Kevin and I had planned on riding today (Saturday) and Monday over the Labor Day holiday weekend and I sent him a route last night to try a new place for lunch north of Ripon on Cty E, The Log Cabin, and then onto Pardeeville to Carol’s since they planned to close after this weekend and also had some special sundaes for the weekend. Named after Disney characters. One being mint with chopped Andie’s Candies and chocolate syrup, The Tiana. Which had my name all over it!
It was misting when I went out in the morning to get the bike ready and clean up the windshield, but they kept saying it would lift and become partly sunny, and in the 70s. Kevin said it was just cloudy by him.
I headed out around 9:30ish and when I went to take Cty A (the fastest way to Ehlkhart) they had the whole top surface ripped off. So, after I turned around, I called Kevin to let him know that it was going to take me longer now and as I also planned to stop for fuel in Glenbeulah. Which is when he decided to meet me at the gas station because he was already at Baker’s practicing his figure eights.
As I continued to head west it seemed to get increasingly darker, because the mist was getting heavier. Thank goodness for my tall windshield as it kept my upper body dry. Kevin and I pulled in almost the same time in Glenbeulah and after gassing up and using the restroom, I told him to take 23 to get back to Cty G, to help speed up getting out of the mist. Which is what we did, but got stuck at the construction light at Baker’s because it wouldn’t pick us up on the camera. So we had to blow the red light when it was all-clear. However, we were cleared from the mist at this point.
We took Cty B to 45 and then Eagle Road south and some other roads connecting to Cty F west and eventually Break Neck to Oak Center Road, and connecting to Duehring Road north to cross over 151. I cannot remember all the other roads, but we eventually connected to 23 west off of Cty M, and then Kevin routed us on some roads north out of Ripon before connecting onto Cty E to the Log Cabin.
There was only a handful of other people there and they had the A/C cranking which was a bit too much! Kevin ordered a burger and I a ham & Cheese, and we shared some tots. The sandwiches weren’t nearly as good as Sally B’s from last weekend, but still good.
From there we did a bunch of back roads west and a bit south before connecting on Cty J east of Princeton where a gaggle of UTVs and a couple of mopeds were holding up traffic. They thankfully turned off, only to come back up on them wanting to re-enter Cty J off of P, but luckily we beat them. I just hate it when they do that and hold up so much traffic!
From Princeton we took 23 west and some back roads south and west before connecting onto Hwy 22 south. You could definitely tell by traffic that it was a holiday weekend. Not just the UTV gaggle, but others driving like they didn’t know where they were going and one pulling out in front of us to barely do the speed limit.
By the time we arrived at Carol’s in Pardeeville, the weather was quite nice, but they didn’t seem to be as busy as usual for a holiday weekend. Bonus for us! And I was able to redeem myself since the last time I was there, I got that flat rear tire.
We decided to eat our cream outside with the bees. They really don’t bother me anyway. And we watched all of the souped up cars from the car show in town, rumble by. I also got to see a couple of egrets on Spring Lake, including a Fisher King which I think I’ve only ever seen one of those once before on the backwaters of the Mississippi by Trempeleau.
From there I led since I knew the usual roads I had chosen to get back home. Cty P east to Hwy 68, Hwy 49 east, and then 175 to 67 before shooting up threw the northern Kettles. We made one stop for me to refuel again in Brownsville, but Kevin stuck with me all of the way through Greenbush before doing a u-turn on Hwy 23 to head home towards Fondy.
From there for me it was Cty S, to Cty C and J, and then Cty E to Garton where some guy wouldn’t cross 57 and when I beeped, he waved me by, but there was a truck coming from the north. So, when it was clear again, I went to pass him on the right to go around, only for him to decide he was going too and then he was taking over my lane. I sped up to get by without getting hit. Another instance of someone unsure of where they were or where they were going!
Even though it started out yucky weather-wise, it got better and even though we ran into some idiots on wheels, it was still an awesome day of riding adventures! 231 miles for me.
