ARKansas - June 2015

[the Ferret]

I loved the line " and we are not even Packer's fans" lol

I am amazed at the amount of detail you aare able to recall or do you make notes in a journal every night.

[emptysea]

Thanks, Mickey...
I do not keep a journal..although I'm going to in the future. It's been difficult to recall things because the events were so long ago. I run things by Cheryl and the rest of my group to see if my recollections are at least close to the facts. If not, I go with whichever story seems more interesting.

I also use a somewhat surprising tool to help me remember...maps. I have retraced the entire trip on google maps, day by day, when I write. I have found that doing this has helped me recall things that happened on those roads. I would equate it to a golfer who can look at his score card weeks or months later, see that he got a 5 on the 9th hole, and recall the individual 5 shots. Using maps helped me remember a lot, but jotting down notes each evening would be much much easier.

A great yarn MTC. I'm not sure I want it to end.

I'm sure I want it to end. I have at least one other long ride report I want to get to, but this old one hangs like a millstone.

One more day...and not too many pictures to transfer. Then this one is done.

Thanks for reading it and I'm glad you're enjoying it.

[Inhouse Bob]

I've really enjoyed your adventure so far. Thanks for taking the time to tell it.

[emptysea]

Inhouse....for some reason, I enjoy taking the time to tell these stories. It's a sickness, I think. LOL

[use2b_imp]

Great read , photo's and road trip but laughed at your " complimentary breakfast's "
last one I had was two stale donuts and told my wife has nice boobs ......

[emptysea]

Day 9 Savanna, Illinois to Home

"Lately it occurs to me What a long, strange trip it's been." -- From the Grateful Dead's song "Truckin'"


Last Day.

Finally, and I do mean finally, we had a day without even a threat of rain. The best of the day's riding would happen on our way to breakfast and for another hour, maybe an hour and a half after. The Mississippi River valley, by a very broad definition, encompasses almost the entire land mass of the continental United States, from the Appalachian Mountains in the east to the Rocky Mountains in the west. In a more immediate sense, the valley rises from the river eastward about 40 miles and then levels out, more or less, from there. It was that 40 longitudinal miles which contained the best 90 miles of our 200 mile Sunday return trip.

Scenic Ridge Road. Blackjack Road. Stagecoach Trail. These should be familiar to any rider from Illinois, Iowa, or Wisconsin. In my mind, they are three of the very best motorcycling roads in my home state. Of course, there may only be 10 or 15 really great motorcycle roads in my topographically-challenged state. Never the less, these roads would be worth riding if they were plopped down just about anywhere.

Entering downtown Savanna from the south, you take a right turn on Clay Street, a typical small town street except that within a few hundred feet it starts climbing fairly steeply. You pass 3rd Street and then Clay stops and forces you into a sharp right turn onto 4th which turns back to your left and drops you back on the uphill on Webster to 5th where you turn left again. 5th street continues climbing and ultimately changes its name to Scenic Ridge Road. What you have just done is ride a series of switchbacks disguised as residential streets, climbed a few hundred feet above the river and now you are riding wide-eyed trying to soak up the views from the ridge line you are atop. You are not only amazed by the view, but by the road itself, and maybe even by the inauspicious residential route which deposited you here.

This road, along with Blackjack Road, would take us along the ridge line and then eventually down into historic Galena, Illinois where we would have breakfast.

We like Victory Cafe and have had breakfast there two or three times in the past when riding in the area. It is not named for the motorcycle brand, although I'm not sure exactly for what it's named. Typical breakfast fare, good coffee, and in a building that is probably 150 years old, if not older. A very nice setting for our group's last breakfast together.

Clay Street - An inauspicious beginning
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Scenic Ridge Road - An appropriately named ribbon of pavement
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After filling our bellies with protein and carbohydrates and filling our veins with caffeine, we sorted our way through the narrow streets of Galena and onto Stagecoach Trail. Again, another appropriately named road as it was originally exactly what its name describes. We would have the pleasure of spending an hour or a bit more on this wonderful road. We did get slowed by a farm vehicle at one point, but our time on this road was too short. We passed Scales Mound and Apple River, went directly through Warren and Lena, and wound up on US20 east toward home. I enjoy riding US20, but it is not nearly as enjoyable as the other roads were were on that morning.

Galena to Home Route
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We followed US20 into Rockford, Illinois, our state's third largest city. We all agreed that we would pick up I-90 in Rockford in an effort to quicken the trip home. As it turned out, we would have been better off on US20. Traffic was terrible for much of our ride in. We started a new (to us) technique of turning on our flashers when traffic was stopped or about to. I'm sure there are pros and cons to this technique, but I feel that it called attention to our bikes in the midst of trucks and cars and construction-forced lane reconfigurations.

We arrived home in late afternoon hot and tired, but dry. The rain from Bill had, by Sunday, had poured itself out over 10-15 states. It had forced us off of a wonderfully planned trip, but prodded us to make the best of the conditions. In the end this trip was planned by Glen, Laura, and Bill and the three of them created a gem of a tour which none of us will ever forget.

Our bikes home safe
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[url=http://s1318.photobucket.com/user/emptysea43/media/Ozark%20Mountain%20Daredevils/7BA7CDF2-1ED3-48FA-B452-F9A40E90F107_zpsndry0ptz.jpg.html]

A final note on the CB1100...My naked CB1100 handled all the conditions thrown at it with no troubles at all; The heat, the rain, the occasional giant mud puddle did not intimidate it in the least. I am as pleases as ever in my decision to buy this bike.

I may have an epilogue to this story, but for now this is the end of Day 9 and the end of our tour.

[Cormanus]

EmptySea, thanks so much for taking the time and trouble to tell the tale and take us (vicariously) on your adventure. As always, great work.