Saturday, November 16, 2024

NOT BAD AT ALL

 Four intrepid Wednesday night riders showed up at Casey's Friday afternoon for what probably looks to be the last ride of the season.  With the temp right at 50, but sunny skies offering warmer conditions, the ride was on.  Chuckles and Jim showed up on bikes, while Terry and Bob huddled up on three-wheelers.


IF IT'S AT LEAST 50 AND NOT RAINING, I'M RIDING!

TERRY ALL BUNDLED UP

ARE YOU READY FOR THIS?!

YEP, LET'S GO!

With Bob in the lead, we departed Casey's at 1 o'clock, passed through Waukon on HWY 9, and made our way up to Lansing.  So far, so good, for the sun did offer more warmth.  Checking the outside temp on the Wing showed a "balmy" 55 degrees.

After rolling through Lansing, we turned north onto HWY 26 heading to Brownsville.  Knowing that we may have to ride through some shady areas, I still wanted to take this route.  I was hoping that the migratory birds might be in the reserve on the Mississippi River south of Brownsville.  We were not disappointed.  There were hundreds of white birds resting in the calm waters of the reserve.  Making up most of the species were swans and pelicans.  If anyone wants to see this spectacle of nature, now is the time to go!

After our bird viewing, we entered Brownsville and continued our ride on CR 3 heading for Caledonia.  Most of CR 3 was in the sun, and the smooth blacktop made for a great ride into Caledonia.  There we stopped at Kwik Trip, so Jim could fill his Wing with airplane fuel and the rest of us could imbibe in warm drinks.  Chuckles snapped a couple of photos here.

ZIP UP, BOB!

TERRY PARKED IN THE SHADE!


After warming up at Kwik Trip, we took HWY 76 out of town and then stayed on HWY 44 on into Spring Grove. We turned onto Division Avenue (CR A-16) and headed south towards Dorchester.  A-16 becomes Dorchester Drive after entering Iowa.  We enjoyed a smooth, "warm" ride down the hill into Dorchester.  After rolling through the suburbs of Dorchester, we came to HWY 76 and followed it south into Waukon.  Bob had 98 miles on the Wing at home.  Was it cool? (kind of!)  Was it worth it?  (definitely!).

Unless there is a dramatic change in the weather, the next time we ride together may be the Spring of 2025.  Also, the annual PMS get-together looks to be on April 16th, so set aside the date.

As for now here's wishing all Wednesday Night Riders, their families and friends a very happy and blessed Thanksgiving!









Wednesday, November 13, 2024

ANOTHER POSSIBLE FRIDAY RIDE

 If the temp is above 50 with sunny skies and low wind at 1 o'clock on Friday afternoon, I will go on a ride from Casey's.  Anyone who doesn't shiver easily can ride along!




Saturday, November 9, 2024

DEE AND ME/VETERANS' DAY

 On a cool but pleasant fall afternoon, only Dee and Bob decided it was a good time to get in another ride.  With Dee on her W (Kawasaki) and Bob on the Gold Wing trike, the duo departed Casey's at noon on Friday with the plan to stay in the sun as much as possible.  The temp was right at 55 degrees and the sky was sunny.

We cruised up HWY 9 to Lansing, then HWY 26 up to just south of New Albin before we turned onto Iowa River Drive and we followed it all along the river over to HWY 76.  Once reaching 76 we took a short jog north and jumped onto Bear Creek Drive.  While transversing Bear Creek, I was amazed by the amount of corn still in the field.  However, there was a lot of combines, trucks, and wagons in the fields.

Bear Creek took us over to Locust Road and we turned north on it until arriving at HWY 44 just west of Spring Grove.  We rode on into Spring Grove for some warm drinks at Kwik Trip.

TIME FOR SOME WARM DRINKS!

After our break, we backtracked a short distance on HWY 44 and turned north on CR 4.  We breezed through Blackhammer and Yucatan and arrived just outside of Houston on HWY 76.  We then took curvy 76 on into Caledonia.  By this time, a check on the bike's outside temp showed 60 degrees.  After negotiating the hills and curves on 76, we made our way through Caledonia (not stopping at the "Ruptured Rooster"),  and then stayed on HWY 44 heading back towards Spring Grove.  Before reaching Spring Grove, we turned onto CR 17, and "roller coastered" our way back to HWY 76 just north of Eitzen.

We continued south on 76, noting the amount of tar on the shoulder and in the ditches around the bridges.  Apparently there is still more work to do on a section of road that I didn't think needed any repair, because we were stopped and had to follow a pilot car for several miles.  All the while we were following the pilot car, the vehicles ahead of us were kicking up some type of dust from the highway.  Hopefully the dust was harmless, because we did breathe in a fair amount of it before we got out of the construction area.  We spent the rest of the time on 76 back to Waukon, where I headed home and Dee motored on to her abode.  I had 135 miles on the trike when I got home, and Dee probably had about 150 by the time she arrived.  Dee and I can always reflect on this ride when we are looking out the window this winter and see the snow blowing sideways.

Apparently Jim and Cathy also went for a cruise for lunch, coffee, and horseradish cheese!  Not my "cup of tea" or should I say coffee.

If there is another day like this in the upcoming days, another ride might be instore.


VETERANS' DAY

Here's a salute to all veterans on their special day of recognition.  I want to especially honor the vets that are part of our Wednesday Night Riders group.  So special salutes to Terry, Bob Z, Richard, Bernell, and Carl.  GOD BLESS AND THANKS FOR YOUR SERVICE!!






Thursday, November 7, 2024

FRIDAY RIDE

 If the weather forecast for sunny skies and mid fifties temps holds, I am going on a ride tomorrow afternoon.  I have no idea where yet, but I plan to pull out of Casey's at noon.  If you would like to ride along,  see you then.




Thursday, October 31, 2024

FINAL WEDNESDAY ATTACKED BY THE WITCH

 The "Weather Witch" couldn't wait until Halloween to put a damper on our last Wednesday night ride for 2024.  She hit us with wind, rain, and cold temps right around 5 PM.  With daylight savings time coming to an end this weekend, it will be dark at 5 from now on .  We didn't miss very many Wednesday night rides or special rides this year, so it was a great year for the Wednesday Night Riders!

Although the extended forecast looks to be cool and damp, there may be a chance to sneak in a ride some time before snowfall.  Since we take the trike to Florida, we don't have to winterize it.  So it can be ready about anytime.  If I decide to go on a ride and want some company, I'll post it on the blog.  


IN THE MEANTIME

I was able to catch some colorful trees before all the wind and rain knocked all the leaves down.  Here's a couple of photos.





I also like to cruise around town and take photos of Halloween decorations.  This year, thanks to the wind and wet, I was only able to catch a few.  Here they are.






SO, HERE'S WISHING ALL OF OUR WEDNESDAY NIGHT RIDERS' FRIENDS AND FAMILIES A HAPPY AND SAFE HALLOWEEN!!


While on a trip to the Carolinas, Dennis & Marlene and Jens and Jane stopped to tour the Jack Daniels distillery in Lynchburg, TN.  Marlene snapped this photo of the Jack Daniels Harley.





AND FINALLY


WHERE WE GOING?!


Monday, October 28, 2024

FEARSOME FOURSOME RIDES SUNDAY

 On what may well be the last weekend ride for this year, we had four determined souls show up on Sunday, which looked to be the best for temps for the next 10 days.

Lois arrived on the only two-wheeler.  Richard had the Slingshot ready to roll, and Dave and Bob rode their trikes.

ALL BUNDLED UP

REFLECTION OF LOIS

There are four roads in northeast Iowa that I consider top rides.  They are Gunder Road, Grandview Road, Colesburg Road and Littleport Road.  They are well maintained, offer some sweeping curves, and have some great scenery.  So. the goal for what may be the final ride of the season was to ride at least part of these roads today.

With temps still in the 50's, and a stiff south wind blowing, we departed Casey's at noon, with the Gunder Road as our first route.  There are two ways to access the Gunder Road.  We could take it from the start just east of Postville.  However, the portion of this road to Gunder is a real teeth shaker. So instead, we progressed down HWY 76 to Rossville and took the Volney Road (CR X26) down into Monona after we pass by Carl's Used Car Lot.  After passing through Monona, we arrived at HWY 18 and took it for a short jog over to Golden Avenue (CR X28) and turned south heading for Farmersburg.

Golden Avenue isn't as pleasant as the name sounds with a lot of uneven pavement, but it is still a bit better than the Postville route.  The only downfall is that you miss a pretty good section of the Gunder Road coming this way.  After arriving in Farmersburg, we continue on X 28 (now called Fawn Hollow Road) into St. Olaf.  By the looks of the number of vcehicles parked in front of the St. Olaf Tavern, the tenderloins must still be in demand.

We turn back west on CR B65 in St. Olaf and take it for a short distance to our goal, the Gunder Road.  We turn south and again Gunder does not disappoint as we have a smooth scenic cruise into Elkader.  We make our way through the ouskirts of Elkader over to HWY 13 and take it north to our second goal, Grandview Road (CR X3C).  We get a "grandview" on this stretch of pavement all the way into Colesburg.  After passing through Elkport, Grandview Road changes to Colesburg Road, but still remains CR X3C.

After we arrive in Colesburg, we jump on HWY 3 and into Edgewood we go for a break at the Casey's store there.

PARKING ISN'T THAT EASY

BUT WE DO MAKE IT TO EDGEWOOD

After our break, our next goal is to find Littleport Road.  That's no problem since it is just a short distance out of Edgewood on HWY 3.  Again, this road does not disappoint.  There are some views from this road that are almost breathtaking, and the best way to get these views is to travel north as we are doing.  And now that "pesky" wind is at our backs.  We "gawk" our way along on into Littleport and arrive back on Grandview Road.  We backtrack on it and enjoy the views going the other way back to HWY 13.

Instead of going back through Elkader, we turn south on 13 and make our way on new pavement through Osborne and onto HWY 112 heading west into Volga.  HWY 112 offers up some great views also, and we make our way through Volga and onto Bush Road (CR C24) and head north again.  Bush Road parallels the Volga River over to CR W 51 (Cedar Road) and we take it north on into Wadena.  We stay on W51 all the way into Elgin.  This section of W51 could use some work, but there are still some great views.  After this many miles, we don't see much color in the trees along the routes, but in the towns we still see some beautiful color and some unique Halloween decorations!

In Elgin, we stay on W51 (now called Canoe Road) and on into Clermont we go.  We have passed several golf courses on this journey and have seen no players out on the courses.  WIMPS!!

Once in Clermont we turn onto HWY 18 and wind our way into Postville.  Dave heads home from here, while the threesome heads out on HWY 51 to Yellow River Drive and take it past the Gelo plantation and on to the freshly paved portion of Forest Mills Road.  A smooth ride north, and we are back on HWY 76 and into Waukon we go.

I had 148 miles on the Wing when I got her home.  It was a "cool" ride in more ways than one.  Hopefully it's not our last, but the next 10 day forecast looks like rain and cold temps.





RECOGNIZE THIS GUY...MY FAVORITE SINGER












Friday, October 25, 2024

SUNDAY--MAY BE THE LAST ONE

 After the Boy Scout omelet breakfast on Sunday, Bob does plan to ride from Casey's at noon. Looks like a cool start, but it looks to be sunny, and the temps are supposed to get into the 60's.  Destination unknown as of yet, but anyone is welcome to come along.  From the looks at the upcoming weather predictions, it may be our last one for a while.


BRINGS BACK SOME MEMORIES!


Wednesday, October 23, 2024

NO GO

 With temps only in the mid to low 50's now, and a sunstantial wind from the north blowing, it will be well below 50 for the ride tonight.  So Bob will not be going on the ride tonight.  If some of you do decide to go, ride safe!

There is a possiblity that I may go for a ride on Sunday after the Boy Scout omelet breakfast that morning.  It would probably be around noon from Casey's.  More on that when I'm sure what the weather will be like on Sunday.  Stay tuned to the blog if interested.




Troop 64 Boy Scout Omelet Breakfast

Made to order omelets, hash browns, cinnamon rolls, with choice of juice, coffee or milk.

Serving 8am to Noon on October 27th at the Waukon Event Center. Tickets are $10 at the door.




STAY WARM !!


Monday, October 21, 2024

EIGHT LEAF LOOKERS

On a fantastic fall day to be riding, eight riders showed up at Casey's for our second leaf looking tour.  We had Richard in his Slingshot with neice Darby aboard.  Richard's brother, Bob, also came over from Wisconsin to join us.  He rides a Harley.  The other two-wheelers were Mike & Joan and Jim on Gold Wings.  Terry came with his Spyder, and Bob led on his Gold Wing trike.

THE GROUP GATHERS

BOB P CHATS WITH SOME OTHER BIKERS

MIKE, JOAN, AND TERRY CONVERSE

JIM SHOWS UP FOR GAS, BUT NO COFFEE YET

I THINK I MIGHT BE ABLE TO HOOK UP TO THAT TRAILER



RICHARD WELCOMES DARBY TO THE RIDE

ARE YOU SURE YOU CAN'T HELP ME HOOK UP TO THAT TRAILER?

 Under sunny skies and temps already in the 70's, we roll out of Casey's with the Lancaster, WI, area as our destination.  There are some great county roads to ride in that area, and hopefully the sun will shine on some pretty trees.

We cruised down HWY 76 into Marquette and were treated again for some of us to spectacular colors on the bluff behind the old school, post office, and motel.  A great start for our leaf look!

After crossing the Mississippi River bridge into Prairie du Chien, we took HWY 18 bypass and continued on 18 to Bridgeport and turned onto CR C heading west.  After C, we negotiated CR X and P and arrived just outside of Bagley onto CR A.  All along this route, we were able to see some great colors at times, but great scenery all the time.

CR A is an interesting ride that goes all the way from near Bagley and winds up in Lancaster.  There wasn't much for tree color on this route, but the hills and sweeping curves kept things interesting.  After passing through Bloomington on A, we stayed on it all the way into Lancaster.  The road on this section runs atop a ridge, so the views of the valleys below really catch one's attention.  After arriving in Lancaster, we opt for lunch at the A&W.  Burgers and chicken strips seemed to be the main choices, and Joan told about her experiences working at the A&W when there was one in Lansing.

After lunch we passed through Lancaster, avoiding a stop at a fancy, over priced coffee shop, and turned onto CR K just north of town.  CR K is another one of the neat riding alphabet roads that make up most of southwest Wisconsin.  It's well maintained and along with some curves and hills there are some great views.  We were able to catch some colors as we passed through a wooded area on the way to CR T. after passing through Mt. Ida.

CR T is another treat.  It also runs along the top of a ridge that lets the rider view some spectacular surroundings.  It ends at the Junction of HWY 60 at Port Andrew after passing through Hickory Grove and Blue River.  We stopped at the Citgo Converience Store there for gas and drinks.  Jim was able to get coffee before "dts" set in.

Our ride continued on taking HWY 60 west to CR W and a turn towards the north.  On W we enter some real "back" country.  This where the owls and the pussycats live in perfect harmony.  We did get to view some beautiful trees however.  We cross HWY 61 still on W and skirt through Mt. Zion.  At this point CR W has been resurfaced and has no road markings. (We don't need no stinking yellow lines!) and after going down several exhilarating hills and negotiating some sharp turns (a rider's paradise!), we arrive at HWY 131 at Barnum.

HWY 131 at this point has been in need of some serious repair.  We bump our way into Steuben (all roads lead to Steuben) and catch HWY 179 out of town.  We soon find CR E, and trying to avoid "tar snakes" take it west up to HWY 27,  where a turn north puts us into Seneca where we make the "mandatory" ice cream stop at Greener's.

After indulging in the ice cream, we continue on HWY 27 passing through Mt. Sterling and Fairview before reaching CR C and turn back west.  Bob P lives on CR C, so he dropped off at home while the rest of us continued on down the hill to HWY 35.  Here again on C we got some great views of the leaf colors.  We passed through Ferryville on 35 and then took HWY 82 across the Black Hawk Bridge into Lansing.  I am still amazed at the equipment (especially cranes) being used to build the new bridge.  We then take HWY 9 back into Waukon.  

I racked up 188 miles on the trike on a thoroughly enjoyable ride.  We may not have seen all the color we would have liked, but the scenery on this ride made up for it!

It looks as if a lot of cooler temps are headed our way for Wednesday and the weekend with highs only in the mid 50's.  Hopefully we are not done riding for the year, but it sure has been a good year for it.  It just went by too fast!



IS THAT DEE, LOIS, OR LISSA?!






Thursday, October 17, 2024

FIVE REDS ON A COOL FALL EVENING

 As the daylight continues to grow shorter, so do the rides, but Bob has always said, "If it's above 50 and not raining, I'm riding."  This was the sceneario this Wednesday with the temps at 62 under clear sunny skies as a group of all red vehicles showed up at Casey's.  We had Jim with his red Gold Wing bike, Richard with his red Slingshot, Bob with his red Gold Wing trike, and Irv with his red Vette with Terry aboard.


JIM ARRIVES--NOTICE THE FULL MUG OF HOT COFFEE

RICHARD IS CHECKING THE TEMPS

JIM SAYS, "LET'S GO.  MY COFFEE IS GETTING COLD!"


THE VETTE ROLLS IN--NOTICE THE TOP IS UP!

After deciding that red was the only color we were going to allow, the five of us departed Casey's and headed out on the Elon Road hoping to see some red in the trees.  We followed Elon to the Waterville Road turn and down into Waterville we went.  Every once in a while the sun would strike one of the surrounding bluffs, and the color would come out.  Waterville Road took us to HWY 76 and we headed south.

When we came to the turn for the Great River Road we followed it all the way into Harpers Ferry while skirting the Mississippi River.  This proved to be a "cool" route since most of it was in the shade.  As we passed through Harpers on our way to Lansing, we were in and out of the sunlight, and again at times we could see some color in the trees.

On our way to Lansing, we had two deer cross a ways in front of us.  We slowed down to make sure there were no more coming, but kept moving slow since the two we saw were actually running along side of the road on a path in the woods.  Being concerned that they might try to cross the road again, we made sure they disappeared into the woods before we sped up again.

It had been a while since I had taken this route into Lansing, and I was surprised to notice that practically all traces of the power plant were gone.  I still think they will wish they had it back sometime in the future!  Also along the edge of the road I spotted an eagle who was having a squirrel for supper.  He just glanced at me like I was an annoyance and continued on with his meal.

We cruised on HWY 9 into Waukon and four of us stopped at a rather busy Uptown for eats.  After the ride, the hot soup was the popular choice.  I had about 70 miles on the trike when I got her home.  A COOL BUT STILL A GREAT WEDNESDAY NIGHT RIDE!  HOPEFULLY NOT THE LAST ONE!


ANOTHER LEAF RUN

This Sunday, the 20th, the temps are predicted to be in the 70's along with sunny skies.  So Bob is going to go on another leaf looking ride.  He will be leaving Casey's at 10:30 that morning, and will stop for lunch on the way (probably pizza).  No exact route has been set yet, but the backroads around Lancaster are probables, since it has been a while since he has ridden them.  Anyone who would like to ride along is welcome, just be ready to roll at 10:30.  Hopefully the sunny day will allow us to see some great leaf colors.


WHAT TO RIDE WHEN IT'S COOL OUTSIDE!






Sunday, October 13, 2024

HOT BEEF & COLORFUL TREES

 Every year Bob makes a trip over to Kickapoo Corners in Readstown just to sample their "famous" hot beef sandwich.  Since he tried earlier in the year on a RTE with the Wednesday Night Riders and found the restaurant was closed to give the help a break, he wanted to try again before the weather turned too cold.  There was also an opportunity to ride some of the backroads near Richland Center that he hadn't done in a while and maybe get to see some leaf color.  So, he put out an invitation via this blog that anyone who wanted to join him to meet at Casey's at 10:30 Friday morning. He picked Friday, since it was predicted to be the warmest day of the weekend. Three other riders showed up to make it a foursome.  Therefore, we had Bill on his Gold Wing, Terry on his Spyder, Richard with his Slingshot, and Bob on his Gold Wing trike.


BILL AND TERRY GETTING READY TO ROLL

THE SLINGSHOT ANXIOUSLY AWAITING HER DRIVER

Before we left, Bill informed us that his house in Ft. Myers, FL, had survived the hurricane without any damage.  WHEW!

With Kickapoo Corners as our first destination, we traversed HWY 9. HWY 82, HWY 35, CR E, HWY 27, CR S, and HWY 61 passing through Lansing, Ferryville, Lynxville, Seneca, Petersburg, Rolling Ground, and  Soldiers Grove before rolling into Readstown and the Kickapoo Corners parking lot.  It didn't surprise me to see a full parking lot and some folks sitting outside, since it was about noon, and this restaurant is known for its great home cooked breakfasts and lunches.

Upon entering, we saw the dining room was crowded, but we did find a table for four in a corner.  We were surprised that a waitress came over so soon and took our orders.  Naturally Bob ordered the hot beef sandwich, and Richard and Bill followed suit.  Terry opted for the apple burger special.  I have always said that these hot beef sandwiches were the best I've ever had, and they did not disappoint!  Lots of  hot beef on a slice of bread covered with "real" mashed potatoes and gravy and fresh green beans on the side make up this tasty dish.  The comment I heard was, "This meal makes the ride over here well worth it!"

After our satisfying "lunch", we made tracks for Richland Center on HWY 14.  Bob used to do a lot of riding around Richland Center and knew it was a hub for some great county roads in the area, and we found some. After passing through Bosstown and getting gas just outside of Richland Center, we took CR Q west to CR E north to HWY 171 west to CR F south through Five Points and Excelsior to HWY 60.  All of these roads offer great riding along with great scenery.  We could have taken at least a dozen other county roads in this area and experienced the same thrills.

Once we arrived at HWY 60, we cruised west through West Point and Sand Prairie to HWY 61 and turned south into Boscobel for our "mandatory" ice cream stop.  This was at Udder Brothers Creamery where we had stopped on a Wednesday night ride earlier in the summer.  By now the temps were in the 80's, so the ice cream was going to hit the spot.

WELCOME TO UDDER BROTHERS

IT'S WARM ENOUGH FOR ICE CREAM....

AND BILL AGREES

After our ice cream treats, we weren't going to head straight back home, because Bob had some other alphabet roads to try yet.  We had seen some beautiful trees, but hopefully we could see some more.  We continued on HWY 61 south until we turned onto CR T.  This road is a real "gem", and if you are ever in the area, take it in either direction.  We traveled west on T over to CR K and headed back north arriving on HWY 133.  After a short jog back west, we turned onto CR C.  The first part of C is slightly rough but still scenic, and it was warm enough that the shade it offered was welcome.  The road does get alot smoother as it skirts the Wisconsin River and winds its way up to HWY 18.  We take 18 through Prairie du Chien and across the bridge to Marquette.

Now in Marquette is where we were treated to some fantastic leaf color on the bluff behind the old school, post office, and motel with the sun shine making the colors pop out.  The following photos are from a friend living in McGregor that were taken that same day with her drone.




As you can see, the colors are spectacular, and if you are wanting to go out and leaf look, pick a sunny day around 3 or 4 in the afternoon, and come here.

We finished our journey by taking HWY 76 back to Waukon, with Bill cutting back through Harpers on his return to Lansing.  I racked up 190 miles on the trike on a great day.  FANTASTIC FOOD, ROADS, WEATHER, AND SCENERY!  It doesn't get any better!


I would like to do another "leaf looking" ride.  The first few days of this coming week look to be chilly, but the weeekend looks somewhat promising.  Stay tuned to the blog for anymore "spur of the moment" rides.


Thursday, October 10, 2024

EIGHT CATCH A NICE FALL RIDE

With the daylight growing shorter, the Wednesday night rides are going to be shorter.  So with a pleasant evening in store, we had eight riders show up for our weekly ride.  Six showed up at Casey's.  We had Mike, Bill, Chuckles, on bikes, along with Terry, Richard, and Bob on three wheels.


FIVE OF THE SIX

CHUCKLES & TERRY

RICHARD & MIKE CONVERSE WHILE BILL TEACHES CHUCKLES HOW TO COUNT

 Under sunny skies and temps in the high 60's we depart Casey's with a journey towards Calmar in mind.  After a short jog on HWY 76, we take Forest Mills Road south.  We were treated by some early leaf color along the east side of the road as the sun illuminated the trees.  

The road surface has been recently redone for some reason from HWY 76 to the Yellow River bridge, so we did not have any "stinking" yellow lines on this section of the road.  When we reached the Gelo plantation, we were joined by "sharecroppers", Jim & Cathy.

We continued down Forest Mills and then turned onto Cherry Valley Drive, and cruised on into Postville.  Cherry Valley Drive becomes Lebrand St. as you enter the town, and this part of the street is very rough.  However once we got into town we were pleasantly surprised with newly paved streets.  (Waukon and Decorah should take note!)  After rolling through town, we took HWY 18 for a short stretch and then turned onto HWY 52.  HWY 52 took us through Castalia and Ossian before we reached Calmar.  In Ossian some lady driver talking on her cell phone started to pull out in front of us and stopped about halfway into the intersection.  Instead of backing up, she just sat there, so we had to swing into the other lane to get past her.  I've always said, "Everyday there are more idiots driving."

Once we reached Calmar, we took HWY 24 into Ft. Atkinson.  The plan was to take CR W14 from Ft. Atkinson up to Spillville.  However, as we were about to make the turn onto W 14, we were greeted by a "Road Closed" sign.  So back to Calmar on HWY 24 we went.  I hope the closed road means that W14 is going to be improved.  It's a nice scenic ride into Spillville, but it has been rather rough.

We passed through Calmar again only from a different direction, and as we got to the north end of town, we turned onto newly paved 175th St.  We cruised by the PIVO Brewery and the South Winn Golf Course and ended up on CR B16 just east of Spillville.  We followed B 16 east to HWY 52 and followed 52 on into Decorah.  Then it was HWY 9 back into Waukon just at dusk.

JIM & CATHY AND MIKE AND BILL HEAD FOR HOME

  Four of us partake in the eats at Uptown.  There were 82 miles on the trike when she got parked at home.  Nice Wednesday night ride, but not many left!


NEXT WEDNESDAY LOOKS TO BE A COUPLE OF ALPHABETS AROUND PDC


IMPROMPTU RIDE

Since the weather looks much cooler for the weekend and I may have to be a "mentor for a day" on Saturday, I am going on a ride Friday.  My only plans right now are to leave Casey's at 10:30 that morning and ride up to Kickapoo Corners for one of their famous hot beef sandwiches.  From there I will be riding some of the backroads in that area that I haven't had the chance to for a while. I don't know how far I will be going, or how many stops I will take, but if anyone wants to ride along with me, you are welcome.  Again, Casey's at 10:30 Friday morning.


DOESN'T LOOK ANYTHING LIKE DEE'S KAWASAKI!!