(01-03-2021, 02:15 PM)EmptySea_imp Wrote: The alarm on my phone went off at 6:00am. Cheryl rolled over, kissed me and said "Happy Birthday, Honey. Now, get showered so we can hit the road." She has a new and wonderful enthusiasm for riding since recovering from her 2016 crash and maybe even more so since trading in her Honda CTX for her Triumph Speedmaster. Her excitement, along with her long-standing insistence on punctuality, would probably have been enough to get me moving, but as added inducement, she pulled the top sheet and comforter from the bed and moving, I got. Don't read this as me not wanting to get started on our ride, but with little or no city traffic with which to contend and with not much to do at our day's destination, my only obligation was to get her to breakfast before she got hangry (9:30 latest) and to get to our Hotel in Appleton, WI before dinner.

It was Friday, August 7th, in The Year of Our Coronavirus, 2020.
Day #1 of our annual motorcycle week with our friends Glen, Laura, Mike, and Jennifer was to go kickstands up at 8:30am -- for the Illinois contingent. A few years ago, the other two couples (some might call them the smarter two couples) moved out of Illinois; Glen/Laura to Wisconsin and Mike/Jennifer all the way across Lake Michigan to Suttons Bay, MI. Things would be a bit different for this trip, partly because of epidemiology and partly because of geography, but a motorcycle trip that starts on my birthday is about as good a gift as a guy like me could receive. 59, in case you're curious.

Planning our annual trip has become a little more difficult since their moves. The destination choice could easily add an extra day of riding for one or two of the couples. In 2019, M&J were unable to join us on the trip so we based out of G&L's home in Wisconsin and toured the "Driftless Area". It was a 4 hour ride for Cheryl and I, but would have been a solid two days for M&J at a little over 500 miles. We missed M&J on the 2019 trip, but it did make it easier to plan. 2020 was Mike's turn in the trip-planning rotation and, taking into account his love for the area and of course the logistics affecting participation, opted for a tour of Michigan's Upper Peninsula.



For the uninitiated, the Upper Peninsula, or U.P. (of from now on herein "UP"), is that part of Michigan that rests like a fish-shaped hat on top of Wisconsin and that it keeps Lakes Superior, Michigan, and Huron from joining forces and dwarfing the remaining two Great Lakes. Were it not for a cartography error that lead to a border dispute between Michigan and Ohio, the Upper Peninsula would likely have become part of Wisconsin. In its bid for statehood in the early 1800s, the Michigan Territory agreed to leave Toledo (Ohio) and access to Lake Erie to the State of Ohio in exchange for including the UP as part of the new State of Michigan. It was unclear in my research for this report if Michigan officials knew at the time that the Upper Peninsula had the capability to supply 90% of America's iron ore and copper in the coming years, but it is clear that the Wisconsin Territory regretted not laying early claim to the land and that some people in that state still feel that it was stolen from them. There remains to this day a certain attitude of independence or defiance among the "Yoopers" as residents of the UP are often called. I think most of that comes from the remoteness of the area, the climate, and the toughness that evolves through generations of mining, stevedoring, and working of the land, but it is possible that there is a 200 year old chip on the shoulders of some from the backroom dealings that made them Michiganders.

The UP is almost like its own state, some (especially Yoopers) would say almost like its own country. It's unlike any place I've ever been. Until this trip, my only other visit to the UP had been a quick pass through on my way to completing my Iron Butt SS1000 trip around Lake Michigan. I knew then that I'd want to spend more riding time up in the UP.

Given each couple's relative proximity to the UP, it made the most sense for Glen/Laura to meet us in Appleton, WI at the end of Day 1 while Mike/Jennifer worked their way around the top of Lake Michigan from the east. Heading out with just Cheryl felt different, but, everything else was different in 2020, so why not this?

And so, I got myself showered and packed up my bike for our 8:30 departure time. According to the stamp on the photo I took as we left, it was 8:42. Was Cheryl upset that we were 12 minutes late? Of course not, because she knows how slow I am getting geared up and had a KSU time of 8:45 in her head all along. So we were 3 minutes to the good as far as she was concerned.


The two growlers strapped to my bags contain Manhattans for post-ride cocktails on the trip. With so many bars being closed, it seemed unlikely that we would find one within walking distance of our lodgings, much less one that could make me a proper Manhattan.

In August, the Illinois and Wisconsin pandemic mediation plans allowed for indoor dining, but with limited seating and as much ventilation to the outside as reasonably possible. The Red School Cafe was indeed a schoolhouse at one time as is evidenced by photos and artifacts on display as you enter. We were able to snag a small table right next to a window which we opened shortly after the photo below was taken.


Red School Cafe is located an eye blink over the Illinois/Wisconsin border on US45. The tiny little diner has been open on and off for at least 40 years and the breakfasts are delicious.


This picture was taken at 9:35am. While not actually eating by 9:30, we were in the restaurant on time which explains Cheryl's half-smile.


Birthday Breakfast!! (try not to look, RickCB and Ferret)


A note on the maps included in this report: I have taken screenshots from my Spotwalla account showing the route I rode each day. Most times this is the route that we all rode, but there will be some exceptions as the week and the report thereof goes on. The link below each picture should take you to the saved trip in Spotwalla. You should be able to click on the dots and get location, time, and speed data. Please advise the author if you are unable to do so.


[url=https://spotwalla.com/tripViewer.php?id=254455fe89b7ebd624&hoursPast=0&showAll=yes]UP Trip Day 1

Glen and Laura agreed to meet us in Appleton on Friday night. Appleton was roughly on each of our routes to Iron Mountain, MI where we would meet Mike and Jennifer. It was little east of the lay line for Glen, but Cheryl and I have come to love the town after visiting our son while he attended college there, so we knew a great place to stay that happens to have a lovely restaurant attached to it. Glen and Laura happily agreed to the slight detour in order to join us for a birthday dinner.

Our route to Appleton roughly paralleled US45 except near Milwaukee, which we avoided. Much of it was along or through the Kettle Moraine State Forest about which I have reported several times in the past. Since is well-traveled ground for me, I didn't take many pictures. Our ride was uneventful. We've passed this observation tower several times over the years and this was the first time we stopped. Unfortunately, Covid restrictions prevented us from legally climbing it, so we just took a water break and continued on.

Parnell Tower, County Hwy U, Plymouth, WI

Although there are no other pictures, this was a delightful trek, with more than a few curves, through forest and farm country and into the lovely town of Appleton.

Our son Justin graduated from Lawrence University with Bachelor degrees in both Music and Math. This building serves as the main concert hall on campus. We have seen him perform here many times.

Lawrence Chapel, College Avenue, Appleton, WI


Shattuck Hall of Music reflecting Lawrence Chapel

The Copper Leaf Hotel is a wonderful place to stay on a motorcycle trip to this part of Wisconsin. It's right in downtown Appleton, but there is a covered parking garage with motorcycle-designated parking directly behind it. It is attached to Rye, which is an upscale restaurant with a great bar and you don't even have walk outside to get there. If Rye doesn't suit your dining tastes, there are a number of restaurants within very easy walking distance. The only downside is that the Copper Leaf's room rates are a bit higher than we typically like to pay on a trip like this. However, it was my birthday and we figured that it was worth the extra cost for a special occasion.


Arrival at Copper Leaf


Bikes parked. Note Cheryl's cameo and that Glen and Laura have downsized their rides from a K1600 and 1200RT to the 800GS BMWs.



My Old Fashioned at Rye

We had a lovely dinner at Rye with Glen and Laura. Turns out that our server rides an old CBR 900. We told him a little of our plans for the week and he delivered this note with our check. The riding community is, with some exceptions, populated with friendly and generous folk.


Scenic route from Appleton, WI to Iron Mountain, MI

More on the above route on the next installment.

In all, I would be hard-pressed to come up with a better way to spend my birthday. See you in the morning.

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