The Wisconsin Motorcycle Memorial

It is easy take for granted the beauty and richness that is in our own backyard. As a Green Bay resident and game day employee of the Green Bay Packers, I am reminded of this every time a fan walks into Lambeau Field with childlike wonder in their eyes. After 60 years of having the Frozen Tundra as a neighbor, I don't have the same reaction when I enter the stadium.

It was with this in mind that I decided to finally make the turn north off Highway 57 in Door County and visit the Wisconsin Motorcycle Memorial. The sign for the memorial, about a mile past the point where Highways 42 and 57 divide north of Sturgeon Bay, indicates it is less than two miles off the highway. It has always seemed that there was not time to stop and whatever was north or south was more important. So one Sunday this summer I resolved to make a trip to visit the spot.

It was a warm day and there was a good deal of traffic around Door County. This is prime vacation time and people were in a hurry to relax. I past Sturgeon Bay on the bypass and was soon on the county road heading to the memorial site.

I had seen a few motorcycles on the road, so I was surprised that I was the only person there. Parking my BMW R1200 GSA in front of the gate, I lowered the kickstand and prepared to take a look around. According to the website, http://www.wimotorcyclememorial.org/, the Wisconsin Motorcycle Memorial Park was established on this one acre site in 2004. Its goal is to be "a place to recognize and honor the memory of loved ones".

Grab a seat!

A piece designed by "Doc" Hopkins.

The first thing I noticed was how well-kept the grounds were. The grass was freshly mowed and the flowers well tended. There were picnic tables spread around and motorcycle art was in abundance. A good sized open shelter with tables indicated that the site hosts some well attended events. Two sheds and a beverage machine said that there is someone who regularly tends to the memorial.

A great site for any type of event.

A Swedish rider honored.

Passing through the gate, a visitor is walking on memorial stones. Many of them are memorializing riders from local clubs, but not all. Some of them had been visited recently by friends and family and they had left remembrances of their loved one. A quick check of the memorial's website revealed that a stone can be purchased and engraved for $150.00.

The peacefulness of the place is in sharp contrast to the machines that many of the visitors ride and the bikes of the honored. The sound and the fury of a motorcycle is what draws many of us to the riding life, but this afternoon it was quiet enough to contemplate the joy and the feeling of freedom that come with the ride. The silent stones represented the everlasting peace that we all will find one day and the importance of living in the moment.

I took one last walk around before mounting up and turning the bike south. As I rode, I took in all of the sights and sounds around me, appreciating the beauty and richness of life in northeast Wisconsin.