GWRRA RALLY REPORT--CAMP COURAGEOUS IS SUNDAY

This last weekend (Friday and Saturday) the Gold Wing Road Riders Association had their Iowa rally in Oelwein.  I ventured over on the bike Friday morning to go on a ride that was scheduled to leave Oelwein at 8:30.  I rode through fog almost all the way over to Oelwein and when I got there, it started to rain.  We all put on rain gear and headed out with a car leading the way. We passed through Fayette, Wadena, Elgin, and stopped in Postville for a break.  I rode with GWRRA members from Iowa, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Illinois.  Actually it was kind of nice being "part" of the pack for a change.

OUR REST STOP IN POSTVILLE

WE HAD 15 BIKES/TRIKES ON THIS RIDE

The rain finally stopped when we reached Postville and it got to be hot and humid.  We continued on taking back roads into Waukon where we were treated to brats, chips, and drinks at Waukon Power Sports.  We continued on through Elon, Lansing, Harpers, and onto Pikes Peak in McGregor where we stopped for another break.

We then continued on through Garnavillo, Clayton Center, Elkader, Volga (our little convenience store in Volga is now closed and for sale), back to HWY 3 and into Oelwein.  The ride was 179 miles and we got back to Oelwein around 4 PM.

I thought you might be interested in this guy and his bike.  He is a GWRRA member from Maryland.  Our Iowa rally was the last one he needed to get to and now has been to all the lower 48 states' rallies.  He was headed for California after the Iowa rally.

THIS IS AN 08 WITH 220,000 MILES ON IT!

About 5:30 I returned back home to Waukon.

On Saturday, Julie & I took the trike over to ride on the short ride in the morning again.  But this time we took the pickup and towed the trike to Oelwein.  It rained on us all the way over in the morning, but by the time we were ready to ride, it had stopped.  We elected to take the short ride, since it looked like rain was coming again.  Our leader took us back through Fayette, West Union, Ossian, and on into Decorah for a break at Kwik Star.

OUR GROUP IN DECORAH

We were being led by a couple from Fredricksburg, so we took off by back roads for a restaurant they recommended in New Hampton.  There were only 5 bikes/trikes/spyders on this ride.  We passed through Spillville and Protivin and then took county roads on into New Hampton where we had lunch at Klunder's Kafe.  If you are ever in the New Hampton area and want to eat at a good restaurant and get plenty of food, this is the place!  After lunch we took back roads again passing through Maynard and back to Oelwein and the Knights of Columbus Hall where the event took place.  They had a bike show and a buffet supper waiting for us.  We never did get wet, but the folks who took the longer ride to Dubuque ran into rain.  Our ride was about 135 miles.

Although most of the rides were Gold Wings and a number of Spyders, there was one trike that caught everyone's eye.

A 2018 INDIAN TRIKE

I'm really glad we decided to take the pickup and trailer the trike, because after the supper, not only was it dark, there was lightning in the air.  On the way back near West Union we ran into very heavy rain.  It would not have been a pleasant journey back on a motorcycle!  Overall we had a good time and met a lot of fun people.

SUNDAY IS CAMP COURAGEOUS

This Sunday, the 29th, is our semi-annual trip to support Camp Courageous in Monticello by attending their pancake breakfast fundraiser.  This has always been a very scenic ride to Monticello and back, and it's all for a good cause.  Camp Courageous is not funded by any government money and serves over 2,500 special needs people each year.  We will depart Casey's at 9:15 on Sunday morning.  Hopefully a lot of WNR can come and the Weather Witch holds off peeing on us!