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It has been quite a while since we last posted anything on this site. Our last adventure followed a costly furnace/air conditioner replacement, during which I was working through a doctorate. Having finished my studies in December, we have been able to return to our dreams.

This time around, our dream is a long-view one: building a cabin in the woods in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

Once all the necessary permits were obtained, and electrical service installed on the property, we had our crawl space poured for a 24 x 24 cabin.

Our plan: 4 days, 4 hands and 4 paws on deck! Jeffrey worked out all the details over the winter, and we had 4 days of dry weather ahead. Armed with a trailer filled with supplies, we were ready to go!

First job: apply waterproofing sealer to concrete foundation.

Next, we adhered the foam board on the outside and inside of the crawl space. R5 on outside, and R21 on inside which is above code for a non-ventilated crawl space.

With Day 1 in the books, we celebrated with July 4 fireworks in Munising.

For Day 2, we rented a bobcat to backfill and grade around the foundation. We also hooked up the sewer line and ran the water line into the crawl space. We had our lumber delivered to the property early in the morning as well, keeping schedules on track.

After an exhausting day, we returned the bobcat, and tried the new burger restaurant, Eh Burger, in downtown Munising followed by a walk on the dock.

Day 3 began with a hearty breakfast in anticipation of the work ahead.

Our jobs included building the center post out of concrete blocks, reinforced with rebar and filled with concrete.

The center floor support was installed, consisting of 6 total 2 x 12s.

Treated sill plates were drilled and bolted to the foundation with a foam gasket in between.

Rim joists were installed next, and we 2 x 12s for those.

Next, we started installing floor joists, 2 x 12s for a nice robust floor.

With half the floor joists in place at the end of Day 3, we called it a day. We got up early on Day 4 to complete our mission.

We finished the second half of the floor joists before noon.

The afternoon was spent laying down plywood, glueing and screwing (plywood). We also fortified an area that would be a hatch to access crawl space from inside the cabin.

We did it!! Phase one complete!

The adventures will continue. Our next plan will be to earn enough money to frame up the walls and roof. Maybe a bit of time to have a little fun. Until then… Hooha! Jef, Margi & Rocky

“Get your motor runnin’, head out on the highway, looking for adventure, in whatever comes our way…” (Steppenwolf) 

It has been a year since we last posted… Not because we didn’t yearn for the open road after our last trip, but simply because life happens. Jef got a new job, we visited family at Christmas and spring break, I started school on top of work, and before we knew it, it was fall. I had an idea for an epic trip through Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and back, but, alas, there were other priorities.  

So instead of an epic trip, we decided to take a weekend away and ride through rural Indiana to French Lick. We fired up the old girl early Saturday morning to get the most out of the weekend. 

We headed south, with scenes of mature corn flanking us on both sides. 

A brief stop in Fairmount, Indiana, home/resting place of James Dean. Quite an American Legion they have there. 

Then back on the road with blue skies ahead, 

…until they weren’t. So, on goes the rain gear (aka, the best investment for comfortable motorcycle travel, by far) and we continue forward. Jef is quite proficient at skirting the rain, and when you are not in a hurry to get somewhere, you sometimes see things you normally wouldn’t see. 

We stopped for lunch in Greencastle, an opportunity to let the storms pass. 

When we were done eating, we continued to travel south, with quiet serenity around us. 

We stopped to see the Ferry Bridge south of Gosport, one of the longest single-span iron bridges in Indiana. 

Stopped briefly in the small town of Silverville, Indiana. Remnants of an old post office, other old structures remind us of how temporary our current situation is at any one time. 

From here, we travelled south to state road 450 to see the Williams Covered Bridge in Lawrence County. 

The road to Shoals, Indiana along SR 450 was filled with fun twists, turns, and peaceful views. Such fun, it was hard to snap pics along the route! 

When you are in Shoals, visit the Jug Rock. It is just a short walk off the road in a nature preserve. It is quite magestic! 

We arrived in the French Lick area, first exploring the West Baden Springs Hotel. In the mid 1800’s, the hotel was a popular health resort. The dome in the hotel atrium was advertised as the “8th Wonder of the World” in 1902. 

We checked into our hotel, cleaned up and headed out to dinner in the town of French Lick. We ate at 33 Brick Street, a sports-themed bar and grille filled with Larry Bird’s memorabilia. Following dinner, we wandered outside, had coffee and ice cream at French Licks. 

We crossed the street and headed into the French Lick Resort built in 1845. In the 1990’s it was restored and renovated with the West Baden Springs hotel to the extraordinary structures that rise from the sulphur springs. 

After exploring the grounds, we donated $30 to the casino, before calling it a night. We ARE born to be wild! HooHa! J and M

We got an early start, and headed east on I90. We stopped for gas in Chamberlain and enjoyed the beautiful Missouri River.  

 
Continuing East, we stopped in Mitchell, SD to see the Corn Palace. It is a grand building that has been in the area since 1904, with a rebuild in 1921 and 1937 giving it the unique architectural design that it has today. The outside and inside are decorated each year with a new theme, and murals created from dried corn. It was pretty spectacular to see!  

   
   
   
After Mitchell, we were over the highway, and wanted back on the quiet 2 lane roads that make riding so enjoyable. We headed south on 37 then east on 81 enjoying the peaceful country roads.  

    
   
We made it a pretty long day, stopping briefly to eat, and continued on 18 into Iowa, then south on 59 to Avoca, IA. There, we found lodging, a warm meal, and comfortable bed. 

The next morning, we got started early, avoiding the freeway, and sticking to the roads less travelled. It was a beautiful day for a ride in the country, heading east on 34.  

    
    
 
At some point after out gas stop in Mount Pleasant, we got turned around and went south and crossed into Missouri. When we righted ourselves, we ended up in Fort Madison, which was the first permanent U.S. Fort on the upper Mississippi, and the site of a Battle fought during the war of 1812. 

   
   
We crossed the Mississippi, enjoying the history of the area and the beautiful weather.  

    
   
We found a hotel in Peoria, IL, cleaned up, and asked for suggestions for dinner on Saturday night. The woman at the desk suggested the Rhythm Kitchen, a dinner and music venue she felt we would enjoy. We headed downtown around 8:00 pm on Saturday night, and the streets were pretty empty. We found our restaurant, and the place was packed! We got a table in the back by the kitchen, and enjoyed music by the band The Brazilionaires! The style was energetic, samba/jazz with couples dancing and having a good time! Our food was amazing, spicy with a New Orleans vibe. The hostess interacted with everyone, ensuring everyone was having a good time! A great suggestion for our last night on the road!  

    
   
Up early once again, we travelled from Peoria to Fort Wayne on highway 24 with a relatively short day, and more gorgeous weather!!  

    
   
We made it!!! A little over 3000 miles and very little rain!! That’s another successful HooHa Adventure!!! Jef and Margi 

We woke up to another beautiful day at the cabin, packed up our gear for the eventual trip back home. 

  
Our itinerary for today involved riding through the Black Hills north on 385 toward Deadwood, SD. We rode into Hill City to The 1881 Bank Coffee House for two Americano coffees and bagels for fuel. Typical of the roads through the Black Hills, the route to Deadwood was scenic and filled with twists and turns. 

  
We arrived in Deadwood, SD, a typical Old West town, and the resting place of Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane. 

   
   
Deadwood, SD was America’s most productive gold mine for over 100 years and today preserves the history of the town with gaming, lodging, dining and tourist attractions, but with a reverence to the 1800’s architecture. 

   
    
   
We had to spend some time at Jerry Greer’s Engineering, a custom fabricator for vintage Indian motorcycles. 

   
    
 
Mount Moriah Cemetery is a steep uphill walk from downtown, and we rode up to the limited parking, many of the spots are difficult to park a motorcycle due to the grade. There is a bus that takes people from the town to the cemetery as well. Once in the cemetery, we saw the graves of Will Bill Hickok (murdered in 1876), Calamity Jane (died in 1903) and Potato Creek Johnny (died in 1943). Calamity Jane was a prostitute, and performed in a Wild West show, and falsely claimed to be Wild Bill’s sweetheart, and her dying wish was to be buried next to Wild Bill, which is where she is today. 

   
    
 
After the cemetery, we rode on to see Devil’s Tower Monument in Wyoming. A beautiful ride with rolling hills, colors of red, yellow and green in the landscape. 

   
    
 
Looming in the distance, Devil’s Tower rises like a pillar from the earth. It is 1267 feet high, 1000 feet in diameter at the bottom, and 200 feet in diameter at the top. It was the first national monument declared by Theodore Roosevelt in 1906. Today, it is also a popular destination for rock climbers. 

   
    
   
We stopped in the little town of Hulett, WY for lunch of brisket and pulled pork BBQ. 

   
   
We headed north on Highway 112 toward Montana…

   
    
 
We stopped for gas in Alzada, MT, and were educated on the differences in taste and characteristics of pronghorns (American antelope) and whitetail. We drove past many herds of pronghorns, and suspect that there must be a lot of pronghorn steaks in freezers up here…

  
  
  We were tempted to keep riding north to explore more Montana, but our timeframe to get home was tight. We rode back through South Dakota and stopped briefly in the infamous town of Sturgis, SD for gas. 

   
    
 
We stayed on I90 to make as much time as possible…

   
 
We stopped by the South Dakota visitor’s center for a quick stretch, then with the sun setting behind us, found a motel in Kadoka for the night. The Black Hills were visually more than we expected, and we could have probably stayed another 3 days to discover all that the area has to offer. Hooha! J and M

We woke up to another beautiful morning at the cabin. The park is filled with cottontail bunnies, turkeys that forget that they are a delicacy to many humans. 

   
 
The horse trail was right beside the cabin, and the stables just a short walk away, so we were able to watch some trail riding early that morning. 

   
 
After breakfast, we decided to hike up the ridge near our cabin, a steep hike up, but a more gradual slope carried us down to meet one if the horse trails. 

   
 
With our gear locked up in the cabin and our bike lightened up, we headed out to ride the wildlife loop in Custer State Park first. We saw prairie dogs before turning onto Oak Draw Road, where we were told that we would see buffalo. 

  
We did see ONE (out of 1300) buffalo on Oak Draw Road… (We swear that it was the same buffalo- ‘Larry’- as our first day).  

 
We finished the Wildlife Loop and headed out toward 16A and Iron Mountain Rd: “17 miles, 314 curves, 14 switchbacks, 3 pigtails, 3 tunnels, 2 splits and 4 presidents” 

   
   
We stopped at the Norbeck Overlook to snap another photo of Mount Rushmore after a series of switchbacks and 2 tunnels…

   
    
 
More amazing roads and another tunnel…

   
 
A stop for lunch in Keystone, SD at the Ruby House…

  
Then, we got back in the bike for some epic riding down 87 to Needles Highway.  

   
We stopped at an area where we could hike out for a better view…

   
    
   
A view of beautiful Sylvan Lake…

  
The next stop on the road is the Needle’s Eye where you have to get out and take pictures before heading through the narrow, one-lane tunnel…

   
    
    
    
   
Once through the tunnel, the elevation is over 6000 feet, with Harney Peak at 7242 feet to the left. The Cathedral Spires jut out of the Earth for a spectacular display as you ride past…

   
    
 
One more tunnel to travel through…

  
And a final park area to explore before heading back to the lodge for dinner. 

   
 
A dinner of back angus burger and buffalo steak tips with mushrooms and onions hit the spot after a long day of exploring. The fire and stars finished the night off right. Hooha! J & M

We woke up in our beautiful cabin to the rising sun. We were very happy with our choice of accommodations for our Black Hills explorations. firstly, Custer State Park is in the center of all there is to do in the Black Hills. the camping cabin we reserved was $50 per night, making our three nights less than most hotels. Our cabin had electricity, heat and air conditioning, but no wifi ( you have to use wifi at the lodge). The bathrooms and showers were close and extremely clean, and the laundromat, store and fining lodge were a short walk from the cabin. The cabin locked, so we felt comfortable locking up our things while we explored the Black Hills. Our first morning, we enjoyed a hearty breakfast before exploring the Black Hills. 

   
   
After breakfast and laundry, we headed out for our adventure! 

  
We stopped in Custer,SD for a stroll, coffee and a haircut for Jeffrey! 

   
   
Travel tip: always talk to the locals! Jeff’s hair stylist suggested we stop in Hill City and gave us a great suggestion for dinner! After his haircut, we got back on the road and headed for Crazy Horse. 

  
This monument is amazing. The sculptor began his work in 1948 after being commissioned to work on the monument by the Lakota elders. The project is supported by only private money (the sculptor felt that the government was not to be trusted, as evidenced by the way the Native People were treated) and the work is carried on by his children after his and his wife’s passing. The monument will be the world’s largest mountain carving, with the head of Crazy Horse alone being the size of Mount Rushmore. 

   
   
Next, it was off to Mount Rushmore! The heads of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln grace the top of the mountain face representing the first 150 years of America. 

   
    
   
After the monument, we headed to Hill City, SD to stroll through the town. We checked out the restaurant suggested to us by the hair stylist, and enjoyed the beautiful day. 

   
   
We got on the road, and travelled to Rapid City via Sheridan Lake Drive, a gorgeous route for the bike with picturesque views. 

   
 
Stopping in Rapid City, we went downtown and stopped by a local bike shop with a unique name…

  
…and we enjoyed the downtown ambiance… 

    
 
We left Rapid City and headed back to Hill City to have dinner at the Alpine Inn. It is a favorite of the locals… It only has three entrees: a 6oz and 11 oz filet minion and a vegetarian spatzele primavera, and only takes cash ( with fabulous prices!) There was a wait,  but after 30 minutes, we were enjoying a delicious dinner, followed by a great dessert list! 

   
 
A sunset ride home back to our cabin, a great fire, and a phenomenal starry night to behold! Hooha! Jeffrey and Margaret

We left Arlington, SD and headed west on highway 14.  

 
We passed through De Smet, SD, known as Little Town on the Prairie. The Ingalls’ family homestead is featured just off the highway. It features the house that Laura Ingalls Wilder wrote her books in, and is the oldest building in De Smet (1879). Other buildings include a replica of the Brewster School and the first school in De Smet.  

    
    
 
We continued on our journey, and came upon Huron, SD, which claims to be home of the largest pheasant… 

 
Farmland, grain elevators, cattle and grasslands created a peaceful motorcycle ride through the center of South Dakota. 

   
    
 
We stopped in Piere, SD, the state capital for a quick shot if their Capitol building.  

 
The day was beautiful!  

   
We stopped in Wall, SD to walk through the famous Wall Drug, and for a quick bite.

   
   
We arrived in Custer State Park just as the gate attendant was leaving. He pointed us in the direction toward our cabin at the Blue Bell Campground. We had a 17 mile drive along the wildlife loop, where we saw antelope (pronghorns), deer, prairie dogs and a single buffalo. 

   
   
We arrived at our cabin around 7:30 pm, and we had time to finish the evening with a walk to the Blue Bell Lodge for a delicious apple crisp and coffee. Three days to our destination… Hooha! J and M

  
We had a wonderful visit with our friends, enjoying a delicious breakfast and talking all things whitetail. (He is the author and creator of http://www.whitetailhabitatsolutions.com, check it out!). We left Coon Valley, and headed toward La Crosse, finding a wonderful Rustic road with some gorgeous scenery.

   
    
 
We drove through La Crosse, stopping to take a quick pic, then over the Mississippi to Minnesota.  

   
We travelled on Highway 90 to Rochester, and stopped for gas and costume change, with those looming black clouds. 

   
   
 
The sun came out when we landed in New Ulm. Passed by this house with full sized ceramic horses, chickens, and a tractor…

 
 The ride along Highway 14 was field after field of corn, and some soybeans. Every town had a huge grain elevator. It was surreal, driving on a motorcycle, contemplating the sheer volume of corn produced through this region. 
   
 
Highway 14 is the route to Walnut Grove, the childhood home of Laura Ingalls Wilder (Little House on the Prairie)! We even drove over Plum Creek! 

   
   
Lake Benton, MN is the final town on 14 before South Dakota. It is considered the original wind power capital of the Midwest, with over 600 wind turbines scattered along the Buffalo Ridge.  

    
 
We made it to South Dakota!!!

We had a reservation in Arlington, SD at the Pheasant Motel and an amazing dinner at 1481 Grille. The local bison and lamb meatloaf was spectacular!!  

The restaurant was within walking distance to the motel, and it is always nice to get off the bike and move the legs! We had a nice walk after dinner, and looking forward to an early day tomorrow! Hooha! J and M  
 

  
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