OLD LEADER, NEW VEHICLE

With all the previous leaders gone, Bob rose from his "death bed" to lead the ride this Wednesday night.  He still has to ride a few miles again on his trike to feel comfortable with it, so accompanied by Jerel, Julie's brother, he led the pack with his pick up.

Arriving on the scene at Casey's were Uncle Wayne & Karrie, Roger, Mark, Dave, and Terry, all on 3 wheels.  The only two wheeler was Lee, and the only 4 wheeler held Jerel and Bob.

UNCLE WAYNE, KARRIE, AND ROGER

MARK, LEE, AND TERRY

DAVE ARRIVES FROM SMOKEY POSTVILLE

The destination was to be a romp through Yellow River Forest and then up for a Pikes Peak look.  We started out going east on the Elon Road and then turned south on the Lansing/Harpers Road.  After about 9 miles, we made the turn into the Yellow River Forest.  As we weaved our way along the pavement, the shade in the forest felt pretty good on a mid 80 degree day.  As you ride through the forest, particularly on a two wheeler, you must always be aware of the possiblity of gravel being on the pavement.  There was only one spot where this occured, so slowing down made it safe to proceed.

After meanering through the forest, we arrived at HWY 76 and turned our noses south passing by Effigy Mounds and spotting a young deer near the edge of the highway.  When we arrived in Marquette, we were pleasantly surprised to see the road between Marquette and McGregor was open, so we cruised along the bluffs and into McGregor.  McGregor depends alot on tourist trade, and by the looks of things as we passed along Main Street, the tourists were here.

After passing through McGregor, we turned at St. Mary's Church and onto CR X56 (Great River Road).  Passing by the former winter resting grounds for the Barnam and Bailey Circus, we arrived at the turn into Pikes Peak State Park and rolled into the parking lot.

PLENTY OF ROOM FOR PARKING

ROGER FOUND ANOTHER CAN AM BUDDY

We all took the short hike over to the observation deck after some used the rest rooms for relief.  As in previous trips up here, the view was fantastic!

THE GANG ON THE OBSERVATION DECK

CO-PILOT, JEREL, TAKING IN THE BEAUTY

After departing Pikes Peak, the plan was to continue on the Great River Road and arrive in Garnavillo for some refreshments.  However, that plan was foiled.  When we reached the turn to head into Garny, the signs said "Road Closed" and the workers there had their hands up.  So back we went, past Pikes Peak again and on into McGregor.  Taking HWY 76 (hasn't been repaired in decades) out of town, we nearly dusted some turkeys who decided to cross in front of us.

At the end of bumpy 76, we arrived at HWY 18 and made our way back west and into Monona for a refreshment break at the Casey's there.  After a short break, we followed CR X26 (Falcon Avenue/Volney Road) north on into rosey Rossville.  There we turned onto HWY 76 and cruised on into Waukon, while Lee and Roger headed for Decorah.  Six of us had eats at Uptown.  I did not keep track of the miles, but it was probably close to 100.

Right now I have no restrictions on my activities.  It's whatever I feel comfortable doing, but since it's been quite some time since I straddled the trike, I need to spend some time becoming familiar again and see how long I can go.  

Thanks again to everyone who has expressed concern and offered prayers for Julie and my recovery.

NORTH TO YUCATAN

Thanks to Lois for the following report on the Wednesday night ride and also to those who led the ride.  Here's her report plus some photos of the event.

Lois, Ride Reporter Pro tem

We had a wonderful turnout this evening, with 20 riders and 15 units participating on a very comfortable Wednesday night.

Our two-wheel riders included Bill, Chuckles, Lois, Dee, Mike & Joan, Jim & Kathy, and Lee & Jill. The three-wheel group consisted of Wayne, Dave M., Ron, Mark, Terry, ChucK, Richard & Melodye in the Slingshot, and Bernell & Kathy in the convertible.

As others have led recent rides and several members are currently organizing the upcoming summer trip, I volunteered to lead tonight's excursion. We departed from Casey's under partly cloudy skies and proceeded up Hwy 76 until turning onto Dorchester Dr which had been newly blacktopped. We followed this up to Spring Grove and went West on Hwy 44 to Hwy 4. We cruised through Blackhammer and what a surprise, about half way through, that this road had just been blacktopped, as well. It was a real treat to ride this smooth black road with sweeping curves. We didn't need no stinking lines here either but they did have reflectors down the center. It didn't matter much for us but sure would be a help for any night driving. When we got to the end of Hwy 4 we drove a short stretch up Hwy 76 and turned onto Hwy 16 just East of Houston to our break destination of Kwik Trip in Hokah. Who would have thought a week ago that tonight it would feel good to put the liner in my jacket.

Leaving Hokah we cruised Hwy 44 past Caledonia then took Hwy 76 South passing Dorchester and Bear Creek where Ron cut across to get back to Decorah. We turned on to Iowa River Drive and then Lycurgus Rd to Hwy 9 then back to Waukon where some stopped for eats at Uptown.  

As we were cruising up Lycurgus Rd, I was starting to put the ride report together in my head, thinking about how beautifully green everything is for this time in July, how there was lots of hay down and alot that had already been made and how this week it felt good to ride in the sun compared to last week we sought shade. Then also thinking about the wildlife sightings of a couple of rabbits and minimal roadkill except for one big old racoon. I thought it was pretty good to have only seen one deer until suddenly I spotted 2 more just off in the ditch. Driving a short distance farther 2 ran out in front of me and as I was squeezing the brakes one slipped and fell and scrambled back to it's feet to get out of the way. Chuckles said he saw 2 run out ahead of ChucK but it appeared he had spotted them in plenty of time and was ready for their high speed crossing. Others noticed more off in the fields and standing on gravel roads.

Rolling into the garage, I had 113 miles on the odomoter from tonight's outing and felt grateful to have had another safe and enjoyable ride.

Bob, we miss you and it's easy to sense from our conversations that both you and Julie are held in our prayers. Here's a few pics that Jim got for us.

CASEY'S

CASEY'S

CASEY'S

CASEY'S

CONVERTIBLE

ENGINEERING

HOKAH

INSPECTION

THANKS TO ALL OF YOU WHO SENT CARDS AND WELL-WISHES TO JULIE AND ME.  HOPEFULLY WE ARE ON THE ROAD TO RECOVERY AND WILL BE ABLE TO JOIN YOU SOON.

SAFE TRAVELS TO THE GANG GOING ON THE SUMMER TRIP NEXT WEEK!

PIZZA! PIZZA!

 It wasn't Little Little Caesars, but it was still good!  Special thanks to Cjuckles and Lois for making the annual pizza run work out.  Here's Lois's rendition of the day's happenings along with some photos. I also can't stress enough the importance of her last comment about following the ride leader.

Chuckles pulled the trigger and led us with the destination of TJ Shooters in my old home town of New Vienna (The eNVy of Iowa) in the plan!

Starting out on Hwy 76 we soon turned on to Forest Mills and got a sighting of the Gelo ranch as we passed. Once reaching Luana, we worked our way to Hwy 18 and followed that past Monona to Golden Road down through Farmersburg. When reaching Hwy 13 we cruised past Elkader that was booming with campers and lots of tents set up in farmers market fashion until we reached Grandview Rd. It was green, green as far as the eye could see with amazing looking beans and tasseled corn. We followed Grandview down through Elkport where it turned to Colesburg Rd. The bank showed 86 degrees but the wind really seemed to pick up. It didn't interfere with the riding but helped to keep us comfortable. Passing through Colesburg there looked like a good possibility for a future ice cream stop but not today as we had pizza on our mind. Catching Hwy 3 West for a short distance we turned South onto X47/300th St. passing by the beautiful 3 steepled St. Peter & Paul Church where we spotted young men in tuxes probably cycling through photos before a 2pm wedding there. We turned East and followed Petersburg Rd to TJ Shooters in New Vienna. The pizza, sandwiches, cold drinks and good service did not disappoint. Karrie said the taco pizza was even better than Happy Joe's!  

Upon departure, we headed East on New Vienna Rd to Holy Cross Rd where we turned North and passed through the roundabout to Tollgate Rd. We didn't pay any tolls and I only saw one rusty field gate but it was a road where 'we didn't need no stinkin' lines'! We followed that to Great River Rd that took us down to Buenie and all the way to Millville where we got on Hwy 52, one of America's Scenic Byways. We cruised into Guttenberg where we had decided ice cream would be the proper dessert. When we left Joe's we cruised along Riverside Dr until we got back to Great River Rd where the haze was heavy over the Ole Miss.  Further in the country we got to see some golden fields of stubble and swaths of straw where the oats had been combined. Once reaching McGregor we worked our way up to Hwy 18 where Dave headed West for home. When we got to the bridge in Marquette Bob crossed over to Prairie and headed for home. The rest of us had a nice cool down ride up Hwy 76 back to Waukon. 

The trip meter showed 156 miles when I rolled into the driveway. Good job, Chuckles, you got us led and got us fed! Thanks, Bob, for the scheduled ride for pizza. It's always good to have a reason to go for a ride! The next time Don rides he really wants to stop in McGregor for that ice cream you bragged about!

P.S. I feel regret from Wednesday's ride that we didn't all get back to Waukon as a group. It's a good time for a reminder for all of us and for me when we ride as a group.

When I don't see the rider behind me I need to pull over and stop. The rider ahead of me will pull over, the rider ahead of them will do the same, until the leader pulls over and stops. Once the rider is in sight we may start again. If they don't appear, one of us will ride back and make sure they are okay and not having mechanical trouble. When we make a turn at an intersection I must be certain that the rider behind me knows we are turning either by seeing their turn signal or waiting in sight right before or after the turn until I am certain they know. WE LEAVE NO RIDER BEHIND!  Also, if you are not going to returm to Waukon and head for home early, that's fine, but make sure you move to the back of the pack so you don't have riders behind you following you home.  Unless, of course, you want to feed them supper and put them up for the night!

ENTERING TJ'S

READY FOR EATS

ICE CREAM AT JOE'S

THE GANG GATHERS

ALL PARKED IN NV

TJ SHOOTER'S ACROSS FROM CITY PARK

ST. PETER & PAUL, PETERSBURG
MY MOTHER'S HOME CHURCH

St. BONIFACE, NEW VIENNA, WHERE CHUCK
GAVE AWAY HIS DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE TO LOIS

PIZZA RUN

I forgot to mention that tomorrow, Saturday, the 18th, we have a special ride.  It's our annual Pizza Run.  Chuckles has volunteered to lead you to some mouth watering pizza delights.  If this and and a great ride sound good to you, then be at Casey's tomorrow at 11 AM.

A WARM WEDNESDAY--ICE CREAM TIME!

Jim led the tribe this last Wednesday night.  Here's his report, and hopefully some photos.

On a warm but nice Wednesday evening we  had a great turnout to ride with Bob stopping  by Casey's to see us off.  On 3 wheelers were Chuck K, Ron, Mark, Wayne, Dave, Terry, Don and  Kari. On two wheels we had Chuckles, Lois, Dee, Bill, Mike, and Jim. Jim floated the idea of Boscobel to Udder Brothers ice cream. Everyone seemed to think that was a good idea so off we went. Headed south out of Waukon to a nice smooth Hwy 76 into Marquette. The shade along the river felt great going into Marquette. We hopped across the bridge into Prairie and headed south on Hwy18 to C. The first part of C is nice and smooth. The views along the Wisconsin  river are pretty and again we enjoyed a little shade. As we got closer to Millville the road got noticeably rougher and the speed limit dropped to 35MPH. About the right speed for the bumps! We bumped our way to Hwy 133 and headed south towards the Metropolis of Woodman and on into Boscobel for our ice cream stop at Udder Brothers. After indulging in some very good ice cream treats and a lot of visiting we saddled up and started towards home. On the way out of Boscobel there were two powered parachutes flying overhead. Looked like another fun way to enjoy a nice night. After leaving Boscobel we took a left on Hwy 60 and followed that for several miles to 131 into Steubon (all roads lead to Steubon). The powered parachute pilots must have been doing the same thing because we had them overhead again. 131 was recently blacktopped. It is very smooth, curvy, and extremely scenic. A perfect motorcycle road. There were a lot of critters out. Had to chase a family of geese off the road, also Racoons, and several deer. Must have been too hot earlier and they all came out when it cooled down a bit. From Steubon we took Hwy 179 to D to Hwy 35 back to Prairie and came home on Hwy76 since our ice cream stop had gotten us late for Uptown Grill. Bob was at the Uptown to welcome us back and several of us stopped to eat. We ended up right around 125 miles total. Congratulations to Don Z. I hear he officially has his motorcycle license

Thanks for all your prayers and well-wishes!  Bob & Julie are both in rehab now, and hopefully on the way to recovery.  In the meantime, thanks to those who have taken on the leadership on Wednesday Nights and Special Events.  I know what a tough job that can be.  I was also real happy to hear that a Summer Trip is also going to happen.

Remember these two?!

WHEN IT RAINS, IT POURS, BUT THE SUN IS STARTING TO SHINE

As most of you know by now, I am recovering from heart valve replacement and pacemaker surgery.  I will be starting cardiac rehab this week here in Waukon.

Just recently,  Julie had an MRI done and a tumor was discovered that was pressing on her brain.  We were fortunate enough to be able to get into Gundersen for surgery yesterday, and the surgeon said it went very well.  One of the biggest dangers involved with this type of surgery is the chance of a stroke.  However, an MRI after surgery showed no signs of a stroke.  She is currently in ICU at Gundersen, and will probably remain in the hospital there for a while.

We have received many well wishes and prayer thoughts from our friends and are very grateful for those!  THANKS A LOT!!

As we are thinking, "What else could happen?!" , we both know that better days are coming as we both recover from serious physical events, and the sun is beginning to shine on us again.

AND AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR THE CARING THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS!

WEDNESDAY NIGHT & SUMMER TRIP

 Some of our braver Wednesday Night Riders headed out last night in an attempt to dodge what looked like a rain threat coming in from the north.

Here's Mike's report.  Apparently the group was camera shy.  He also makes note of the Summer Trip, and what you need to do if you want to go.

Currently WNR has seven people interested in going on a ride to northern Minnesota.  Participating are Richard and Melody, ChucK and Dee, Bill, Ron, and Miike.  Working on the motels currently.  Please let Bill, Richard, or Mike know ASAP if interested in going. The first night will be halfway to Grand Rapids/Duluth area, with the next 3 nights being at the same Hotel.  The fifth night will be somewhere south of Duluth.  A lot of planning is needed in a short time frame.  Everything is subject to change if we can't get motels in the areas we are thinking about.  

Wednesday Night Riders had a good turnout for the evening ride considering the weather conditions.  Eight units.  On two wheels was Lissa, Dee, Bill, and Mike.  Three wheelers were Mark, ChucK, and Richard and Melody with the Slingshot.  Ron followed up with his support vehicle. The group left Waukon after some discussion on a route. Temp on the bike read 82.  Lissa took charge by heading the group East on Elon. Looking to the North, it was quite dark and you could see rain off in the distance.  We turned South on the Lansing/Harpers road.  The sky ahead of us looked good for favorable riding.  The rear view mirror was quite dark.  We turned on to State Forest Road heading West, going through Yellow River Forest, a scenic tour that's always enjoyable.  Lissa led us South on 76 down to Marquette.  We then jumped onto 18 West going through Giard, Froelich, on into Monona. Sky conditions were starting to look gloomy ahead. The group stopped at Kwik Star in Monona and decided we better start back to Waukon.  A few of us put on rain suits as it looked like we were going to get wet.  We chose to take Volney Road North into Rossville, got back on 76 and headed to Uptown in Waukon.  We met Bob and his son John outside of Uptown.  Bob said it rained a little in Waukon, we were fortunate.  We didn't get any rain for our roughly 60 mile loop! Eight of us stopped at Uptown for eats.  Going home was not quite as dry.

Special thanks to Lissa for leading the group to dry land!