This years biker gathering in the old meat packing district saw upper 80’s temperatures but a good crowd of folk out to listen to some rockabilly, look at some cool motorcycles and cars, drink some locally brewed ale, and chow of burgers. A good way to spend a summer Saturday afternoon in Chicago.
With quieter roads on this Juneteenth holiday the Tiger became my wheels into the City. Nice spin along the lakefront on LSD and riverside on Wacker. Pleasant light through the buildings too.
More road-trip sightings are the buildings and structures that are ridden past and stopped by. From the ecumenical to the agricultural, the retail to the residential. The bridge in the Duluth Harbor is one highlight for sure. A celebration of the mining and logging industry that created the Upper Midwest.
One of the great things when traveling around on the miles and miles of county routes, backroads, tracks, and byways is to see things along the way. I could stop every mile but then wouldn’t get anywhere! So many things are a fleeting vision as you speed past at between 30 and 60 mikes per hour. Neon restaurant lights in Galena; barns in Door County; a Red-spotted Blue in Duluth; breakfast cafe in Black River Falls; Muffler Man in Spooner; vintage Weiner cooker on Washington Island; goats (also W.I.); Dickeyville Grotto; Fresnel Lens, Split Rock. So many things to accessorize the adventure.
A Week on the road: 1560 miles, 35 hours in the saddle, two Great Lakes, many adventurous memories. And I’m tired!
We took the small car ferry over to Washington Island at the top end of the peninsula beyond Green Bay. 25 square miles of woodland, farming, vineyards, cabins. A harbor to the farther Rock Island, itself a nature reserve.
Interesting real variety of farm buildings, tools and cabin of the day. Bleating goats gave noise to the location.
No need to go fast. Perfectly paced for the go-slow feel of the place. Relax.
We had a full day riding from Duluth MN to Green Bay WI. Lake Superior to Lake Michigan. Along Highway 70, the old logging road that cuts across the top of Wisconsin. Lakes open up occasionally and the mixed woodland provides a verdant backdrop to the perfect roads.
Two Harbors – where the iron ore gets loaded onto the behemoth carriers. Also there, is this extraordinarily large locomotive. Used to haul the ore from the ranges inland to these ports. It could pull a mile of ore laden trucks with its 6,000 HP coal fed steam driven engines.
Got to the campsite right on the waters edge. Splendid sunset and campfire as the stars lit up. Super riding through the National Forests that speckle the area.
There were signs warning road users of Elk crossing, beautiful trout streams cross-crossing the way and the occasional bald Eagle soaring overhead.
We’re on a multi-day trip through the Dairlyland of America. From the historic lead mining center of Galena IL we headed north along the Mississippi through wooded dales and along barn scattered ridges. Back roads, gravel trails, reedbed carpeted bottomlands, and sprouting cornfield amidst oak woodland. A splendid part of the State.
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