Ride to 2021 BMW MOA National Rally

I have not visited any more cheese factories since my trip to Kugel's, but it has been an eventful two months. In June I rode out to the BMW National Motorcycle Rally. Normally these rides are all about the good times, but one of my riding partners bounced off of a car and that changed the narrative and the emotional reaction to the trip. On 22 June I rode west with two other riders to attend the BMW rally in Great Falls, Montana. Before we had cleared Minnesota one of my riding partners had an unfortunate collision with a Toyota Venza. The rider and his bike were damaged but serviceable and we continued west. On the second day we visited the grave of Sioux Chief Sitting Bull on the west side of the Missouri River in Mobridge, South Dakota. Later in the day, the rider who had run into the Toyota experienced battery problems and left him, and us, in effect, stranded on the side of US 12 in eastern Montana. The situation was resolved in a most fortuitous manner and we made it to Great Falls on 24 June.

Sitting Bull grave in Mobridge, SD

The rally was as expected and we enjoyed our time volunteering at the pin and patch booth. It's a good way to meet a lot of rally goers and exchange information about our rides into Great Falls. My riding partner was feeling the effects of the mishap in Minnnesota, so we did not walk around the exhibits any more than was necessary. They were all pretty much as they are each year anyway. On the second day I took the opportunity to visit the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center in Great Falls. Many of the cities and towns along the upper Missouri River have Lewis and Clark monuments, museums, or memorials, so it was nice to have the time to visit this one. The center's main focus was on the portages the expedition had to manage in the Great Falls area.

Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center in Great Falls, MT

After two nights of recuperation, we left Great Falls on a Sunday morning. We rode south on US 87 through the Lewis and Clark National Forest and then rode east on US 12. One unexpected delight was being stopped behind a cattle drive down the middle of US 12. After following the herd at a respectful distance for fifteen minutes, we followed a pickup truck through the herd and were on our way again. We rode east as far as Billings, Montana, before getting on the interstate toward Crow Agency.

Cattle drive on US 12 in Montana

We arrived that day, 26 June, at the Little Bighorn National Battlefield. Like most National Parks and National Monuments, the Little Bighorn Battlefield was busy. My riding partner could not walk too well, so I took a walk up to the hill that is the site of General Custer's famous last stand. I have visited the site more than once, but it is always and emotional experience for me. We continued on our way east to Broadus, Montana, to our accommodations for the night.

Little Bighorn National Battlefield Monument

We checked in at the office and were a bit surprised to learn that our rooms were a couple of blocks away. But we found them to be clean and comfortable and soon were on our way to the pizza shop, which was the only place to eat within walking distance. Seabeck Pizza offered an excellent pizza with service to match. There are no accommodations or restaurants within 100 miles east or west of Broadus, so it is commendable that the hotel and pizza shop are as good as they are.

Our accommodations in Broadus, MT

The ride home took us through South Dakota and Minnesota on US 212 without any additional drama. The only issue was the thunderstorm we rode through in central Wisconsin that has caused me to install the Pinlock in my Shoei Hornet X2. We rode 2700 miles over the seven days and were glad to be home after the unfortunate things that had occurred during the week.

Kugel's Cheese Mart in Lena Wisconsin

 Earlier this month I completed my quest to ride 100 of Wisconsin's 122 Rustic Roads. The others are still tempting, but I am putting that pursuit on hold for this summer. They are all more than a day's ride away and I have other plans for my overnight trips in the coming months. I was looking for another way to add some purpose to my day rides and much like Little Miss Muffet's spider, an idea appeared.

My wife and were on our way into Door County and stopped at the Visitor's Center just south of Sturgeon Bay. While my wife was asking the helpful young woman at the counter about where to find cherry blossoms I was perusing the rack full of travel information. I picked up some bicycling maps and travel brochures for Door County and Wisconsin. That evening I picked up the Wisconsin book and found just what I was looking for.

There was a page or two that highlighted small cheese factories around the state. At one time I worked in a big cheese factory and cheese manufacturing still holds a lot of interest for me. Although there were only a factories noted and a lot of others have closed, I knew that there were still a good number of them in operation. A new, and tasty, plan for the summer began to form. I would research cheese factories within a day's ride and try to get to them on the days they offered tours.

Kugel's in downtown Lena

 On a bright and warm Saturday morning I started north on US Highway 141. Since I was on my Harley Davidson Lowrider S and I planned to bring home some cheese, I had an insulated lunch bag with an ice pack in it stowed in my backpack. It also served to keep my apple and water cold. My plan was to ride north toward Iron Mountain and then stop at Springside Cheese Factory near Oconto Falls on the way home. It was one of the factories featured in the travel book.

One of the joys of motorcycling alone is the opportunity to change plans at a moment's notice and that is what happened on this ride. About 30 miles north of Green Bay I saw a sign for Kugel's Cheese Mart in Lena. I took the exit and found myself alone in downtown Lena and parked in front of Kugel's. 

According to their website, Kugel's has been a family owned business since 1952. They age and package locally made cheeses and also sell a variety of imported products. As I browsed around the shop I noted that they sell Wisconsin related gifts along with a few from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The hoodie with Kugel's Cheese emblazoned on the front was inviting, but how many hoodies do I need at my age? 

Marinette County Overlook

Once I got to examining the cheese case the friendly clerk asked if I needed any assistance. I felt like I wanted to try something besides the usual cheddar, so I bought about six ounces of hot pepper brick. The clerk cut a thin slice for me to taste and it had just the right amount of heat for me. It was creamy like a brick cheese should be and I knew I had made a good choice. As the young man was wrapping it up I told him that I had worked at Pauly Cheese in Green Bay at one time. He recognized the name and said that Kugel used to buy block cheese from Pauly and repackage it for sale in Lena. 

Trillium Time in the Forest

After a little more small talk I went out and took a few pictures before getting back on the highway and riding north. At this point I decided that I would save the visit to Springside for another day. About thirty miles north there is a turnout where visitors can learn about the local logging history and take in a beautiful vista. On this day the trilliums were in full bloom. 

I continued north to the intersection with US Highway 8 near Pembine. Here I turned west until I found a wayside to stop and enjoy a road snack. The facilities at the wayside were closed, but the driveway was open and it was a nice quiet place for a break. Delicious cheese, an apple and cold water were all I needed to feel refreshed and ready for more miles.

A Perfect Road Snack

Back on the road, I turned south at Laona onto State Highway 32. One thing I noticed on my ride was the number of ATV's on the trails adjacent to the highways. There have always been some, but there seem to be many more than several years ago. Most of the restaurant and bar parking lots have a good number of them and some have more ATV's than cars and trucks. 

ATVs Are a Popular Means of Transportation

The weather was perfect, in the seventies north of US Highway 64 and into the eighties when I got back to the south. I'm glad I soaked in the heat because the temperatures were in forties five days later. My first cheese factory ride was a success and I look forward to more.

Day Two in Northwest Wisconsin 2021

We were fortunate to avoid any rain in Wisconsin yesterday and our luck held today. Parts of the state were foggy and wet, but the area around Hudson and east to Eau Claire were warm and dry. After a Covid- style breakfast at the Holiday Inn Express in Hudson we rode north on US 35, the Great River Road, in search of our first Rustic Road of the day. There was a lot of poorly marked road construction in Hudson and I missed the turnoff. We ended up north of the road and turned back south. Once we found Rustic Road 13 we rode it both south and north to get back on track. It is a paved county road through farm an residential areas. 

Rustic Road 13 north of Hudson

The next target was Rustic Road 116 in Boardman and again I had mapping issues. After sorting them out we got that one in the hopper and rode east on County G to Glenwood City. This little town is fortunate enough to have both Rustic Roads 3 and 4 nearby. Rustic Road 4 included some gravel, but no stream crossings such as we experienced yesterday. After we finished riding them we stopped for refreshment at a local establishment in Downing. 

Rustic Road 116 in Boardman

My brother has a college friend living in Knapp, so we stopped in to visit while on our way to the next Rustic Road. We had a great visit and they fortified us with Girl Scout cookies and delicious coffee. After bidding our goodbyes, we rode east into Menomonie. Rustic Road 89 is south and west of Menomonie. It is an enjoyable ride along the Chippewa River and through the quaint little town of Irvington. We had plans to go east to Rustic Road 45 after 89, but there is not a good route so we ended up riding 89 both ways. US 29 led us to US Highway 12 and a route east to our last goal for the day. US 12 has been replaced by Interstate 94 for through traffic, but it is still a busy highway. We stopped at a Kwik Trip for a road lunch on our way through the Eau Claire area. 

Bon Appetit!

As rain clouds gathered overhead we rode south and east toward our last goal of the day. Highway 12 east leads out of Eau Claire into some pleasant farmland and good habitat for birds. We saw a ratty looking bald eagle in the ditch along the road and numerous mating sandhill cranes. Rustic Road 45 is just southeast of Augusta and is a gravel track near a state park. The skies continued to threaten to open up, but we went ahead and enjoyed the ride. Rustic Road 45 ends on County Road H and we rode that back to County Road M and US Highway 12. Our ride back to our accommodations was uneventful and we were happy to have had two days which resulted in riding nine of Wisconsin's beautiful Rustic Roads.

Rustic Road 45 near Augusta

On the last day of our trip we had a bit of a post Covid family reunion. Our sisters came from the west and north to spend a night in Eau Claire catching up on the past year. We met them for lunch at the Acoustic Cafe in beautiful downtown Eau Claire before riding home. 

Acoustic Cafe in Eau Claire

Rustic Roads in Northwest Wisconsin

It has been well over a year since I have taken a proper motorcycle trip, so this weekend I combined a visit to the Red Mouse for the Slimey Crud Run with a quest to ride some of Wisconsin's Rustic Roads. I left Green Bay with my brother on Saturday afternoon and spent the night on Madison's west side. We found a local establishment for a bite to eat and map out our plans for the next day. As anyone who has traveled recently knows, the hotel breakfast routine is to put it in a bag and bring it back to your room. I made a few selections, bagged them up, and enjoyed a solitary breakfast. At 0830 we mounted up and rode west to Pine Bluff. We arrived thirty minutes later and it was not too busy, but within the next hour it was way to crowded and maskless for us. But the opportunity to see the variety of bikes that show up and the willingness of their owners to talk about them is a motorcyclist's dream. Everyone seems to know that the whole purpose is to show and talk about bikes. The crowd kept me away from getting too close for pictures, but it was an enjoyable experience. 

The scene at the Red Mouse in Pine Bluff

We left Pine Bluff on County P, and had a great ride through south central Wisconsin. The area around the Wisconsin River and the Baraboo Bluffs is enchanting. Riding past the old Badger Army Ammunition Plant brought back memories of Viet Nam War protests and the furtive bombing attempt by the Armstrong brothers, Karleton and Dwight, during the height of the antiwar movement. After a few more roads and couple of more hours we were in Mondovi for a Subway lunch. We were nearing the Wisconsin Rustic Roads in the Northwest quadrant and I had plans to ride a few in the next couple of days.

Lunch in Mondovi

The first was Rustic Road 122,north of US Highway 10 and the newest Rustie, was an uneventful ride through typical Wisconsin scenery. Each of the roads is unique in its own way, but after riding over 90 of them they tend to run together in my mind. After all, they are all in Wisconsin. But the second one, Rustic Road 51, was definitely different. I knew from the state issued brochure that it was gravel and we decided that if it was too rough we would not ride all of it. Riding from the east it was a nice, well groomed gravel track. It is a four mile road and after about a mile it offered an opportunity to go straight or left. I chose the left option, labeled as a "winding trail". Another thing noted in the brochure was that the road sometimes crosses a trout stream. The omitted information was that those crossings do not include bridges. We came to the first water crossing and I assumed we would turn around. My brother, four years younger at 64, figured we could make it across. We have the same motorcycles and I invited him to go first. He made it with no problems. I was still skeptical about my ability to do it, but made it across safely. We took a few pictures and congratulated each other.

Unexpected Adventure Riding

But about a quarter mile later, here was another one. We went across that one and one more before I hesitated at number four. That morning I had no plans to be riding my motorcycle through a trout stream and I was not sure I wanted to do it again. This one was wider and appeared deeper. I was already wet from the earlier crossings, and although that was not a big concern, the apparent depth spooked me. I shut off the bike and walked up to the edge of the crossing. The left side looked better than the right. Also, there were some buildings on the other side, which indicated that this had to be the last water crossing. I got back on the big beast, started it up, and went forward. I was elated to come up on the other side, however ungraceful my riding style may have been. The end of Rustic Road 51 was not far off and we stopped to contemplate our accomplishment and clean our windshields and helmet shields. If that marks the end of my riding through streams I will not be disappointed.

Made it through!

After that we rode northwest to ride Rustic Road 92. It was a beautiful ride through cattle country and farmland. The residents were taking advantage of the lower wind speeds to get some needed burning done. It reminded me of the smells at my favorite fishing camp in Ontario, Canada. We finished our riding with a cruise through the streets of River Falls, which on this Sunday afternoon were full scented with the unmistakable smell of pizza. I don't know if it's because it's a college town or not, but they love their pizza. 

The last few miles to Hudson went quickly and soon we were in the Holiday Inn Express for the night. After stowing our gear we enjoyed an excellent Mexican dinner in Hudson in anticipation of more Rustic Road riding the next day.

I Did What During the Pandemic?

The world passed the one year mark of the Covid 19 pandemic in the middle of March. Each week it feels like we are getting closer to life as it was before the onset of the pandemic, but we have a ways to go. Doing what seemed normal at one time, like eating in a restaurant, feels safe but unusual. Avoiding other people in stores and even on the street is now normal feeling behavior. A friend described receiving a friendly touch on the arm from someone and reflexively pulling back. It will take some time to react to other people and circumstances in way we once did. As we completed one year of this life I began to think about what I had done with a lot of newfound free time.

Wisconsin was fortunate to have a dry and warm spring in 2020, so I was able to get outside when I felt the need. But it was still March and April in Wisconsin, so it was not all seashells and balloons. There were a few things I got around to that I may not have without the pandemic. 

Martin D1

There had been a few songs that I had been playing on my Martin D1 acoustic guitar, but I did not know all of the verses. A couple of them were Bob Dylan songs, so there were lots of verses. The first one I memorized was "Desolation Row". It seemed fitting. I would get out the guitar and set up the lyrics on a music stand in the living room. I learned one verse and memorized one verse every couple of days as I watched the neighbors walk up and down the street in a pandemic daze. There are ten verses, so it took about three weeks to learn them all. Next, I moved on to "Tangled Up in Blue" by Dylan and "This Hard Land" by Bruce Springsteen. That got me through the spring and into the early summer. I did not play as much during the summer, but got started again in the fall.

When the cold weather returned I picked up my Fender Stratocaster American Deluxe electric guitar and start learning lessons out of the "Blues You can Use" book. It has lessons on chord and scales with short musical examples of each concept. There is a CD enclosed that I could play along with. I had worked my way through some of it over the years, but I made a concerted effort to play for an hour each day. I am still playing most days, but life has gotten a little busier since I got the vaccinations in February. My playing skills improved noticeably and it is fun to play along with the CD. 

Fender DeVille 410 and Stratocaster

It was a quiet Christmas, which I did not mind too much. One of the gifts I received was a bird house kit. That allowed me to spend some quiet time in the basement and provide a new home for a local feathered friend. There was some paint left over from touching up the house and the garage in recent years, so the bird's house matches our house. Now I just need a good tenant. 

Available for Rent

Another basement project involved the basement windows. Many years ago a squirrel managed to get into the basement, through the old chimney I think, while we were gone for a few days. The squirrel, of course, wanted to get out and spent the time clawing and gnawing on the wooden window frames. Our basement is just that, a basement, so I never expended the effort to repair the windows. The pandemic presented a now or never type of situation. So on one of my last motorcycle rides in fall 2020 I picked up some wood filler at the local Lowe's. Once again I found some house paint that would suffice to paint the basement frames. Once the windows were painted I cleaned the glass and will take care of cleaning the outside once it warms up. 

Squirrel Repair Done

 Another activity that took up some pandemic time was jigsaw puzzles. We had not done puzzles since, well, ever, but finished up four of them over the winter. It takes some time to get started, but once we began the puzzle would become something of an obsession. They were puzzles that had been around here for years and their origins were unknown. We fully expected each of them to be missing a piece or two, but they were all complete. 

Jigsaw Puzzle Fun

I continued to do the things I would normally do during a Wisconsin winter. The snow fell in amounts that allowed the Reforestation Camp snow bike trails to be open all of January and February. By March the snow let up and the trails became too icy for me. In February I participated in a Snow Crown Series race at the camp. I rode in the beginner, or "fun group", category. It was a beautiful sunny winter day and it was nice to be out with other riders. We took a couple of car rides around the area and looked for eagles and owls. We were successful finding eagles, but not the elusive owls.

Snow Crown Race Finisher

We are experiencing unseasonably cold April weather, but warmer days are ahead. I have gotten in quite a few miles on my Trek road bike already and have had some good rides on my BMW motorcycle. Tomorrow I will be getting my Harley Davidson Lowrider S out of storage. It looks like we will be dealing with Covid 19 in some fashion into the summer, but the end of the pandemic is a year closer than it was last April. 

Riding Out of the Covid Tunnel

March has rolled around once again and the motorcycling season has begun. Most years the weather in Wisconsin clears enough to allow some riding before astronomical spring arrives and this year is no different. We were blessed with a few days of fifty degree weather and, though it won't last, it is incentive enough to uncover the BMW, unplug the Battery Tender, and ride. 

It has been an interesting winter for owners and would be owners of certain BMW motorcycle models. The iconic German bike builder switched up its front brake supplier for the 2019 model year of R 1250 GS bikes. In September, 2019, I took delivery of the first 2020 R 1250 GS Adventure at my local dealer. I did not find out until January, 2020, that there were problems with the brake calipers leaking fluid.Fortunately, the mine did not leak and I have over 7000 miles of brake free trouble on the motorcycle. But over the winter the BMW mothership was forced by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to recall the bikes and replace the brakes. They will be replaced with the brand that BMW previously sourced for the bikes. In addition, a stop sale was put on all of the affected bikes until the approved brakes could be installed. I have spoken with my dealer and my new calipers are on the way. 

But, as long as my brakes are not leaking, I can get out and ride right now. A couple of days ago I uncovered the big beast and checked the battery. It registered a robust 13.4 volts, so I got busy preparing the bike and myself to get out on the road. I brought my black aluminum Touratech panniers out of the basemnent for installation on the bike. The right side lock is still sticky, so I will have the dealer take a look at it when I bring it in for the caliper installation. I got out my trusty Olympia AST 2 riding jacket. I have been looking at a new one, but this jacket fits perfectly and does all I need it to do. It was pretty grimy after last season but a good cleaning in the fall brought it back to it hi viz self. I am still working on a little uncomfortableness with my Shoei Hornet X2 helmet, but it is getting better.

Bayshore Park

The sun was shining brightly when I left the driveway an enjoyed a tailwind up to Bayshore County Park. This about 20 miles from home on Green bay and is a tradtional first ride. There were a few more people in the park than there would have been pre-pandemic, but it was nice to see them enjoying the day. I had put a little too much air in the tires prior to leaving, so I adjusted them before heading back home for lunch. After lunch I met my brother on the west side of Green Bay and we rode out US Highway 54 to the west. We checked the Bergstrom Wildlife Area near Shiocton, but the beautiful white swans have not yet made their appearance. The Wolf River is still frozen over, so there was no point in checking the fishing spots along the wild Wolf. We stopped at the Kwik Trip in New London and, over a cup of hot coffee, discussed some summer riding plans.

Kwik Trip in New London, WI

The ride home was blissful as we rode north on curvy and scenic Highway 187 north out of Shiocton. A brisk ride east on Highway 156 brought us to a the Mobil station attached to an Oneida casino. The casino is closed due to the pandemic, but the pumps were open and we began filled up with fresh gas. The weather is going to turn colder and windier, so we said our good byes and hope to get back out sooner rather than later.

Pandemic: Year Two

We are now almost one month into 2021 and it feels a lot like 2020. The most important change is the feeling of hope, which really began in December with the first people getting the Covid 19 vaccine. As the calendar turned over on January 1st I was happy to welcome the new year and say good bye to 2020. The nine months of living under the pandemic shadow were uncomfortable and it only became worse during the holiday season. All of the frustrations of not seeing family and friends were magnified. The weather did not allow for the escapes that spring, summer and fall did. I am normally ready to move on from the holidays and get the Christmas tree out to the curb, but it felt like an exceptionally large weight was lifted this year. 

The state of Wisconsin announced on Tuesday, 19 January, that residents 65 and over would be eligible to get the vaccine beginning 25 January. My wife was able to get through to Prevea within an hour and we got appointments for the afternoon of the 25th. We will receive our second dose on 15 February. Our lives won't change dramatically, but we will be able to eat in a restaurant and perhaps visit with friends and family inside instead of the driveway or garage. I am hopeful that we will feel safe enough to travel again and stay in hotels. 

Around New Year's Day we finally got enough snow so that the snow bike trails at the Reforestation Camp could be opened. I rode three times a week until the warm weather caught up with us again and they were closed for a few days. We got four inches of snow on the day the Green Bay Packers lost another NFC Championship game and the trails are back open. They are in great shape and that will give me something to do during the long Wisconsin winter. 

Brown County Reforestation Camp

Over the past few years I have considered getting one of those tough cameras to take along on fishing and motorcycle trips. It would be another way to take pictures other than just using my phone, which I don't like to take out in a boat anyway. I have a little Nikon L3 point and shoot camera and I am using that to see if I will like using a camera instead of my phone. The pictures in this post are all from the Nikon. I have played around with the editing feature on it to make the photos a little more interesting. 

I had plans to try and learn to play a little piano and harmonica this winter but so far that has not happened. But now with some real winter weather and icy sidewalks I may be inside enough to pick give them both a try. I have also been working on whittling down a list of books titled "100 Books Every Man Should Read". More about that in my next post.