GREAT RIDE--ICE CREAM RUN--COUPLES TRIP--HD PROGRAM

On a spectacular Wednesday night 11 WNR departed Casey's at 5:30 for a look at some of the flood damage around Spillville.  Led by Bob R on his Wing, we had Meryle, Wayne & Sandy, Dayton & Joan, and Jim on trikes.  David and Bob Z were on their Harleys.  Lois was waiting for Chuckles to show up, so they took their bikes on a different route to Spillville.

BOB CHECKING HIS GAS SUPPLY

MERYLE CHECKING HIS KNEES

JIM ON A BORROWED TRIKE WITH NO GAS LEAKS

We left town on HWY 9 and passed through Fishville on Old Stage Road.  We then picked up Yellow River Drive and saw some bean field damage along the river before we got to HWY 51 and headed south into Postville.  Outside of Postville we got on HWY 52 and had a very smooth ride through Castalia and Ossian and on into Calmar where we took HWY 150 south.  After about 13 miles and passing through Festina and past Eldorado, we turned west onto Nature Road (B44) and headed towards St. Lucas.  Outside of St. Lucas we picked up W14 heading on into Ft. Atkinson where we stopped at the Lickety Split for a break and for Bob Z to gas up again.

WAYNE ASKING JIM ABOUT THE TRIKE RIDE TO FT. ATKINSON

THE REST OF THE GROUP AT THE LICKETY SPLIT

We learned that W14 was closed into Spillville, so we took a different route that was new to the leader, and we had to make three left turns to get there, but we did make it.  After driving into Spillville and observing the flood damage, particularly to the Inwood Ballroom, we departed Spillville via 325 and over to HWY 52 south and on into Decorah where we saw more damage along HWY 9 near the Upper Iowa River on the east side of town.  We took HWY 9 back to Waukon and Gus & Tony's where we met up with Lois and Chuckles again.  The conversation there turned to the after effects of eating onions and where one might be sleeping tonight if he ate them.  We put on about 100 miles on a beaufiful late summer evening!

ICE CREAM RUN

On Monday we will have our third annual Labor Day Double Dip Ice Cream Run.  We will depart Casey's at 1 PM and head out of town (as yet undecided) for a dip and return to Waukon and WW Dairy for a second dip (provided they are still open when we get back).  Everyone is invited and it's predicted to be warm, so the ice cream should hit the spot.

HARLEY DAVIDSON TV PROGRAM

Also on Labor Day, and for those of you who get the Discovery channel, there's going to be the first of a three part program called "Harley and the Davidsons".  It is a story that's based on fact about the development of the Harley Davidson motorcycle.  Sounds interesting!

COUPLES TRIP

September 17th and 18th are the dates for our annual couples trip.  This year I plan to go to New Ulm, Minnesota, to tour the August Schell Brewery and visit The Hermann the German statue.  I have reservations at the Econolodge there, but I will need to firm up those reservations before we go, so as soon as you know you are going to go, let Bob R know (563-568-7277).  The deadline will be Wednesday, September 14th, but it would be nice to know before that.

NEW LEADER

You will need a new leader for next Wednesday.  Bob R and Jens will be up in Boulder Junction, Wisconsin, hammering the small mouth bass and then over to Lake Chetek to pound crappies with Dennis.  I plan to return by Sunday, since I have to help at the Lion's Club pancake breakfast on Sunday, the 11th.