Yesterday we all “played hookie” and spent the day at Six Flags Great America. A wonderful day of roller coasters, ear-piercing screams and theme park food. This was our third “annual” excursion with my niece Taylor. Each year she gets a free ticket for reading a certain number of books in school. And with the new school year right around the corner, we needed to squeeze this in quickly. So Monday was the day!!!

Taylor is now tall enough to go on EVERYTHING!!! Once she was measured and given the coveted red wristband, she was ready to tackle everything… first up, the “Superman” roller coaster. They hook you into you seat and then rotate it forward so you’re “flying” face down just like Superman. So yes, the track is above you so you can’t really see it while you’re riding it. And yes, Taylor was quite the trooper… a few hysterical ear-piercing screams along the way… but all smiles at the end.

Then we calmed it down a bit with a spinning, rotating “lobster” ride. The perfect time for a quick photo shoot of Taylor and her mom Jen… my sister. But once the ride got started, my cousin Kim wasn’t quite so calm any more?!!!

Sure, who am I to pass up a foolish photo-op?!!!

Next up it was the “Batman” roller coaster. Taylor started out a bit more determined… kind of enjoying the fact that this is a regular sitting roller coaster. Okay, sure there’s no floor and your feet kinda dangle over nothing, but still better than flying face down!!!

Whew… made it… bottom lip still quivering just a little…

Next a quiet ride along a lazy river in the “Logger’s Run” boat ride. We got a little wet when we made the big splash – and it felt great as the day was warming up as the sun kept popping out more & more.

And then “Goliath.” The newest roller coaster at Six Flags Great America. Hyped as the tallest, steepest & faster wooden roller coaster. I’d say it was good, but not great. Always fun the first time, but I doubt it will hold up to the test of time. And I must admit… I expected taller. I expected steeper. I expected faster. What I DIDN’T expect was so many upside-down flips!!! Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE flipping upside-down. I just didn’t expect it.

Then we tackled a few more rides like “The Revolution” and “American Eagle.” Taylor conquered The Eagle two years ago, so this time it was no big deal. A little more rickety than any of us remember, but still a lot of fun. Followed by lunch and a little relaxed time eating in the Pavilion.

Next up was “The Viper” – another older wooden roller coaster wit a lot of pop-out-of-your-seat-hills. Which I love. And quickly enough, “The Viper” became Taylor’s favorite roller coaster of the day!!!

Mom & Taylor both enjoyed their trip on “The Viper”… a little exhausted, but fun.

A little post-ride selfie with my cousin Kim.

Looming on the horizon was my FAVORITE – “The Raging Bull.”

Locked in and ready to go… clickety-clacking up that first big hill approaching the big drop. It was at this point that we saw Taylor having a little melt-down. A little anxiety kicking in as she was trapped, go upwards and not too pleased with it… as a single tear ran down her cheek. We were all concerned that maybe we had taken her one step too far??? But she knew it was “may favorite” and I think she knew that she just “had to” go on it!!!

Soon enough the ear-piercing screeches began again… shrieking over every hill & twist…

Relieved that she made it to the end…

Whew…

Thumbs up if you liked the ride!!!

And yet “The Viper” was still Taylor’s favorite… so why not do it again?…

This time she was ready. She knew what to expect. She was ready…

And then the screaming kicked in once again…

But still lovin’ “The Viper.”

Our last ride was “The Condor” as our day was all too quickly drawing to a close. We all assumed the park was open until 10:00pm. We were all surprised to find out it closed at 7:00pm. So a fond farewell from Kim…

And some “glamour shots” of the park as the sun was hitting everything just right.

And there it is, another year under out belts. Another great trip to Six Flags Great America. And Taylor was a trooper… as was her Mom. The deal was that Jen would go on any roller coaster that Taylor went on. And I think this was probably the most roller coasters that Jen has EVER done in one day!!! It was a great day for everyone.

So Taylor… keep reading so we can go again next summer!!!

 

After nearly three weeks of working every single day, we finally got a day off today. The semi-trucks are all packed… and we headed off to the beach. We decided to hit Dewey Beach, just south of Rehoboth. We were pleased with how un-crowded the beach was. The day started out cloudy & overcast…

Still nice enough to stick my “painfully-white” feet into the ocean…

After about an hour, the clouds started to pass, and the blue skies were filling in.

And what’s more fun on the beach than making sandcastles?! Well these were a few I found along the way as I strolled along the ocean.

 

GRABAAWR – Richland Center to Prairie du Chien

The last day of any long bike ride is always bittersweet. It’s kind of exciting to finish
the journey. But sad that you have come to the end of your journey. That the fun & excitement
has come to an end. That your vacation is over and tomorrow it’s back to reality.

So it’s always important to cherish the final day… and the final miles. And today we set off
again with some cloudy skies as we cross the Wisconsin River… one more time.

Enjoying the moment with my friend Chris (right) and our Wisconsin biking friend Sue (center).
Gotta love the arm up, hold the camera and shoot your own self-portraits!

So we headed out early, knowing that we would still have a long drive home ahead of us
at the end of the ride. But never too early for more pie.. this time from the ladies at
St. John’s Church. Great food. Great ladies. Raising money for a great cause.

The day was fairly overcast, with fewer scenic stops along the way. Unless you consider
a large state penetentiary as a scenic stop?… keep pedaling, keep pedaling. But I did love
some of the “lawn art” we saw today… including this “wonderful & patriotic” angel?!

Plus, many of you might be aware of my strange fascination with roadkill. Ive spared you
the gruesome photos… just know that I do stop & take pictures of of them along the way!
Throughout the week there have been so many to see. Deer, raccoons, opossum, turtles,
birds & more. But it seemed so oddly fitting that the “final” roadkill of the week would be
one of the orange Bike Wisconsin flags that had fallen off one of the SAG trucks!

And there it is… Another wonderful week on my bike! Just over 500 miles of fun!!!
Pedaling across the state along the Wisconsin River with my friend Chris.
We both had a wonderful time seeing the scenery, smelling the Northwoods and sharing
this wonderful experience together. I’ve always said that biking is the best way to travel.
You get to see things, smell things an feel things along the way that you would never get
to see if you’re zooming by inside a car. So many great chances to enjoy the beauties of nature.

 

GRABAAWR – Baraboo to Richland Center

Today was another beautifully sunny day. We were ready for another wonderful day.
And started off a little earlier than normal for a little longer mileage today. But even though
we may have started earlier, it’s never too early to take a break and cool off with your feet
in the water! If there’s a pier… we’re always ready to stop… I’ve always said that
“the best part about biking, is stopping.” And if you don’t take time to stop and enjoy your
surroundings, you’re going to miss a lot of life passing you by.

Today’s route was wonderful. And took us through one of my favorite Wisconsin State Parks.
There was an option for the riders to go around the park on the easier route, over through the
park up & over the bluffs on the more difficult route. Of course we chose the more beautiful
and more difficult hills route. And it was well worth the extra effort. After the one big hill climb
up the bluffs on the west side of the park, it was a beautiful downhill ride pretty much through
the rest of the park. Of course we did have to stop long the way… there was another pier!
And it overlooked the bluffs we had just ridden up & over.

Shortly after exiting Devil’s Lake State Park (with one of the best downhill coasting rides ever)
we found ourselves waiting for the Merrimac Ferry. And since we were waiting, it seemed like
the perfect time for a huge ice cream waffle cone!

On the other side of the river, it was back to farmlands and beautiful skies!

And although the pictures don’t really show it… it was pretty windy today.
And of course, we were riding straight into the wind! Figures, huh?! So it was very hot,
and very windy, and we were working extra hard on a long mileage day. There were plenty
of times when I looked back and found Chris tucked in and drafting behind me. So we made
frequent stops for more Gatorade, a quick run through some sprinklers and even some pie!
As we rolled through Spring Green, we stopped at a couple art galleries, a few little shops and
saw this sign that quickly pulled us in… for some Bumbleberry Pie ala mode!

Along the way there were other great things to find. Like some rusty art… and you know how
I love me some good rust! And an unusual wood plank with a smile on it that we now know is
somehow attached to a horse’s hoof so they can walk through snow & slush better. Kinda like
snowshoes for horses. Which was interesting, because my friend Amy gave me one of these
(sans metal hooks) last year for Christmas and we had no idea what it was used for…
she just thought it was great because it had a face on it?! Now we know…

The day started to get really long as the miles started taking their toll. It was hot.
We were tired. But never too tired to stop and see some cute donkeys on a farm on the side
of the road. The ride in was spotted with very picturesque farms on incredible rolling hills.
It was incredibly beautiful to ride through in late afternoon as the sun was lowering
and casting some great light across the fields.

Hill after hill, we started to wonder if we would ever make it to the camp school.
I think this was our longest and toughest day of the week. It may not have been the longest
mileage, but it just felt really longer. Okay, so we did stop quite a few times. And the wind
was a tough element to be faced with. But we just kept plugging along…
and finally made it in. Exhausted. But happy.

 

GRABAAWR – Adams-Friendship to Baraboo

Sun shining and ready to roll…

By now we are well out of the scenic wooded Northwoods. And getting more into the flatter,
more agricultural parts of the state. The sky was clear, and another beautiful day on my bike!

As the miles continued before us, it looked something like this… with such promise!
There’s nothing better than the feeling of freedom on the open road.

After a quick stop in Lyndon Station for lunch, we decided to take a moment to see if
there were any GeoCache treasures to be found. A luckily, just a couple blocks away
was one in the town’s Memorial Park. Just another hidden scroll to be signed…

Did I mention lunch?… we stopped at a little diner in town for lunch. Where I had possibly
the best pancakes ever! They were huge, I was starving and they had fresh blueberries
in one and fresh raspberries in the other! Yummy!!!

Further down the road, we pedaled through the Wisconsin Dells – which brought back some
childhood memories. We used to vacation there a lot and it was great to be back… even if
it was just to pedal through it quickly. But not too quick… Chris and I stopped in one of the
“tacky” gift shops looking for Mexican Jumping Beans and my favorite barometer dodo bird.
Sadly, we left empty handed. But had fun sharing our memories with each other.

Towards the end of the route, we passed the International Crane Foundation. I have seen
the signs on the highway for years and have always wanted to stop. Today was the day.
It’s a very nice wildlife park where they have collected some of all of the crane species from
around the world. It seemed very educational – including an area where they have workers
in actual crane costumes helping the crane chicks learn how to survive on their own.

And it wasn’t just cranes… there were a few others hanging out with the whooping cranes!

Plus some wonderful metal sculptures – each showing a different stage of cranes in flight.
And some beautiful yellow cactus that are apparently somehow indigenous to Wisconsin…
that Chris now wants to add to her own landscaping at home.

At the end of the day, we were in Baraboo. A beautiful evening with a beautiful sunset.
And a very welcome surprise… “My Friend Julie” decide to stop by. We met Julie a few
years ago as one of the SAG Staff for the ride. She and her husband Jim have been part
of the Bike Wisconsin rides for years. However this time she had to work for the week.
Tonight she stopped by to see her husband… and ME!!! A great ending to another great day!

GRABAAWR – Stevens Point to Adams-Friendship

Day after day, we continue pedaling. By Day Four, your body has gotten used to it
and you just keep going. I find myself almost “forgetting” that I’m pedaling and not
worrying about how far we need to pedal. It becomes more about the journey, the
destination, and the fun.

We stopped of along the way to check out one of those functioning “homestead” places.
Sadly, the place was there – but no functioning! No blacksmith. No cobbler. No people.
The buildings were great – and I especially loved the wonderful wood on the buildings.

Across the street was another find – a local deer farm run by the Dept. of Natural Resources.
Sadly, they weren’t open and we couldn’t get in there. We were striking out. Two for two!
At least the scenery was still beautiful…

There are so many paper mills around in the Wisconsin area, and we went past a lot of them!
This one had a pile of logs waiting on the side of the road waiting to be debarked, dried and
ground into pulp. But of course, we just had to stop and play… again. And the incredible smell
of fresh-cut pine was everywhere.

Along the route there is a lot of wildlife. Sometimes you just need to look in the right places.
Like here on top of some powerlines where an osprey has built its nest.

The ride into town was beautiful, and dinner was pretty tasty in a local park.
But when we got back to the school, and back to our tents, there was a lot of talk of another
huge storm brewing and coming our way! About an hour later, the clouds rolled in
and were quite dramatic! After the storms we have already had, we were ready to
hunker down and hope once again that our tents were water-proof!

Luckily, the clouds blew over with just a little drizzle.

 

GRABAAWR – Merrill to Stevens Point

Well, it was another stormy night. No metaphor… just STORMY!!!
I’m a pretty deep sleeper, especially when I’m pedaling all day and camping at night.
So I was pretty unaware of the storms that passed through overnight. But I was awakened
by my friend Chris who called me from her tent very early in the pre-dawn hours telling me
that the storm was bad and we should go inside the school for safety. Of course, my initial
groggy-sleepy response was “It can’t be that bad, roll over and go back to sleep.”

A few minutes later, we were all being evacuated from our tents by the ride organizers.
Loud voices outside the tents telling everyone to move inside quickly. Don’t pack, just move!
Apparently, we had had a large storm go over, with another even bigger one headed our way
in minutes. When I peeked out of my tent, I saw that the storm was a lot worse than I was
aware of. Huge puddles, branches down, tents blown away, and more! It was kinda crazy…
but by then we were safe in the school waiting for the “all-clear” so we could get onto the road.

It was during this “forced” safety delay that I ran into another biking friend of mine.
I met Sue a few years ago on another Bike Wisconsin ride, and have ridden with her
in the Northwoods before. I didn’t know that she was going to be here on this ride,
but it was great to see her smiling face in the crowd. And to know that we would have
a great time riding together again… she has such a wonderful perspective on life.
Always with a smile on her face, and willing to share it with others.

On our way out of town, on the other side of Merrill, Chris and I were stopped by a white SUV.
Apparently the driver was a local TV reporter who wanted to interview us about the ride
and the storm. So we said yes… and made an appearance on the local Channel 9 Nightly News!

Early on, we stopped off to take a tour of the local Van Der Geest Dairy. A fully functioning
dairy where 3,000 cows go through the system three times a day – running 24/7, around the clock
milking cows! I guess it all ran smoothly, and the cows weren’t being harmed… but it wasn’t really
a great “advertisement” for milk. After seeing how the cows are literally herded through the system
never leaving the building, never having fun, never getting the chance to play outside?!

Luckily the storms had passed through… and the rest of the day was beautiful.
Gently rolling hills along the Wisconsin River.Plus, our first rest stop was “announced”
with some of the best signs I’ve ever seen on a bike ride route…

Of course I couldn’t be rude… so I just had to stop for pie! And I couldn’t quite decide,
so I went for the homemade pie trifecta! Peach, blueberry AND rhubarb!!!

More hills. More scenery. More pedaling… quickly working off all three pieces of pie!

We stopped off for lunch and rolled further down the road. It’s so much fun to see how
the river has changed from its meager beginnings, especially after all of the rains!

Towards the end of our ride, the route took us right passed the Mullins Cheese Factory.
Of course we had to get some fresh cheese curds. We are in Wisconsin after all. When we
checked the temperature it was 101-degrees. It never feels quite that hot when you’re riding,
but as soon as you stop moving, the heats hits you and the sweat starts to POUR off my body.
The squeaky-cheese curds were great… until I found out that they had deep-fried cheese and
I didn’t even know it until Chris asked why I didn’t get them. I didn’t see them on the menu?!

On our way into Stevens Point, we passed a big pile of rocks on the side of the road.
As we got closer, you could see that it wasn’t just your normal pile of rocks. Someone had
been having fun and playing with the rocks… stacking piles of them along the roadside!

GRABAAWR – Rhinelander to Merrill

After another wonderful evening with some of my Northwoods friends,
it was back on the bike this morning heading from Rhinelander to Merrill.
The day started out a little overcast, and still gray from another overnight rain.
We set out knowing that at some point we would get rained upon. Inevitable.
Actually, my sunburned skin is pretty happy that today might be overcast & cloudy.
Even the rain doesn’t seem too bad… gives my skin a chance to calm down a bit.

The first water stop was a few miles into the ride and the clouds were darkening.
We decided to move on quickly hoping to make it to the next town before the rain
No such luck. We got soaked, despite our efforts to “duck out of the way” under some
trees and roofs along the way. When we made it to the little town of Tomohawk,
we stopped for lunch, and a chance to dry of a bit. By the end of lunch, there was
literally a puddle under my chair from my raincoat dripping. Luckily, a piece of pie
made the day much better. While we ate, the rain stopped as well.

While in Tomohawk, we also decided we should check to see if there were any
GeoCaches anywhere in town. And to our surprise we found out there were three
to be found. The first one was hidden in a tiny little container stuck on the under side
of a park bench along the main street.

The second one was apparently hidden by the same person, in the same manner
at the other end of town… and by “town” I mean like four blocks. Seriously.

The third one was a little tougher to find and it forced us to get off the main drag.
We had to check out some of the local woods to find the GeoCache. Chris found a
large box hidden in the nook under some tree roots. The box was filled with crazy
trinkets for you to exchange with.

Then it was back on the road… pedaling further. More rolling hills… which I love!
We don’t have many hills here in Chicago, so I’m much more accustomed to the flat cornfields
and even  flatter lakefront. So when I get to play on some rolling hills, I’m a very happy biker!!!

Further down the road, we found some incredibly beautiful horses standing on the side
of the road. At first we thought they might be statues… standing so still, standing so tall.
But of course, we had to stop and play for awhile. After getting off our bikes, and a little
encouragement, the horses finally came over to see us. There were two of them,
named Lincoln & Ford. They are Fiersian Horses – and they might be the most beautiful
horses I’ve ever seen?! And the friendliest. The owner came out to chat with us and explained
that the breed is know for being so sociable & friendly.

In the last stretch of our ride, the sky grew dark again… impending storm approaching.
We’re smart enough to know when it’s time to seek cover. So we did. Minutes after we were
safe under the roof of a deserted store front, the rain came pouring down… lightning…
thunder… and HAIL. Yes, hail. We missed the storm and watched a lot of other bikers
riding through it as we sat their in the dry entryway. When it cleared up, we started out again.
Only to stop a few more miles down the road under a forest preserve pavilion with a bunch of
other “stranded” bikers also waiting out the storm. This is where we met Liz. One of the most
upbeat & bubbly people we have ever met. Many people can become a little downtrodden
with the storms… but not Liz. She was just excited to be having this adventure!

By the time we made it to the finish school, we were finally dry and ready for dinner.
It was very hot & humid… with another round of storms predicted for overnight.
But nothing that a large hot fudge sundae couldn’t help with… especially when you have Liz
with for the trip. We invited her to join us for ice cream, and she never stopped talking!!!
Recently retired and ready to take the world by storm! Too funny… such wonderful energy!

GRABAAWR – Eagle River to Land O’Lakes to Rhinelander

After a fun night with friends, and a yummy dinner, I was more then ready to get started
riding today. And with the sun shining bright, Chris and I were more than excited to tackle
the Century option. Sure, we could ride the easier 48-mile route, but why would you want to?!
It’s gorgeous up here in the Northwoods… and we’re here to ride, right?!
After a good breakfast in Eagle River, we set off for a wonderful 100-mile bike ride!

When you’re pedaling through the Northwoods, it is so breathtaking With a beautiful hint
of evergreen scent permeating the air. Road after road of beautiful trees and rolling hills.
Along the way, there are always plenty of things to see & stop to look at. Like this little stop
along the road that told us we would see where the Wisconsin River originates from. And
since our entire week’s bike ride was going to follow the river, we felt we needed to see it.

The hike back was pretty short, but beautiful. The Northwoods were beautiful & lush.
I was actually a little surprised when we finally saw where the river begins…

So apparently, the Wisconsin River starts here… with a small, somewhat anti-climactic
trickle of water coming off Lac Vieux Desert through a very industrial-looking dam.
The dam may not be much, but the lake is pretty beautiful.

While in Land O’Lakes, the sky opened up and looked like something right out of Montana?!
A lot of “big sky” moments up there. An incredibly beautiful day for riding a hundred miles!

The route took us down the center of town, past two of my favorite Land O’Lakes businesses.
The Dari-Maid which sadly was still closed that early in the morning. As well as the Artistree
Gallery where some of my fellow Art Detour artists work and show their artwork. Sadly,
Artistree was also closed… so I didn’t get to stop in and chat with Wendy who runs the place!

And when you’re “that” far north, you might as well pedal across the border into Michigan!
It was just a half-block off the route, so don’t be too impressed…

When we finally made it to Rhinelander, I was a little more sunburned than I would like.
I had put on sunscreen earlier in the day, but then again, after a hundred miles of riding
& sweating, it’s tough to keep protected. Plus, my pastey white skin has not had much time to
be exposed to the sun this summer yet, so today’s Century ride was kind of a shock to my system!
Luckily, we had another evening of fun planned with Amy and another Northwoods friend.
This time we stayed nearby in Rhinelander and went to another Art Detour artist‘s house.
This time we met up with glass artist Kathy Furda and her husband Joel who took us for a very
relaxing boat ride around the lake they live on.

We then went to a wonderful restaurant, where I had grilled ELK for the first time!
Another great evening with good friends, great conversation, laughs & yummy food.
But the best part was that the restaurant was part of a local resort that reminded me
far too much of the resort in “Dirty Dancing.”

And no trip to Rhinelander is complete without a quick drive past the “official” town Hodag!
Yes, the city’s mascot is a huge Hodag! A what?… yeah, no one seems to know, really…

Luckily, Amy survived the Hodag Attack. And we made it home for a quiet night in our tents.
Getting ready for another day of riding tomorrow!

 

It seemed like along time coming… but it’s finally here!
Vacation!!! A week of biking & camping across the state of Wisconsin!

GRABAAWR : The GReat Annual Bicycle Adventure Along the Wisconsin River.

So today we traveled up to Eagle River, Wisconsin. Sounds easy, but a lot went into
getting me there on time! After finishing summer camp late Friday afternoon, I had to
clean up from camp, then get home to start packing and getting ready to be gone for a week.
And yes, I am one of those who feels that the place needs to be clean before you leave. So I
had a lot of chores, projects & laundry to do before I could even start packing. As the night
continued, I began to realize that I wasn’t going to get much sleep… if any.

Very early Saturday morning I drove to my friend Chris’s house in Elk Grove Village.
We packed up my car to drive us, our luggage and our bikes to the staging zone located in
Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin… a good 4-1/2 hours away. And we needed to be there between
8:00-10:00am to get everything in the trucks and buses to get up to the Northwoods. So it was
a long, dark morning drive to Prairie du Chien – both of us quite tired. Luckily, we were able to
get some sleeping in on the bus ride north… despite the rain we were driving through!

Once we arrived in Eagle River, we checked in at registration and stowed away out stuff
into our tents. I called my friend, potter & fellow Art Detour artist Amy Higgason to join us
for dinner. Amy lives pretty close to Eagle River and she had coordinated an evening dinner
with her, and our friends Pam & Pat. Although I was still pretty tired, it was great to start
off my week’s vacation spending my first night in the Wisconsin Northwoods with friends!
And I tried not to pay too much attention to the rain that was pouring down outside…
gushing from the gutters… questioning if my tent was still dry inside?!!!