The End of Touring Life

The powers that be at the BMW Motorcycle Owners of America (BMWMOA) changed the date of the annual rally from mid July to mid June this year. It will most likely be viewed as a stroke of genius due to the fantastic weather in the Nashville area this weekend. The temperatures peaked out at about 90 degrees on Saturday with a pleasant breeze and low humidity. Thursday and Friday were a bit cooler and perfect for rally fun.

My brother and I rode in on our R 1200 GSAs at about 1:30 pm Friday afternoon. After visiting registration and dropping off our door prize tickets, we walked into the air conditioned vendor building. All of the usual suspects were present and my brother bought a new riding jacket. I was tempted by a aramid fiber enforced riding shirt to use when riding my Harley Davidson, but ultimately decided to wait on that purchase. The orange, black and white Shoei RF 1200 also drew my attention.

As you may or may not have noticed, my thoughts during the rally have been focused on my 2016 Harley Davidson Lowrider S. For those not in the Harley world, the bike is known as an FXDLS.

Visiting a northern Wisconsin Ranger Station

It is a completely different bike from my BMW and cannot come close to matching what the BMW offers. The FXDLS is the quintessential cruiser bike. I have mounted a couple of small bags to carry essentials for a day ride, but it does not have a windshield. It is not a bike that I would ride on 500 mile days, something that is a relatively easy ask on the BMW GSA.

So why have I been thinking Harley at a BMW rally? I have been thinking over the winter that my multi-day touring days are over. Since I started touring, about fourteen years ago, I have been to a lot of places. Several trips to the Black Hills, to include two Sturgis Rallies, three trips to the Dragon, and rides up Trail Ridge Road in the Rockies and the Mount Washington Auto Road in New Hampshire stand out. I have had a few different riding buddies and each trip hasH been a joy.

Hanging out in Pine Bluff prior to Slimey Crud Run

But I am beginning to feel a bit more homesick on each trip. My wife doesn't ride and I think I have seen enough of these beautiful United States without her. She has been very understanding of my wanderlust and desire to get out on the road with my bikes. I still plan to do that, but just for short overnight rides when I feel the need. Which brings me back to why I am thinking about my Harley this weekend.

The BMW, my first and only, has been a terrific bike. It has done everything I hoped it would, only better. The maintenance costs are higher than the Harley, but I knew that going in. But it is not a Harley Davidson. I had a Honda 160 Scrambler in high school and sold it when I left for US Army Basic Training. I did own a motorcycle for another 26 years. What drew me back in was the mid-nineties mystique of Harley Davidson. A 1996 Sportster Custom, which bought in 1998 was my entry back into bikes.

Since then, Harley has been the bike of my heart. It will not be possible for me to have only one bike and that bike not be a Harley Davidson. Either the FXDLS will meet my motorcycling needs or my needs will match the bike.

Taken on one of my Rustic Road riding trips

So as I ride home over the next couple of days, my thoghts will be of selling my BMW. I plan to keep my adventure riding gear for a period of time just in case I change my mind. But a muscle car made by the Blue Oval has caught my attention and may become a stablemate for the Harley in the near future.

The 2019 BMW National Rally

Sometimes the motorcycle gods are not certain whether or not to bless you. Yesterday it rained all day in Green Bay. I rode my 2011 R 1200 GSA from its home to my house and it sat in the rain all night. The day dawned dry, cold and cloudy. My alarm, or its operator, misfired so the day got off to a quick start. The day, in particular, was the the day I was on my way to the 2019 BMW National Rally in Lebanon, Tennessee.

I had planned to carefully load the bike in the morning due to the rain the day before. Due to the alarm issue it became a quick, but efficient load out. I was able to suck down only one cup of strong coffee, but when my brother arrived on his 2016 BMW R 1200 GSA I was ready to go.

Our route took us south on I 43 through Milwaukee. It was only in the low 50's, so I was grateful for my clothing choices. I wore a Nike thermal shirt along with two others and Under Armour 4.0 thermal layer pants under my jeans. My trusty Olympia AST, with liner, was up to the task.

We stopped at a Kwik Trip north of Milwaukee and then at the Lake Forest Oasis in Illinois.
I had anticipated a bit of rain, and Mother Nature did not disappoint. After a hearty breakfast of Dunkin' Donuts and coffee we merged back onto I 94 East. The rain continued intermittently from northern Illinois right through central Indiana. But by the time we neared Louisville, Kentucky there was abundant sunshine and temperatures in the low 70's.

We arrived at Fort Knox at about 1900 Eastern Daylight Time. The receptionists at the Newgarden Inn made registration a breeze and soon we were ensconced in our excellent accommodations. As an Army veteran it is always a pleasure to be back on a military installation.

At the Fort Knox Visitor Center.

A Day in Door County

After 45 years of marriage one would think that describing a wallet would not be too difficult. But for me, it was a bridge too far. Somehow I communicated to my patient wife that I wanted a wallet smaller than the one I have used for the past fifteen years. She contacted The Hide Side, a premium leather store in Fish Creek, WI, and ordered a beautifully made piece. However, due to my limited communication skills, it needed to be exchanged.

Fortunately, Fish Creek is located in picturesque Door County, about a 45 mile ride from my house. After taking care of a few duties around the house I carefully packed the wallet in the swingarm bag on my Harley Davidson Lowrider S and headed up to the Door.

Door County is a vacation hotspot during the summer, but the kids are in school yet and the small bayside towns are still a little sleepy. I rolled through Sturgeon Bay and noted that there were a lot sailboats still in dry dock at Skipper Bud's. Riding over the bridge on the bypass I saw the gulls swooping down over the channel looking for a late breakfast.

That thought made me a little hungry, so I stopped in at the Chocolate Chicken in Egg Harbor. This is one of my favorite stops and it did not let me down. I ordered a blueberry muffin and a cup of their Indonesian Black Satin Blend coffee. The sun was shining on the little table in front of the shop and I enjoyed late morning breakfast while watching a few retirees amble around town.

A great stop for coffee and pastry.

Soon enough it was time to get back on Highway 42 and continue on up to Fish Creek. The two lane highway was not too busy, but the drivers out there were not too eager to get where they were going. I adapted to the leisurely pace and enjoyed the sites. I could not tell whether is was the beginning or the end of the cherry blossom season, but several of the orchards were in full bloom.

The road drops steeply into Fish Creek. It makes a sharp right instead of flowing into the waters of Green Bay, but my destination was at the bottom of the hill. There was a parking spot right in front of The Hide Side, and before long I was perusing the fine leather wallets inside. The experienced clerk helped me find just what I wanted. Fortunately, the young woman behind the counter found a couple of cards that I had left in the one my wife gave me. We had tried it out before deciding to return it.

Just what I wanted!

Door County is a couples type of place, so I did not hang around too long. I rode down to the dock to check out the big boats and take a picture of the bay.

The dock at Fish Creek.

Then I went back up the big hill and south toward Egg Harbor. I stopped for lunch at Shipwrecked. The brew pub has a colorful history including stories about Al Capone, Chief Tecumseh, and ghosts. You can read all about it on their website. Unfortunately, it burned to the ground almost two years ago and it is now a completely new building. The cheeseburger, potato salad and coffee were all tasty.

View from the deck of Shipwrecked.

After paying my bill I took a slow walk out to my bike and took my time getting my riding gear on. It had been an excellent day in Door County and I wanted to make it last a few more moments. The ride home was as enjoyable as the rest of the day. It is early in the season and I plan to make a few more trips to Door County with my wife this summer.

Catholic Parish Rises and Falls in Maple Grove

The racing season at Road America begins in June. Each year I eagerly watch for a good riding day in May and head down to the track to pick up my new identification card. It's an opportunity for a ride and a chance to see what improvements Road America management has made. This year the weather was not very cooperative, but finally it cleared and I was on my way.

It is about a 50 mile ride on the back roads out of De Pere to Elkhart Lake, the home of Road America. While there are not a lot of curves, it goes past a nice park and some beautiful farmland. Farther south the route enters the flat land of Collins Marsh. The marsh was created by dams erected the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources many years ago. This was part of an effort to attract some of the migrating geese from the over crowded Horicon Marsh.

On this day, prior to reaching the marsh, there was a detour. There was some work being done on County W and I was forced east on County K. The detour turned south at County G and led into the little town of Maple Grove. I saw the old church and school and guided my BMW R 1200 GSA into the worn parking lot.

St. Patrick Church in Maple Grove

Thirty years ago I was teaching middle school at the Catholic school in Brillion, which is about ten miles to the west. At that time all of the little towns along US Highway 10 had a Catholic school. In addition to Brillion, they were in Holland, Reedsville, Whitelaw, Clarks Mills, St. Nazianz and Maple Grove. By the late 1980's the Maple Grove school had been closed, but the parish supported the school in Reedsville.

How many students passed through this entrance?

After a few years of teaching I began my work on a Master's degree in Educational Administration. The principal's position at St. Mary Reedsville/St. Patrick Maple Grove came open. A co-worker and I both interviewed for job and she was selected. I took a principal's position at a different Catholic school later that spring, this one on the far east end of US 10 in Francis Creek.

Plaque provides a history of the parish and school.

I had never been to the Maple Grove campus and found it interesting to walk around the site. The plaque in front of the church provided a history of the church and school. The Irish immigrants in the area started the parish and the church was built in 1868. The school was built in 1912 and educated students all the way through high school up until 1956. The school closed in 1981. The church continued through the turn of the century and the last Mass was celebrated on March 17th, St. Patrick's Day, in 2002.

As I walked around I could imagine all of the families and their children who had been Baptized, celebrated First Communions, Confirmations, graduations, weddings and finally burials on these grounds. Descendants of the first settlers purchased the convent and the church and have established a tree park. It is a very beautiful and peaceful site.

The history of the school was not all what it seems. Although I did not get the principal's position at the school, I kept in touch with my co worker through diocesan meetings and professional development sessions. Each of these little schools had their own stories and mysteries, and this one was no different. Most of them are closed now. Brillion combined with Reedsville and there are students there. Clarks Mills has a few students and continues to operate. The St. Nazianz school just closed within the past year. The others are gone, but on a quiet spring day it is still possible to imagine the families that spent the arc of their lives within the confines of these old parishes