across Wisconsin. There's one up here in McKinnney, and oddly enough, another down in Kerrville.

- JimY

jcyuhn said:

Food rules which have served me well:

1) Only eat Mexican food in states/countries which directly border Mexico.
2) Culvers gets an exemption to the no-chain-restaurant rule. Was introduced to them during a bicycle ride across Wisconsin. There's one up here in McKinnney, and oddly enough, another down in Kerrville.

- JimY

Click to expand...

There is a Culvers opening up about 1/4 of a mile from my house.

I have tried it up in Wisconsin once... good stuff.

Earth to 10-95, Earth to 10-95, come in 10-95.



We're waiting like Paul Harvey for "the rest of the story".

jcyuhn said:

Food rules which have served me well:

1) Only eat Mexican food in states/countries which directly border Mexico.

Click to expand...

Try asking for queso, chips and salsa in Casper, Wyoming.........

jhansen said:

Earth to 10-95, Earth to 10-95, come in 10-95.



We're waiting like Paul Harvey for "the rest of the story".

Click to expand...

Sorry! Tam and I have both been sick and I've been trying to catch up at work, but I'm working on it!!!!

10-95 said:

Tam and I have both been sick

Click to expand...

It was the Mexican food up north, wasn't it?

Let's see, there's TEX-MEX, AZ-MEX, NM-MEX (with several sub catigories), and TOFU CAL-MEX, but I ain't never heard of WYO-MEX.

I'm still waiting for the Lutefisk ... sounds vaguely Scandinavian and like something I might have accidently eaten at one point.

Dave.

mlinkibikr said:

I'm still waiting for the Lutefisk ... sounds vaguely Scandinavian and like something I might have accidently eaten at one point.

Dave.

Click to expand...

Dave, there is absolutely no way you "have accidently eaten" lutefisk. trust me, you would know.

Oh he thinks he has gotten out of trying the lutefisk. Little does he know there will be a package arriving soon from www.tiegens.com....... Have the camera charged up and ready to go. Also have to try the lefse potato bread thingy.

And yes Ken, when is the rest of the ride report coming?????? We are all patiently waiting.

taminator said:

And yes Ken, when is the rest of the ride report coming?????? We are all patiently waiting.

Click to expand...

No slack for Ken, but we also need the 650 rider's perspective & her unique point-of-view (and pictures)...

Day 5

We rose fairly early to meet up at the main house at Whispering Pines B&B for the included breakfast. Orange flavored french toast, bacon and your choice of juice. Never had orange french toast but it was quite tasty. The only complaint I have about this place was the spiders. It had started getting cool and all GOD’s little critters want to keep warm, so I can’t blame them. Tam can really squeal when one of them takes her by surprise. The owner said they were really bad this year. Go figure.

View from “the Barn” up to the main B&B house



After gearing up we headed across to Iowa and turned north. I can tell you; if you don’t like corn, don’t go to Iowa. At least southwest Iowa. We headed north, fighting the wind.

Just south of Council Bluffs we happened across something good — the Loess Scenic Highway. It’s pronounced LUSS, like **** or GUS. Basically it’s just a type of soil. Imagine talcum powder that holds together until you touch it. Sounds bad but it wasn’t. Not only were there hills and curves, but some really cool old barns, nice country folk and you really get a good appreciation of how bountiful our country is. We REALLY live in the greatest country in the world.

We stopped at the Loess Hills State Forest (Forest may be stretching it a bit...) Visitor’s center and checked out the exhibits and their extremely clean restrooms. Never pass up a clean shiny bathroom when traveling. It was here that we learned what loess actually was and the fact that almost ALL grain is raised in areas with this type of soil. China and Brazil were mentioned as having large areas of loess soils too.

A few more miles and we were out of the scenic area. Now it was a dash to try to make it to Sioux Falls, SD for the night. Not a good idea to be out at dark in the midst of all the grain fields. Those Iowa deer are HUGE! Right near dark we hit Sioux Falls and being the tourist destination that it is (can you feel the sarcasm? ) we struck out at the first 2 motels we tried. Eventually we settled for the Baymont hotel. Looked good and it wasn’t a budget breaker but we ended up staying next to one those traveling bands of magazine sellers. You know, those people that ring your doorbell at 6pm when you’re eating and want to sell you a subscription to Better Homes & Gardens because they’re underprivileged and can’t get a steady job. Whatever. I have a job and I can’t LIVE at the Baymont.

To top it off, we can’t find ANY place for a home cooked meal so we have to walk to the IHOP for our dinner. And the wind!!!!!!! Good LORD the wind was whipping!!!

Iowa state line!



Old Barn in Iowa, w/Strom dressing of course.



Loess Hills Scenic Byway







Highlights of the day:

(1) The Loess Highway. It was really pretty and the farms were picturesque. Pure Americana.

(2) The bathrooms at Loess State Forest visitors center. Clean throne at just the right time.

End of Day 5
Total Miles 281

Day 6

Day 6 couldn’t come quick enough. We packed our bikes and hit the road. But not before SOMEONE dropped their bike. Evidently people with short legs think they can take a fully loaded Strom off the center stand just like tall folks do. And then she walks away and leaves me to pick it up. Did I say SHE??? OOPS.

I do have to say Tam did exactly what she needed to do. She rocked the bike off the cs, but the kick stand was down, so when the suspension bottomed the cs hit the concrete and “catapulted” her over. She recognized what was happening and let the bike down as gently as she could, but she used the GIANT STEP method I teach in motor school and she came away without hurting herself and with almost no damage to the bike. The only thing hurt was a small scratch to the right handguard and her pride. I think she hated dropping it in front of all the magazine hawkers more than anything. LUV YA babe, but I had to.

Oh. And the $20 Plano boxes? NO damage after supporting the bike on its side and no deforming of the shape. I can also tell you they are still waterproof.

Sioux Falls to Fargo, ND isn’t that far, but when we headed out of the parking lot we hit the north wind that was blowing. Folks, riding to Fargo from Sioux Falls isn’t that “stimulating”. Add the wind and we were hating northeast SD. Basically that day was spent hunched over the tank, behind the screen trying to get some relief. I don’t think I even snapped a pic when we crossed into ND because we jumped on the interstate to get through as quick as we could. Get through? Yes, get through. Today our goal was to get to Fargo and get that danged pic.

We left ND and crossed into Minnesota to get away from the traffic somewhere south of Fargo. Neither of us could take the 9-0 speeds with the howling north wind.

On the way we passed through Madison, MN. Madison is the self-proclaimed LUTEFISK CAPITAL OF THE USA. We stopped. We had pie. Good lemon pie. They had no lutefisk. Imagine, the lutefisk capital and no lutefisk. I didn’t know whether to stomp around and cry or hit my knees and thank GOD. Tam sees my dilemma so she’s off.She hits up the waitress, “No way. Do you know how gross that stuff is? My Dad and Uncle eat it, it’s BAD.” Tam is directed to the only grocery store around. She dashes into the store in order to purchase the vile stuff and possibly see me projectile vomit. Evil woman.................. Lucky for me there is no lutefisk. “Try back around Thanksgiving.” Turkey or dried, lye water restored codfish. Gosh, I can’t choose. Anyway, I’m off the hook for now.

We chose to finish our route in Moorehead, MN, just across the border from Fargo. We gassed up and headed to Fargo to get our pic and were headed back to Moorehead. Moorehead seemed a little “friendlier” than Fargo.

Once in Fargo we realized something; Fargo is just another big town. No Marge Gunderson came to greet us, no slow pace, no funny characters. I couldn’t even find a place to snap a pic at the city limits because we were getting pushed along by the clog of traffic. We finally settled on a pic of the water tower and we high-tailed it back to Moorehead and a date with a cheap hotel.

The first hotel we stopped at had too much Middle East stuff going on. Sorry, but I don’t like curried lamb, I think suicide bombers are just crazy and I don’t support my money leaving the country to go anywhere. Racist? Ignorant? Maybe, but we all have our own beliefs. We settled down for the night at the Ameri something or other hotel. It was old but very clean and HUGE. The middle of the complex had a mini golf course, pool, etc. Hard to fathom in Texas since we can usually get outside no matter the time of year and these folks can’t. We also headed to a quaint little Italian place that the gas station attendant recommended. I can’t remember the name but the waitresses all dressed like gangsters from the 1920's. Pretty cool and the food rocked. Plus, I got my first beer of the trip, a Blue Moon. I’d never had one before. They serve it with a slice of orange.


Fargo!!!!!!!! But where’s Marge?




Lutefisk Capital My Pa-TOOTY!




Highlights of the Day:

(1) The hotel and the Italian place.

(2) The giant fish of course!!!!!!!

End of Day 6
Total Miles 223

Day 7

Day 7 started slow. We didn’t have far to go so we ate breakfast at the hotel and then went to the gas station to do laundry. Yep, the gas station. Evidently this is fairly common. Gas station/grocery store/laundromat/donut shop/whatever. After getting our clothes done we headed out highway 10. Destination: Itasca State Park and the headwaters of the mighty Mississippi River.

Let me describe highway 10 -------- Look at your kitchen counter. OK, you got it if you add a 20mph north wind belting you.

We followed 10 until we couldn’t stand it then headed north into the great expanse of rolling farms that this area is made up of. In a way it’s beautiful. In another it’s maddening. Nothing around, straight roads and a 55mph speed limit that we may have broken, oh, maybe once or twice. Blame the wife. She was leading.

We did find some interesting things. One was a farm that had a LOT of windmills on it’s own little island. That was near Hitterdal. Another was the town of Ulen and their VIKING SWORD museum. Now if you see the sign “VIKING SWORD museum” you expect a sword or 2, right? Yeah. You’d be wrong. The only viking sword there is a replica of a broken sword the townspeople BELIEVE is a viking sword. Some farmer supposedly unearthed the real one, but his descendants put it in ANOTHER museum. It’s all good. Evidently not too many people stop at the VIKING SWORD museum so we got a personal tour of the premises from the old guy who was manning it. Plus, they had a clean bathroom!

After leaving Ulen we hit highway 200 east to Itasca. 200 starts off BAD. Straight road through uninteresting farmland and the White Earth Indian reservation. The reservation is typical. Mobile homes with tires on the roof and cars in the front yards on blocks. You see the same stuff in New Mexico, Wyoming and Montana. But the part outside the reservation is stunning. Imagine curving perfect asphalt winding through a hardwood forest and the leaves are changing. Better yet, I’ll put a pic or 2 in and you can see for yourself.

Upon reaching Itasca SP, we found out everything was full. That is everything that had not closed for the season was full. We eventually found a cabin at Bert’s Cabins, a private clutch of cabins inside the park. $90 and we were set for the night. Well, except for having to ride to the local bar to eat (the only place around) and waste time until the owner could clean the cabin but it was worth it. Complete quiet with beautiful surroundings. In the evening Tam and I even took a walk on the snowmobile trails. This is where THE DEAD BEAVER incident happened.

It starts like this:

We decide to take a walk because until now we have pretty much been running and gunning and we really hadn’t taken the time to get some exercise. We decided to change and walk through the woods. They were beautiful and off the bike the temp wasn’t bad. Cool but not bad. We walk about 100 yards or so off the road and I notice a beaver. Only problem is the beaver has been ripped up the belly and his head is gone. Plus, something has partially covered him. Something wants to come back and get supper later.
Now, I’m no wuss. I was raised in the country and all my life I’ve hunted and fished so I know a little something-something. I’ve also been a cop for over 16 years. I’ve faced down some people that were just downright evil. I may sweat buckets and pee on myself just a little bit, but I don’t mind throwing down and I don’t like to run.
This is different. The last animal I saw treated like that was a redbone hound a neighbor of mine had. He was taken by a cougar and the kill was almost identical. Cougars ain’t skeered either and though I’ve never seen a bear in the wild, I would guess he ain’t skeered either. Time to go. I don’t even have a pocket knife on me.
My saving grace? I can outrun Tam.

Oh, the culprit? Most likely a black bear according to our hosts. Very common in the park. Cougar? Not common at all.

Road to the “Windmill Farm”. Quite straight and gravelly, but very well maintained, like most of the roads up there.



Windmill Farm



Tam with the windmills



Viking Sword Museum



The Viking Sword--------------Replica



Highway 200. That black stuff would be my hand in the way. I haven’t mastered the moving shot yet, but I’m trying.



Another hwy 200 shot



Hwy 200 again. This time at one of the many lakes. Notice the avid amateur photographer in the background.



Lake Itasca and Itasca State Park. This is the spot where the Mississippi River starts. Note again the now startled avid amateur photographer.





Check out the Miss River sign. You can jump the river at this point.



Road in Itasca State Park



Tam was obsessed with these little bitty stop signs for the snowmobile trails.



Bert’s Cabins. Pretty cool place. I would not stay there in summer because of the numerous people that would be there but it was all but abandoned when we were there.



Not bad at all.........





Highlights of the Day:

(1) Any place called the VIKING SWORD museum

(2) Highway 200. Beautiful and deserted.

(3) Mississippi River headwaters. It’s clear and you can almost step across it.

End of Day 7
Total Miles 146

Day 8

Today started out, well, COLD. The outside thermometer showed 31 degrees. Last night the cabin owner said it had snowed 30 minutes north of us. Canada is now out. We have decided to head to Duluth, MN and shop at Aerostitch Warehouse, the supposed mecca for motorcyclists.

We put off departure as long as we can but it’s only 39 when we leave the park. Luckily the road and the woods shelter us from the wind that has started. We wind our way down to highway 2 toward Duluth. Did I mention it was cold? Yeah. Tam was miserable and even on HI, the heated grips weren’t enough for her. I was OK, but I was chilled so Tam had to be absolutely miserable.

Highway 2 develops into a fairly large road and dumps onto IH35 outside Duluth. Did I mention that the wind is now howling off Lake Superior? No? It is. Now it’s cold, it’s misting and the wind is (I swear) cutting about 30 or 40 mph. On IH35 I’m doing all I can to stay in my lane. Tam is down to 45mph with a car and a semi bearing down on her. Time to exit the interstate and give a pep talk. Tam says bad things about my heritage and uses language that I’m sure is illegal in 49 countries. We’re off again to find Aerostitch.

When they say Aerostitch WAREHOUSE that is what they mean. A warehouse in an industrial part of town. For the 1st time on this trip I put all my valuables in my tank bag and take them with me. Tam does likewise and we go up the stairs into the grand showroom-----NOT! First, let me say that besides the high prices, Aerostitch rocks. They have some really cool gizmos and I’d love to have a Stitch. Now; their showroom blows. Tiny and the stuff looked like they just threw it into the room and left. A little time to defrost and we decide to leave. NO SALE.

On the street down below we strike up a conversation with an older gentleman who rode up on a Kawi ZX11. A little conversation on where we’re going, where we have been and we ask how to get out of town w/o having to use one of the high bridges over the lake. With the wind Tam doesn’t feel comfortable......scratch that.....she says going over the bridges AIN”T HAPPENING. He gives us directions and wishes us well. I give him a business card and tell him “If you’re ever in Central Texas”, you know. Then Tam and I peruse the map a little more. Not 10 minutes later and out pops the Kawi rider saying he is going to show us out of town “the back way”. Wisconsin here we come!

Now we’re following a man on a sportbike that either had no working speedometer or he can’t see close up to read the speedometer. It was a mad race to keep up with him. We’re heading through a residential area with a few businesses and a posted limit of 30. We’re doing 50-55 and 2 squad cars are coming right at us. The old man never even slows and the squads never turn on us. From the looks of it they were going to a call. Or, as my lovely wife says, “It was probably dinner time.” We do manage to get out of MN and into Wisconsin w/o incident. The guy dropped us at Barker Island and gave me directions to a m/c friendly motel about 3 hours south. Thank you Mr Kawasaki!!!!!!!!

We stop and take some pics on the shore of Lake Superior. Did I mention it was windy? I had to prop myself up against a statue so Tam could get my pic. 1st Great Lake! Yeah baby!!!

We then continue south until Solon Springs where we check into the hotel on Lake St Croix. Solon Springs is tiny but they have EVERYTHING. A café, a hotel, grocery store, you name it. We received 1st rate service from the hotel and Tam finally warmed up. You know it was a tough day when Tam wants to go to the hotel bar and have one. Served and made by the front desk clerk/bartender/cook/maitre de. I’m not kidding. The guy did everything except clean the rooms.


Getting ready to leave Bert’s



The Mississippi River already beginning to widen. This is just a couple miles outside the park.



An eagle we spotted on the way to Duluth. He landed right next to the road but before we could get a good pic a big semi scared him.



Barker Island on Lake Superior. The statue is to honor the sailors lost over the years.









Highlights of the Day:

(1) Spirited ride through Duluth

(2) Seeing Lake Superior

End of Day 8
Total Miles 202

To be continued.
I promise.

Great job, Ken!

Lotsa fun reading it.

Great Report !
If you would have let us know you were going to stop and Aerostich we would have watched the bikes for you, and called your cell if any body would have messed withem. WebCam

Some day I want to ride the River road from the headwaters at Lake Itasca to the mouth at the gulf. I grew up close to the Big Miss, it is a fascinating river with a wonderful history.

Day 9

We awoke and walked to the café to get something to eat and then geared up to go. Solon Springs was a nice place to hole up and ride out the rain but we had places to go. We left the larger Hwy53 as soon as we could and headed back toward the Great River Road. This part of Wisconsin is rolling hills and trees and pretty rural. Very pretty. Today we pretty much just made time headed south. Both of us were tired from the previous day and we snapped at each other more than once. I can say that this day brought nothing spectacular or memorable. The wife took some pics of some cool old churches but this was mainly just point A to point B.

We made it to La Crosse, WI. La Crosse is a busy, but very pretty college town on the banks of the Mississippi. I think they said there were 3 different colleges there, so the atmosphere was kind of funky. I can tell you this--------if you go, pass on “The Hungry Peddler”. Ho-hum food and downright rude waitresses. The bright spot of the day was the Welch Motel. American owned and operated Mom & Pop motel. Cheap, clean and nice folks. Can’t say enough about them.
Welch Motel



Some of the churches we saw:





End of Day 9
Total Miles 247

Day 10

We beat feet out of La Crosse as soon as we could and stopped at the only place we could find for breakfast. I can’t remember the name and with the food they had it’s likely they won’t be around for long anyway. You guessed it--------a Mexican place with no Mexicans cooking.

Shortly after breakfast we left the highways for county roads and that is where we started seeing just how beautiful southwest Wisconsin is. WOW! Old churches, towns tucked into little valleys, Amish farms, leaves turning. We were both just speechless. We crisscrossed that area of the state snapping pics and generally being tourists until we eventually ended up in Scales Mound, Illinois which is another town straight out of the artwork of Norman Rockwell. The people don’t even know what they have. Everyone we talked to couldn’t remember the last time they locked their house. Unreal.

We also stopped in Gays Mills, WI for the only thing I had been craving for the last couple of days; a haircut and a shave with hot water and lather. One of those that you get at a small barber shop where the barber only has a straight razor. Unbeknownst to me the little river that ran through the town had JUST receded from flooding the town and the barber had no water at all. Dagnabbit! I settled for a haircut with shears and a trim of my beard. Nothing like a hot shave though.

We ended in Savanna IL at the L-M Motel, a biker friendly American owned MOM, but no POP motel. Neither of us said anything to the other but we both wanted to stay and ride in the SW of Wisconsin. Oh well. We were now ducking EXTREMELY powerful storms with the potential for heavy rain and tornadoes so we decided to hole up at the L-M. Good thing there was a great little diner within walking distance. MMMMMMMMM Baked Chicken, cornbread, beans and potatoes. That night the bottom fell out of the sky and I just knew we would be joining Dorothy and Toto back in Kansas.

L-M Motel




Amish Farmer at work with his draft horses



Amish school. Note the buggies and the outhouse



Tam, excited to be in Wisconsin



Fly Creek Buggy Shop



Wisconsin scenery



Wisconsin back road




Can you tell we liked WI?

End of Day 10
Total Miles 277

Day 11

We left the L-M motel and headed to Iowa. We figured that we would be back up here when the Moto GP hit Indy, so why spoil it? Bad mistake. First, we had to skirt Davenport. Neither of us wanted anything to do with the amount of traffic we started seeing as we got closer. Oh yeah, we could have gone to Bettendorf and maybe done some cage fighting with Matt Hughes and Pat Miletich,but Tam has a vicious kimura that no cage fighter has been able to counter. Honest. She’s been banned from several venues already.

MSF Elite





We really hit some wind today. I swear, I almost touched a knee down trying to counter balance but once we got out of the farm lands and back to the River Road we were OK. We wound ourselves south crossing back into Illinois at Fort Madison and travelled through the small town of Nauvoo, IL. IN case you didn’t know, there is a huge cult, er, church there. Latter Day Saints stuff. The town is ABSOLUTELY beautiful. The atmosphere kind of freaked me out though. It was the same feeling I got in Salt Lake City. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

We decided to push on, or rather I decided to push on. I saw rain and I wanted to outrun it. Shouldn’t have done it, but Tam should have said something. Why do wives think we know what is going on in their head????? Anyway, we made it to Keokuk, IA just ahead of the hail and rain and ended up checking into a chain hotel. BLAH!


Overlook in Missouri




Hiding from the hail and rain under an awning on the old toll bridge in Keokuk.



Niota, IL. Alton Brown bought smoked fish here. We did too.



Mormon church in Nauvoo



Statue of John Smith and his brother



What I was trying to outrun



End of Day 11
Total Miles 239

To be continued......................

Day 12

We had a destination today — Bonne Terre, MO , home of a huge underground lake and old lead mine. We followed the river as much as possible and did take some pics but mostly this was a travel day. Truth be told, we were in such a hurry that when we went through Hannibal, MO we didn’t even stop at Mark Twain’s home. It was also a day that we traveled through the worst traffic and some of the worst urban sprawl I’ve seen. St Louis sprawled out so far that it seemed to not matter how far west of it we went. We still got caught at red lights and in massively long lines of cars waiting. Waiting for what? Honestly I still don’t know. I didn’t see anything worth waiting for and I can’t think of a reason to return to Missouri. Top that with the $100+ motel room at Bonne Terre (Super 8 blows) and my day was complete.

End of Day 12
Total Miles 261

Day 13

We left the hotel and headed to the Bonne Terre mine. Unreal. It’s like 6 levels of mine shafts, several hundred feet deep and all but like the 2 top levels are underwater. Whole underground cities forever buried by billions of gallons of the clearest water you’ll ever see. We even got to see divers out getting certified for open water diving. If you’re ever in Bonne Terrre..........

Once out of the mine we were directed to a place called CB Joe’s for “the best BBQ anywhere”. It was down an unmarked road and we kept going and going and going. I thought we had taken a wrong turn but just when we were ready to turn around, there it was. It was OK. Not great, but OK. And what is it with these folks up here and their BBQ sauce? I can’t even find the meat for the sauce.

After lunch we headed out to our next destination, the intersection of Kentucky, Illinois and Missouri; what we believed would be Cairo, Ky. Now, you’d think Cairo would be pronounced like Cairo, Egypt, right? You’d be wrong. It’s pronounced like Karo Syrup. And it’s in IL, not KY.

Along the way we cross the Miss River via a toll ferry at St Genevieve to Modoc, IL But not before experiencing some more pure Americana; a vintage tractor parade. Those guys were thrilled to have an audience and an audience taking pictures no less. Never heard of Modoc, IL? Yeah. Me either. We then found our way to a little “off the beaten path” roadway that looked like it would be an adventure. It was at this point where I again started hearing a sound like gravel being squashed inside my motor. I noticed it on & off for about the last 200 or so miles but I could never see where it was coming from. Oh well. When I accelerate hard enough the noise goes away. The road winds ----- scratch that------- the road plods along in a STRAIGHT,FLAT path south. It bore no resemblance at all to the squiggly line on the map.

We eventually end up in Chester, IL, home of Popeye and another destination for Mr Alton Brown. Unlike Mr Brown we find most of the town shut down because, of course, the noise has gotten a LOT worse and I failed to pack the correct tools to take off the cover for my front sprocket, because of course, I am CONVINCED there is a rock stuck behind it. Don’t laugh, it could happen to you. After we high-tail it to a local Wal-Mart and buy a cheap Stanley socket set I realize ------- Dufus, you’ve ridden in the rain on & off for the last 1K miles and you haven’t lubed your chain once. DOH! A quick shot of teflon spray at the motel that night and it’s all better.

Popeye statue in Chester



Wanna-Be mechanic at work



We followed the river to Cairo, hitting the city limits at dusk, dodging deer, worn out and ready for some sleep. What we saw when we got there reminded me of 9th ward New Orleans before the hurricane. It was bad. I suddenly regretted not taking my pistol with me. Luckily I saw a patrol car, flagged him over and inquired where one might repose for the night. His response: suspicious stare. No problem. I whip out my ID and he now knows who he is dealing with. His advice: Turn around and head to Charleston, MO. You won’t get murdered there.

At Charleston we check into the EconoLodge. This ain’t the best town in the world and I get up several times that night to check on the bikes, which luckily are parked right outside our door. What made me nervous? Besides the hooker in the parking lot the door lock and door jamb were broken from the last time it was kicked open. Charming.

Broken door lock. Check out the patch job.



Tractor parade in St Genevieve






Ferry Ride across the Miss River





Bonne Terre mine





Cobalt, in its natural state. Kind of looks like Pepto.


End of Day 13
Total Miles 194

Day 14

Today would be the day we would head back to Arkansas to prepare for our return. What a boring day! I never knew Missouri and Ark had parts that were so flat and dull! We would also fight the wind AGAIN and tired and disgusted we rode into Jonesboro. This is the 1st time I would hear Tam say that she just didn’t want to ride anymore. I, on the other hand, wanted more. I wanted to make it to Newport, Ark so we could jog over to scenic 7 and get some better riding before we headed back.
A little advice: If you find yourself headed to Newport, Ark.........For GOD’s sake, turn around!!! What a &^%$ hole. We had to check into the Days Inn. Note: HAD TO. That had to be the nastiest hotel ever. Tam spent the better part of an hour checking the beds and the room for vermin and then proceeded to take pics of the filthy conditions to send in to the corporate HQ. Nasty, nasty, nasty, nasty. I’m just grateful I didn’t get any bed bugs.

A little sample of the Days Inn in Newport. I’ll let you imagine the rest:




Tam trespassing again:





End of Day 14
Total Miles 285

Day 15

Day 15 started wet. Day 15 ended wet. No pics. Just imagine getting dressed in your gear, mounting your motorcycle in your shower, turning on the water and staying on the bike all day. That was our day. This would also be the 2nd time Tam cried in her helmet.

No scenic 7, no twisties, just hammering back to the Texas border where we stayed at the La Quinta again. Mad props to the La Quinta again. They saw we were soaked and got us checked in quick and they let us park the bikes up next to the front door again.

End of Day 15
Total Miles 307

Day 16

This was a mad dash home so pics were near non-existent. Tam really wanted her own bed and to see her cats. We settled on the quickest route and with the higher speed limits in Texas, were home before supper.

Tam determined to make it back home ASAP



Tam’s cats, FatBoy (grey/white one) and CrazyCat (black/white one).



End of Day 16 and End of the trip.
Total Miles 296

Total for the trip: about 4,089

We ended up going through Texas, Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, Kentucky and Tennessee. We saw a lot in a short time, got to sample other parts of the country and I learned a big lesson for a trip like this.......Slow down. Make time and find someplace you like and stay a while. It makes the trip that much more pleasant.

Good job, Tam and Ken!
(glad you weren't murdered)