Speaking of "distance". Here's a route that would be one of the longest routes of the Driftless Rally. The bad news - it's 217 miles. The good news - it includes homemade pie and a ride on one of the last remaining car ferries on the Mississippi River! Good News Part II - curvy and very enjoyable ride to the river. Good news Part III - C9Y in Iowa is a beautiful road that meanders its way up high above and with stunning views of the 4th longest river in the world. C9Y is part of The Great River Road National Scenic Byway, is curvy if not twisty, and you'd get to ride it most of it twice. This route would check off Iowa on your "States Ridden" Bingo card.
After pie (and possible lunch. or both) and taking in the views, we'd continue along the Great River Road north for a bridge crossing at Prairie Du Chien (unless folks want to take the Cassville Ferry back into Wisco). Along the way, we would pass Pike's Peak State Park which also has beautiful vistas and might be worth a stop. We'd follow WI60 along the north bank of the Wisconsin River to get back to Spring Green. Nothing fancy about 60 and that's by design -- just a pretty and comfortable ride the last quarter of the route.
There are ways to shorten this ride and I'll look at that before the day (if there is a day). Cheryl and I, along with our riding friends Glen and Laura, have ridden nearly this exact route many times and have never felt like we rode over 200 miles.
Hope this loop shows up for folks. I do not use Google Maps for direct navigation so my apologies if I didn't lay the way points properly
https://maps.app.goo.gl/kY6xJN7sXChY8Agu8
Bored at work so I plotted a route to Wildcat Mountain State Park which contains neither mountains nor as far as I know wildcats. It does surround WI33 which is a good road anywhere, but shines within the the boundaries of the park with the only switchbacks in the area. Lots of curvy and pretty county "Alphabet" roads winding through the Kickapoo River Valley on this route and some of my favorite to ride in all of Wisconsin. There was a burger stand in Ontario called "The Paddle Inn" (because it's close to the river...get it??), but that closed probably due to Covid-related economics. We'd probably have burgers, brats, hot dogs, chicken, cheese curds, or the like at the similar, but not so creatively named Hillsboro Drive-In.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/cxAzKmkNf6U9v4qZ8 Let me know how this looks.
I have planned (in my head if not on paper) shorter morning rides that could be done solo before a group ride and shorter, but fun rides rides to specific points of interest like the International Crane Foundation (the birds, not the construction equipment) or Taliesin - Frank Lloyd Wright's studio, turned museum. Rainy days, if any, might include a cage trip to Baraboo for a lunch or dinner and a tour of the Driftless Glen Distillery and/or the Ringling Brothers Circus Museum. I would try to book our closing dinner at a classic Wisconsin Supper Club (not dissimilar to the Chop House in Kingsport in ambiance).
Anyhow, I felt it important that I not undersell the Driftless Area as a legitimate motorcycle destination so I thought I'd give you some routes and some background about the area and how the week might look. We'd love to see you there!
After pie (and possible lunch. or both) and taking in the views, we'd continue along the Great River Road north for a bridge crossing at Prairie Du Chien (unless folks want to take the Cassville Ferry back into Wisco). Along the way, we would pass Pike's Peak State Park which also has beautiful vistas and might be worth a stop. We'd follow WI60 along the north bank of the Wisconsin River to get back to Spring Green. Nothing fancy about 60 and that's by design -- just a pretty and comfortable ride the last quarter of the route.
There are ways to shorten this ride and I'll look at that before the day (if there is a day). Cheryl and I, along with our riding friends Glen and Laura, have ridden nearly this exact route many times and have never felt like we rode over 200 miles.
Hope this loop shows up for folks. I do not use Google Maps for direct navigation so my apologies if I didn't lay the way points properly
https://maps.app.goo.gl/kY6xJN7sXChY8Agu8
Bored at work so I plotted a route to Wildcat Mountain State Park which contains neither mountains nor as far as I know wildcats. It does surround WI33 which is a good road anywhere, but shines within the the boundaries of the park with the only switchbacks in the area. Lots of curvy and pretty county "Alphabet" roads winding through the Kickapoo River Valley on this route and some of my favorite to ride in all of Wisconsin. There was a burger stand in Ontario called "The Paddle Inn" (because it's close to the river...get it??), but that closed probably due to Covid-related economics. We'd probably have burgers, brats, hot dogs, chicken, cheese curds, or the like at the similar, but not so creatively named Hillsboro Drive-In.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/cxAzKmkNf6U9v4qZ8 Let me know how this looks.
I have planned (in my head if not on paper) shorter morning rides that could be done solo before a group ride and shorter, but fun rides rides to specific points of interest like the International Crane Foundation (the birds, not the construction equipment) or Taliesin - Frank Lloyd Wright's studio, turned museum. Rainy days, if any, might include a cage trip to Baraboo for a lunch or dinner and a tour of the Driftless Glen Distillery and/or the Ringling Brothers Circus Museum. I would try to book our closing dinner at a classic Wisconsin Supper Club (not dissimilar to the Chop House in Kingsport in ambiance).
Anyhow, I felt it important that I not undersell the Driftless Area as a legitimate motorcycle destination so I thought I'd give you some routes and some background about the area and how the week might look. We'd love to see you there!