Obtenir vos sur la vive émotion Route Nationale Soixante-Six

[redbirds_imp]

Super ride report MTC.

[emptysea]

Great stuff Sea! Was there any communication problem or was Paul fluent in English? So cool of your brother in law to invite him home, but typical of most motorcyclists I know.

He is fluent in English, so yes, there was a communication problem.

[the Ferret]

[Nemo_imp]

How tall are you, MTC?

If Paul is 5'8", you must be somewhere around 6'2", which would put Tony at 25 friggin' feet tall.

[emptysea]

I arrived on time...second time in a row and possibly the second time ever.

My mother-in-law passed away in 2005. Her birthday is in August. For the past 11 Augusts, my father-in-law has had a mass said in her name on a Sunday close to her birthday. The entire family attends the service and the backyard barbeque Dad hosts afterward. A great annual celebration of a wonderful woman and her amazing family. The celebration was scheduled for this Sunday which probably explains my timeliness -- it would my own demise if I wasn't home by 9:30am sharp. This was a subject of much discussion with Cheryl and our friends the evening before. I cannot express to you in words the magnitude of import Cheryl places on attending this event and on being on time for it. Just know that both Tony and I had significant incentive to get back from our morning tour with time to spare. Add to that Paul's 10am Harley return time and we all had eyes on our watches.

Tony lives further south than do I so our trip east to Lake Michigan landed us toward the south end of The Drive (short for "Lake Shore Drive"). From there we turned south to ride past the Museum of Science and Industry. We exited the Drive at 57th Drive which separates the museum from The University of Chicago's prestigious campus. We were now in the heart of Chicago's Hyde Park and Kenwood neighborhoods. Our President lived in this neighborhood before taking up residence on Pennsylvania Avenue in DC. His library will be built on what is now parkland adjacent to the Museum of Science and Industry. Leopold and Loeb both attended U of C and lived within a few blocks of where we were. It was there that they plotted "the perfect crime". Their victim, 14 year old Bobby Franks, lived his too-short of a life in Kenwood, too.

57th Drive swings around the front of the museum and then passes it to the west, changing names to Cornell Dr. Cornell Dr. continues south, but we stopped just a block or so from the name change at "The Rock".

"The Rock" (as it is called) is a small boulder with a plaque affixed on its face. It sits on the edge of park on Cornell Dr. to commemorate the first recorded automobile race in the United States on Thanksgiving Day, 1895. I have written elsewhere on this forum about The Rock and the annual gathering that occurs there so I won't expound on it here. I'm not sure if Paul knew that we were breaking traffic laws when we turned off the street and onto a jogging/walking/running path which passes in front of the landmark. Tony knew we were, though, so he just turned his bike around on Cornell and waited for us--he's such a Boys Scout (literally--he is an Eagle Scout). Paul dismounted, took a photo and mentioned that he had heard of this place before; I like to think that he heard about it from me and on this forum. We maneuvered our bikes out of the park and back onto Cornell. Northbound this time, we passed the museum and turned left on to Lake Shore Drive northbound. As an aside, Paul negotiated a perfect slow-speed u-turn on his big Harley rental in a VERY tight space. I was impressed.

We took a quick trip north all the way to Montrose Ave., effectively the north end of Lake Shore Drive. We stopped for a brief minute to check our time and to look out over the soccer fields, already filling with players, to Lake Michigan.

We figured we had just enough time to give Paul a good look at The Drive from north to south, heading back the way we came. It would only be appropriate to stop at Buckingham Fountain which, I may have mentioned once or twice, looks east over Lake Michigan and looks west down Congress Parkway, once the starting point of Route 66.

Upon arrival at the fountain, Tony appeared to lose his fear of rule breaking and pulled his big BMW right onto the sidewalk with Paul and then myself following. Photos taken, watches checked. It was time to head west, conveniently along the early sections of Route 66, but then onto I-290. Tony would exit the interstate first and head south to his home. Paul and I would continue west, then north to return his bike and then I would continue home myself.

Buckingham Fountain, Chicago, IL (Paul and Matt)
[url=http://s1318.photobucket.com/user/emptysea43/media/Route%2066%20with%20Paul/Photo%20Aug%2021%208%2009%2045%20AM_zpsknazpn4r.jpg.html]

Paul's Harley
[url=http://s1318.photobucket.com/user/emptysea43/media/Route%2066%20with%20Paul/Photo%20Aug%2021%208%2008%2050%20AM_zpsljgwursa.jpg.html]

Paul and my CB1100
[url=http://s1318.photobucket.com/user/emptysea43/media/Route%2066%20with%20Paul/Photo%20Aug%2021%208%2008%2003%20AM_zps8lbg883p.jpg.html]

My CB1100
[url=http://s1318.photobucket.com/user/emptysea43/media/Route%2066%20with%20Paul/Photo%20Aug%2021%208%2008%2016%20AM_zps9qz1vnji.jpg.html]

We arrived at the Harley dealer at about 9:00. Paul would have an hour wait for them to open I felt bad leaving him, but I had to be home by 9:30 in order to serious bodily injury to my person.

A quick, but warm, goodbye, and I headed home. Both Tony and I were able to get home, get showered, and get to Dad's house with time to spare and spent the rest of the afternoon enjoying family (I will neither confirm nor deny any allegations of napping) and reminiscing about our great weekend of getting our kicks on Route 66.

Thanks for reading this. I hope you enjoyed it.

[emptysea]

How tall are you, MTC?

If Paul is 5'8", you must be somewhere around 6'2", which would put Tony at 25 friggin' feet tall.

I don't know how tall Paul is; I'll just call it "average". I used to be 6'1", but I'm not quite there anymore. Tony was 6'5" at one time, but I think he's probably at 6'4" now. Spinal compression and all that. He's tall, though. So are his two brothers. Imagine my first visit to their house to take out their kid sister. Between them and the family's German Shepard, I about crapped myself.

[silverbub_imp]

Totally enjoyed & chuckled numerously throughout your ride article!... Images were especially appreciated!... Especially moved/touched about your father in law's tribute/memorial annually to honor his bride close to her birthday... thanks for including that in your article and for your hospitality extended to our French riding comrade!...I do hope Paul considers riding with gloves... though... as it appears in the images that he was riding "bare-knuckled"... Again, really fine read & again... Thanks!

[emptysea]

I loaned him an extra pair of gloves I had in my tail bag after our first stop. He was very appreciative of that, especially during the big downpour...the one that came 5 minutes after he removed his rain pants.

[Papa Weeley_imp]

Love your write-ups, MTC, and this one is a real winner!

[Cormanus]

I'll add my voice to the acclaim, MTC. A great report.

Nemo, you put the question I was going to ask so much better than I would have.