Westward Bound

  
It has been some time since our last blog post. Since our last adventure a year ago motorcycling around Lake Superior, we have been busy with other things. We did manage to sneak a quick trip to Michigan in the fall, followed by a trip to Florida to visit family, and another family trip to the Upper Penninsula this summer.

 Today, we got our biking muscles back, ready for another HooHa Adventure!! We started out traveling west along Highway 24 in Indiana. About an hour into the ride, the sky before us was black, and we could see lightning in the distance. We changed into rain gear and went north to dodge most of the storm.  

 
As we drove, we watched lightning touch down on the south side of the road, with perfectly blue skies to the north. The ten mile detour through Rensselaer was worth it!  

 
Other than a car with an identity crisis, the scenery along 24 and our detour was pretty much cornfields and soybean fields… 

   
We crossed the Illinois River in Peoria and found a place to get a quick bite. After lunch, we hopped on 74 and headed to Moline and the Great River Road.  

   
On the banks of the Mississippi! We followed the Great River Road on the Illinois side to Fulton, taking a break to see the Dutch Windmill.  

   
We crossed over to Clinton, Iowa to travel the Great River Road north on the Iowa side.  

    
 
The drive was fantastic for a motorcycle, lots of views, twists and turns.  

   
We arrived in Dubuque, IA to get gas and a small break to see some sights.  

    
 
We were staying with friends in Wisconsin, and instead of staying on the Great River Road to La Crosse, we got onto Highway 61, a beautiful rural stretch of Wisconsin passing rolling hills, corn fields and dairy farms. The road sign said “rough road” during a 17 mile stretch to Viroqua and you can feel every bump on a bike!!! 

 
We arrived at our destination in Coon Valley, WI around 6:30pm local time, putting 550 miles on the bike for our first day! Hooha! J and M