Northern Sights

 The pandemic of 2020 has sent many people in search of a safe place to enjoy the summer in Wisconsin. For many, that place has been the area north of US Highway 29. The resorts, boat landings and campgrounds have been full of visitors from all over the country seeking out the perceived safety of Wisconsin's north woods. I kept this in mind as I planned my trip to acquire the last Harley Davidson dealer stamp I needed to complete my Wisconsin Harley Davidson Dealers Association Passport Tour. 

Northwoods Harley Davidson is located in a park-like setting just north of the busy resort town of Minocqua on US Highway 51. In any other year I would have made this a two day ride and enjoyed some of that clean north woods air and visited a few local restaurants. But due to the pandemic this was going to be 370 mile day. With that in mind, I planned to ride the four lane US 29 and US 51 on the way to the dealership.

I also realized that I could ride two of Wisconsin's Rustic Roads, located just west of Minocqua. My brother and I got off to an early start from Green Bay and by late morning we were on Blue Lake Road, or Rustic Road 58. The number signs at either end are gone, maybe in someone's cottage, so I took the picture midway through at the junction with Rustic Road 59. Number 59 is dirt and sand for a few miles, so I only rode the paved portion on the north end on my Harley Lowrider S. I plan to get back there on my BMW R1250 GSA and ride the unpaved section on the southern end.

My sister, brother and me

Rustic Road 59's northern entrance is on State Highway 70 and that led us back to US 51 on the north side of Minocqua. One of Minocqua's summer attractions is the Min-Aqua Bats, the longest continually running amateur water ski club in the country. They began the season in June, but in August canceled the rest of the shows due to COVID 19 concerns. 

Turning north at US 51, we were soon pulling into Northwoods Harley Davidson. In all of my stops at dealerships this season I had not purchased anything, so I picked out a long sleeved t-shirt to commemorate my completion of the Passport Tour. The young lady at the checkout said that they had been quite busy all summer and were expecting it to continue through September. 

Big Arbor Vitae Lake

The sun was shining brightly and it was a perfect day to be in the pine scented north woods. My sister and her husband live a few miles north, and they came down to meet us. They led us to an idyllic park on the shore of Big Arbor Vitae Lake. We spent an hour or so enjoying our lunch and catching up the family news. We watched a fisherman in a passing boat reel in a northern pike while an otter cruised into the shoreline weeds. 

Saying our socially distanced goodbyes, we got back on highway 70 and rode east toward Eagle River. I chose two lane roads for most of the ride home and it was some great riding. We rode highways 32 and 55 south through Crandon and the reservation town of Mole Lake. 

My brother-in-law, sister and Honda

The Sakaogon Chippewa Community operate the Mole Lake Casino and Lodge and normally it is a busy little town. But the Community has closed the Casino and Lodge due to the pandemic. There is a portable sign on the north side of town reminding those arriving to wear masks and practice social distancing. It is apparent that the Community leaders are serious about protecting their people. 

The next stop was the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Station in Langlade. It is situated on the Wolf river at the junction of highway 64 and 55. I have stopped there often in the last few years and it has never been staffed. I have been unable to determine if it is closed permanently or not.

The route south on 55 is a satisfying curvy ride through the Menominee Indian Reservation. On this summer weekday the traffic was light and we cruised sublimely out of the north woods and back into fields of nearly ripened corn and soybeans. There is road construction just north of Shawano, so we got back on 32 near Gillett and made our last stop at the Kwik Trip in Pulaski.

A few days after returning from Northwoods Harley Davidson I dropped off my completed Passport Tour at my local shop, Vandervest Harley. They will mail it in for me and I will find out if I am a prize winner in November. The Passport Tour gave focus to my riding this summer and I know I would not have ridden my Lowrider S as far as I did without its impetus. The weather is great as the calendar indicates it is fall and I am planning more rides over the coming weeks.