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?!

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

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!

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 !!

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?!

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!

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.

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!!

EIGHT HARDY RIDERS DEVOUR BBQ CLUCKERS

 With temps still in the 50's and a strong northwest wind blowing, we still had eight riders for our annual "Run, Chicken, Run" Run to Rockton for barbecue chicken and trimmings.

Bob led the group after arriving a little late from his church service.  Mike and Bill follwed on bikes, and then came Richard & Melodye in their slingshot.  Bringing up the rear was the "support vehicle" with Dennis, Marlene, and Julie aboard.

Bob's "shortcut" to Rockton took us first down HWY 9 through Lansing and across the bridge into Wisconsin.  We took HWY 35 south, then CR B east over to HWY 27 and followed it on into Viroqua for our break at Quick Trip.

IT LOOKS TO BE WARMER IN THE "SUPPORT VEHICLE"

MIKE & BILL GET UNBUNDLED

RICHARD & MELODYE HEAD INSIDE

It was beginning to warm up some as we departed Viroqua and turned onto CR Y north of town.  The sign says to Avalanche ahead.  That's a town, not a warning!  CR Y is another of the alphabet roads in this part of Wisconsin that are fun and scenic to ride.  We pass along side Seas Brance Creek and 5 Reservoir.  The water looks low in both.  Once we reach Avalanche, we turn onto CR S.  This is another great ride.  You pass along side a really beautiful, clear stream which is the west fork of the meandering Kickapoo River.  We take CR S north through Bloomindale and straight onto CR P.  This stretch of asphalt will take us through Dell and  over to HWY 131 where we turn north again.  As we cross the bridge over the Kickapoo, we can already smell the chicken being barbecued for us!  We park among the many motorcycles and classic cars in the Rockton Bar parking lot.

MIKE FINDS A CONVENIENT SPOT TO PARK

JULIE JOINS DENNIS & MARLENE TO GET IN LINE

BILL SHEDS SOME LAYERS BEFORE EATING

RICHARD & MELODYE WARM UP ON THE WAY TO EATS

After confirming our reservations, we sit down to eat a half chicken, macaroni salad, beans, and bread.  Everything was delicious!

NOTHING LEFT BUT A PILE OF BONES!

As in previous years, after feasting on the chicken, we make our way to the apple orchards to capture some apple cider and apple cider donuts. So we retraced some our journey along HWY 131and passed through LaFarge and Viola.  Then CR U "got in our way".  So we took another "fun" alphabet road down to HWY 14.  We then made our way back west on 14 to HWY 61 at Readstown.  Taking 61 south we pass through Soldiers Grove and turn back west onto HWY 171 heading down the hill to the orchards.  HWY 171 has received some needed improvements, but it needs a lot more. Each year before, we have stopped at the Sunrise Orchards, and while the cider and donuts were always were good, the place was always extremely crowded.  As we passed by Sunrise, it looked like it was packed again, so we continued on into Gays Mills and stopped at the Kickapoo Orchards instead.  We were still able to sample the apple cider (free), and pick up some apple cider donuts to take home.  Bill was also able to find a cap to add to his "dwindling" supply of headware.

We continued on 171 and passed through Mt. Sterling and down the hill to HWY 35.  Turning north, we were "requested" to stop at Ferryville for ice cream.  Mike, Bob, and Julie participated, while Dennis & Marlene and Bill abstained.  Richard & Melodye rejoined us, and we made our way back across the bridge, into Lansing again, and back to Waukon on HWY 9.  We had 156 miles on the trike when we got her home.

GREAT DAY--Started out cool, but warmed up nicely.  Good ride and good food!

This was our last sceduled "special" ride, but the extended weather forecast looks good for some continued riding yet this fall.  I do plan to take some possible rides  on weekends yet, and anyone who wants to accompany me is welcome.  I don't plan to do any extensive planning for these trips, but I will attempt to keep our group posted on the blog.  I would like to make a couple of "leaf looking" rides yet.  Our Wednesday night rides should be able to continue until daylight savings time ends.

COOL & BREEZY, BUT STILL GREAT

 With temps still around 70, but a strong wind whipping up, we had 10 riders on 8 units show up at Casey's this Wednesday.  With the days growing shorter, and daylight savings time less than a month away, it pays to get the rides in when we can.

Richard & Melodye arrived in the Slingshot, and the other three-wheeled riders were Irv, Terry, and Bob.  The rest of the gang on bikes were Mike, Jim & Cathy, Chuckles, and Lois.

RICHARD & MELODYE "SLINGSHOT" IN

MIKE, JIM & CATHY DISCUSS FUTURE PLANS

IRV ANXIOUSLY AWAITS EVERYONE'S ARRIVAL

CHUCKLES MAKES HIS APPEARANCE

FOLLOWED BY LOIS

TERRY JOINS THE CREW

The plan was to explore the Elkader area, especially Gunder Road, so we had to head to Postville.  With Forest Mills and Old Stage being under repairs, that just left HWY 51 as the alternative.  So we departed Casey's at 5 and headed west on HWY 9.  HWY 9 took us over to HWY 51 and we turned south there.  We continued on 51, passing over the Trooper Ted Benda Memorial Bridge, and on into Postville.

We arrived in Postville to be treated to a newly paved main street.  What an improvement!  The roadway is really smooth except for the rough railway crossing, and I'm assuming that will be corrected.  We also noticed the new construction being done at the Ziegler Cat property.  Also, another motorcyclist passed by in the opposite direction.  He must have had "monkey butt" from a long ride, because he was standing up.

We continued on HWY 18 through Postville until we came to the turn for the Gunder Road (CR W64).  The first 8 miles of this road takes us into Gunder on some of the roughest pavement in the area.  This part of the road has needed improvement for ages!  Once we pass through Gunder, the road becomes not only a smooth transition, but offers up sweeping curves and fantastic views.

Once we arrive in Elkader, we find HWY 13 and start heading north.  We pass by the Fast Track Convenience Store that looks closed because of some food violations.  HWY 13 takes us up to CR B65 where we turn west and make the short jog into St. Olaf.  Once we reach the metropolis of St. Olaf, we turn back north onto Fawn Hollow Road (CR X28) and roll into Farmersburg.  There we pass a farmer who has had some bad luck with his fully loaded grain wagon.  It looks like a wheel had buckled and a skid steer was being used to lift the wagon so repairs could be made.  I would say the farmer had a bad day!

CR X28 took us through Famersburg and up to HWY 18.  We turned back west and then took Main Street through Monona and onto CR X26 (Volney Road).  The main street in Monona could use some serious repair work also.  We followed the Volney Road out of town and just as we headed up the hill near Volney, a hen turkey decided that she owned the road, and we had to wait for her to exit into the ditch.  However, she must have taken lessons from squirrels and couldn't make up her mind, because she shot across the road to the opposite ditch.  I would say her days are numbered!

The Volney Road took us into rosey Rossville where the aroma of chicken being cooked at the Rossville Store added to our hunger.  Once we reached HWY 76 we headed back for Waukon.  All the way back we were treated to a fantastically beautiful sunset, which made a great way to top off the ride.  Nine of us stopped at Uptown for eats.  There were 74 miles of the Wing's clock when I got her home.

NEXT WEDNESDAY

Possibly over towards Calmar.

SUNDAY

This Sunday is our last "special" trip for the season.  It's our annual "Run, Chicken, Run" Run.  We depart Casey's at 10 that morning and take a break in Viroqua before venturing on.  We wend our way through some great scenery up to Rockton where we can feast on the "nearly world famous" barbeque chicken.  Then on the way back we stop at the Sunrise Orchard for some goodies that might include hot apple cider and delicious apple cider donuts.

If you want the barbecued chicken, it's a good idea to reserve it.  If you let Bob know your intentions by Saturday, he will call in your reservations.  Otherwise it's up to you to make them.

NEW WAY TO ROCKTON