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May
14
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Down to the bike shop soon after opening and Eric pulled the fuel pump off my bike and got out the new one to discover that instead of being supplied with the pump and gasket as they are supposed to be it had arrived short the gasket. Doh!

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And here is my poor little bike in bits with the fuel tank sitting on the bench in front of it. But ... as luck would have it they were taking delivery of a new 950 this morning so they very kindly transferred the fuel pump and gasket from that onto mine and away we went so three cheers for the boys at DuPage Honda Yamaha. www.dupagemotorcycleswestchicago.com

We decided instead of doing two days riding in one to split it up given we were going to be getting on the road after midday and having cancelled last nights accommodation at Fort Wayne IN we also cancelled tonight's at Wheeling WV and instead booked at a hotel in Dublin OH on the outskirts of Columbus and believe me we are glad we did since we finally got into our hotel at 9.15pm tonight.

But to today. Once we were finally out of Chicago and surrounds we pulled off in Gary Indiana to get fuel and it was a sorry site with huge numbers of empty and decaying private homes and commercial apartments and factory and office sites and even into the town itself it looked very tired and in patches a little bit daunting. The two nice things were a good ol boy hanging out his pickup window at traffic lights wanting to know how old we were and how far we were going and he was impressed then told us his Dad had still be riding his bike at 80, Yay I thought. The reason we had such a long chat was that the local police were escorting heaps of students and families across the road for a graduation ceremony complete with cap and gowns so in spite of what we saw an element of hope.

From here we traveled through thousands of acres of picturesque farmland being prepared for the new corn crop. Just loved the many quaint farmhouses and hotch potch collections of silos and outbuildings as well as the ocassional delicious fragrance of something like a faint hint of jasmine. Seemed to be when there were low growing creamy green leaved bushes in the vicinity. No idea what they were. Then the closer we got to Dublin the more forest area we came across complete with signs for deer and some dead on the side of the road and others wandering along the fence, glad we got into suburbia before it was completely dark.


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Around 6pm we pulled off at an interchange to get a hot chocolate ... didn't have any so Norm got a 'kill a brown dog' coffee and I got a chocolate milkshake which was so thick I couldn't suck it through the straw so took the lid off and tipped it up and sucked it out of the cup as I walked around the shop to get my knees moving again.

Bits and Bobs:

05 14 bobber dave camera holder.jpg

Check out the accessory Norm has added to our bikes, it's a camera holder so we can sit our cameras in them so we can grab them quickly even in gloves. He's used a couple of 'Bobber Daves Custom Cycles' stubby holders.www.bobberdavescustomcycles.com.au  I suspect Dave hadn't anticipated his stubby holders would be traveling the USA. Ha ha.

Last Night's Accommodation:

05-13-Holiday-Inn.jpg


Holiday Inn, 150 S Gary Avenue, Carol Stream IL 60188
An adequete spot to stay. Getting a little tired but clean and comfortable. Indoor pool available but couldn't quite face it with how cold it was outside. Two restaurants on site and large conference areas. Staff very helpful and found a room for us well before midday.


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May
13
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For those paying attention you will notice we didn't clock up many kilometres today and we're not in Fort Wayne Indiana tonight where we are supposed to be. DOH! So for everyone who has asked over time what we would do if we had an unavoidable hold up on our trip see below.

After having a trouble free ride yesterday, this morning shortly after we headed off my bike started to make a whistling noise which quickly worsened  and we discovered the issue was with the fuel pump so we pulled into DuPage Honda and Yamaha and the decision was made it needed to be replaced. Unfortunately they didn't have a 950 in stock to swap one out of and we learnt there were only 3 in the country all in California. So bottom line plan it will be Fed Ex'd to the shop arriving hopefully before midday tomorrow and it will be replaced and then we will head to Wheeling West Virginia (a distance equivalent from Melbourne to Adelaide so a big day). We cancelled tonight's accommodation and booked into a Hotel not far from the bike shop. Fingers crossed it all comes together tomorrow and we are grateful we were close to the bike shop instead of in the middle of nowhere.

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Waiting for the bike shop to open at 10am.

 05-13-Genva-lunch.jpg 

This spot probably looks familiar. We rode around looking at some very pretty areas revisiting Whealing for lunch which is where we used to get the train to from Chicago when we came to collect the bikes and then onto Geneva again for a coffee on our way back to our hotel closer to the bike shop.

 Bits and Bobs:

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And Norm spotted Mr Eggward (Humpty Dumpty) at Saint Mary's park on our way back to Saint Charles.

 Last Night's Accommodation:

05-13-Hotel-Baker.jpg  

Hotel Baker, 100 West Main Street, Saint Charles IL 60174

Always lovely to stay here. Staff very friendly and helpful, deliciously comfortable bed, breakfast included and parking close by. Very quirky Art Deco design and decor and beautiful function rooms as well as a comfortable restaurant.


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May
12
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As you can see we've started our trip (barely) and at Hotel Baker in St Charles which is where we've finished the last two USA trips so it was nice to come to a familiar spot yesterday evening when we felt decidedly second hand. After a shower and walk we had a beautiful meal at the Italian Restaurant across the street then 11 hours sleep. Aaaaaahhhh! The bed as always was superbly comfortable and it's cozy and quiet. The weather is very grey and cold as it was yesterday, today being 13c but feels like 9c so pleased we brought sufficient bike gear to be warm on the bikes and also that we are heading slightly south as we head east tomorrow.

 A380.jpg

Lucky to have this shot. I dropped my camera in the cab we took to collect the bikes today so called the cab company (Fox Cabs) and they dropped it off at the hotel. God bless them! This is a shot of the A380 we travelled in from Melbourne to Los Angeles. It was huge and when we landed it was escorted from the runway into where we unloaded by cars with flashing red lights at each wingtip I assume to show the pilots and others just how wide they are. In spite of the size the take off and landing seemed short and effortless. Amazing!

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The lobby of Hotel Baker, it is a great example of an Art Deco Hotel and quite a quirky place as well as jazz inspired. Our friends Neil and Marie would love the dining room complete with jazz background music.

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And a farewell to the boys at DuPage Honda Yamaha L - R Mike (business owner) Robert (Sales Manger) Nola and Norm. They have been a great support and a lot of fun and we can thoroughly recomend them. http://www.dupagemotorcyclewestchicago.com/

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One of the cute shops (we assume formerly a home) on 3rd Street Geneva.

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And a little further out a typical home in the township.

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And along Main Street.

Bits and Bobs:

 Hugs.jpg

After having littlies staying with us for a bit over a year we are missing the kisses and cuddles but thought it was safer to try this than attach myself to an unknown child in the street. Pretty cold reception actually.


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May
10
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Well after a lovely Farewell / Mothers Day lunch we headed for the train to Melbourne and the big bonus was that our grandson Ashley headed back to Uni with us so we had his company to Clayton. A treat! We've had a leisurely dinner and headed to our bedroom at the Holiday Inn and we head over to the airport in the morning and off again on the next adventure.

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Made it to the station, L - R Norm, Nola & Ashley


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Apr
30
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Well we are at the point of hanging on by the fingernails to our sanity as we countdown to our departure from here on May 10th. As always it's a bonus to have people moving around here all the time with work but also have someone staying here in our absence  of course.

Come and join us for our trip, the last to the USA on the bikes. We will be selling them before we leave.

Sunday 10th May 2015

V LINE TRAIN FROM TRARALGON TO SOUTHERN CROSS STATION

SKYBUS TO MELBOURNE AIRPORT

 MELBOURNE AIRPORT

I NIGHT

IN: 10MAY15

OUT:  11MAY15                                                                                                                                                    

Monday 11th May 2015

FLY MELBOURNE TO LOS ANGELES. CALIFORNIA

FLY LOS ANGELES TO CHICAGO, INDIANA

SAINT CHARLES, ILLINOIS                 

2 NIGHTS

IN:   11MAY15

OUT:  13MAY15

Wednesday 13th May 2015

FORT WAYNE, INDIANA

1 NIGHT

IN: 13MAY15

OUT: 14MAY15

Thursday 14th May 2015

WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA

1 NIGHT

IN:   14MAY15

OUT:  15MAY15

Friday 15th May 2015

WHEELING, WV VIA THE FLIGHT 93 MEMORIAL TO

FRONT ROYAL, VIRGINIA

1 NIGHT

IN:   15MAY15

OUT:  16MAY15

Saturday 16th May 2015

FRONT ROYAL, VA VIA SKYLINE DRIVE AND BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY TO

ROANOKE, VIRGINIA

1 NIGHT

IN:   16MAY15

OUT:  17MAY15

Sunday 17th May 2015

ROANOKE, VA VIA BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY & MOUNTAINS TO

BOONE, NORTH CAROLINA

1 NIGHT

IN:   17MAY15

OUT:  18MAY15

Monday 18th May 2015

BOONE, NC VIA BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY & MOUNTAINS TO

CHEROKEE, NORTH CAROLINA

1 NIGHT

IN:   18MAY15

OUT:  19MAY15

Tuesday 19th May 2015

CHEROKEE, NC VIA NANTAHALA GORGE & LAKE (WAYAH ROAD) TO HIGHLANDS AND THEN ON TO ATLANTA, GEORGIA

1 NIGHT

IN:   19MAY15

OUT:  20MAY15

Wednesday 20th May 2015

ATLANTA, GA VIA TALLADEGA NATIONAL FOREST (SCENIC HIGHWAY) TO

MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA

1 NIGHT

IN:   20MAY15

OUT:  21MAY15

Thursday 21st May 2015

MONTGOMERTY, AL TO

SPRINGFIELD, LOUISIANNA

1 NIGHT

IN:   21MAY15

OUT:  22MAY15

Friday 22nd May 2015

SPRINGFIELD, LA VIA BATON ROUGE, LA TO

NATCHEZ, MISSISSIPPI

1 NIGHT

IN:   22MAY15

OUT:  23MAY15

Saturday 23rd May 2015

NATCHEZ, MS VIA THE NATCHEZ TRACE PARKWAY TO

TUPELO, MISSISSIPPI

1 NIGHT

IN:   23MAY15

OUT:  24MAY14

Sunday 24th May 2015

TUPELO, MS VIA GRACELAND, TN TO

MEMPHIS, TENNESEE

1 NIGHT

IN:   24MAY15

OUT:  25MAY15

Monday 25th May 2015

MEMPHIS, TN TO

NASHVILLE, TENNESEE

2 NIGHTS

IN:   25MAY15

OUT:  27MAY15

Wednesday 27th May 2015

NASHVILLE, TN TO

ST LOUIS, MISSOURI

2 NIGHTS

IN:   27MAY15

OUT:  29MAY15

Friday 29th May 2015

ST LOUIS, MO VIA MARVEL CAVE TO

BRANSON, MISSOURI

1 NIGHT

IN:   29MAY15

OUT:  30MAY15

Saturday 30th May 2015

BRANSON, MO TO

OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA

2 NIGHTS

IN:   30MAY15     

OUT:   01JUN15

Monday 1st June 2015

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK VIA ROUTE 66 (CLINTON & ELK CITY) AND PALO DURO CANYON STATE PARK TO

CANYON, TEXAS

1 NIGHT

IN:   01JUN15

OUT:  02JUN15

Tuesday 2nd June 2015

CANYON, TX VIA ROUTE 66, AMARILLO, TUCUMCARI & SANTA ROSA TO

SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO

2 NIGHTS

IN:   02JUN15

OUT:  04JUN15

Thursday 4th June 2015

SANTA FE, NM VIA ALCADE, TAOS, GREAT SAND DUNES NATIONAL PARK, TO

PUEBLO - COLORADO

1 NIGHT

IN:   04JUN15

OUT:  05JUN15 

Friday 5th June 2015

PUEBLO, CO VIA CANYON CITY, ROYAL GORGE, CRIPPLE CREEK, PIKES PEAK, COLORADO SPRINGS, TO

DENVER, COLORADO

2 NIGHTS

IN:   05JUN15

OUT:  07JUN15

Sunday 7th June 2015

DENVER, CO VIA VAIL TO

MOAB, UTAH

2 NIGHTS

IN:   07JUN15

OUT:  09JUN15

Monday 8th June 2015

FREE DAY TO EXPLORE CANYONLANDS NATIONAL PARK AND ISLAND IN THE SKY MESA

Tuesday 9th June 2015

MORNING:  MOAB TO ARCHES NATIONAL PARK AND BACK TO MOAB

AFTERNOON: 

MOAB VIA DOLORES (ANASAZI HERITAGE CENTRE) TO MESA VERDE NATIONAL PARK

MESA VERDE, COLORADO

1 NIGHT

IN:   09JUN15

OUT:  10JUN15

Wednesday 10th June 2015

MORNING – EXPLORE THE MESE VERDE

EARLY AFTERNOON - MESA VERDE (PARK ENTRANCE) TO MONUMENT VALLEY. LATER THIS AFTERNOON & EVENING. EXPLORE MONUMENT VALLEY

MONUMENT VALLEY TRIBAL PARK, UTAH

1 NIGHT

IN:   10JUN15

OUT:  11JUN15

Thursday 11th June 2015

MONUMENT VALLEY TO PAINTED DESERT VISITOR CENTRE, THEN LATER THE SAME DAY RIDE FROM PAINTED DESERT VISITOR CENTRE TO

HOLBROOK, ARIZONA

1 NIGHT

IN:   11JUN15

OUT:  12JUN15

Friday 12th June 2015

HOLBROOK, AZ VIA FLAGSTAFF, HIGHWAY 17 AND THE VILLAGE OF OAK CREEK, TO

SEDONA, ARIZONA

2 NIGHTS

IN: 12JUN15

OUT: 14JUN15

Sunday 14th June 2015

SEDONA, AZ TO

MARBLE CANYON, ARIZONA

1 NIGHT

IN:   14JUN15

OUT:  15JUN15

Monday 15th June 2015

MARBLE CANYON VIA 89A (TO TRY AND GLIMPSE THE VERMILION CLIFFS) TO

BRYCE CANYON, UTAH

1 NIGHT

IN:   15JUN15

OUT:  16JUN15

Tuesday 16th June 2015

BRYCE CANYON, UT TO

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA

2 NIGHTS

IN:   16JUN15

OUT:  18JUN15

Thursday 18th June 2015

LAS VEGAS, NV TO

DEATH VALLEY, CALIFORNIA

1 NIGHT

IN:   18JUN15

OUT:  19JUN15

Friday 19th June 2015

DEATH VALLEY, CA TO 

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, CALIFORNIA

2 NIGHTS

IN: 19JUN15

OUT: 21JUN15

Saturday 20th June 2015

DAY TRIP SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, RENO, TRUCKEE TO SOUTH LAKE TAHOE

Sunday 21st June 2015

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, CA VIA VIRGINIA CITY AND THE LAVA BEDS NATIONAL MONUMENT TO

KLAMATH FALLS, OREGON

2 NIGHTS

IN: 21JUN15

OUT: 23JUN15

Tuesday 23rd June 2015

KLAMATH FALLS, OR VIA CRATER LAKE NATIONAL PARK TO EAGLE LAKE TO

CHEMULT, OREGON

1 NIGHT

IN:    23RD JUNE 2015

OUT:   24TH JUNE 2015

Wednesday 24th June 2015

EARLY IN THE DAY: RIDE FROM CHEMULT VIA CRESCENT LAKE AND ODELL LAKE TO DAVIS LAKE

EARLY AFTERNOON: RIDE FROM DAVIS LAKE VIA CASCADE LAKES AND SCENIC BYWAY TO

BEND, OREGON                                        

1 NIGHT

IN:   24JUN15

OUT:  25JUN15

Thursday 25th June 2015

RIDE FROM BEND, OR TO

EUGENE, OREGON

1 NIGHT

IN:    25JUN15

OUT:   26JUN15

Friday 26th June 2015

RIDE FROM EUGENE, OR VIA FLORENCE OLD TOWN, OREGON DUNES, BANDON-BY-THE-SEA  TO

GOLD BEACH, OR

1 NIGHT

IN: 26JUN15

OUT: 27JUN15

Saturday 27th June 2015

GOLD BEACH, OR VIA THE REDWOOD NATIONAL PARK TO

EUREKA, CALIFORNIA

1 NIGHT

IN:   27JUN15

OUT:  28JUN15

Sunday 28th June 2015

EUREKA, CA TO

SONOMA, CALIFORNIA

1 NIGHT

IN:   28JUN15

OUT:  29JUN15

Monday 29th June 2015

SONOMA, CA VIA PETALUMA AND SAUSALITO TO

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA

 2 NIGHTS

IN:   29JUN15

OUT:  01JUL15

Wednesday 1st July 2015

RIDE FROM SAN FRANCISCO, CA VIA HIGHWAY 1 (THE COAST ROAD) TO MONTEREY. 

SPEND THE AFTERNOON LOOKING AROUND MONTEREY AND CANNERY ROW.

LATER THIS AFTERNOON, RIDE FROM MONTEREY TO

CARMEL, CALIFORNIA

2 NIGHTS

IN:  01JUL15 

OUT: 03JUL15

Friday 3rd July 2015

CARMEL, CA VIA MCWAY WATERFALL AND HEARST CASTLE TO

MOONSTONE BEACH (CAMBRIA) CALIFORNIA

1 NIGHT

IN:   03JUL15

OUT:  04JUL15

Saturday 4th July 2015

MOONSTONE BEACH (CAMBRIA), CA VIA SAN LUIS OBISPO AND SOLVANG TO

SANTA BARBARA, CALIFORNIA

1 NIGHT

IN:   04JUL15

OUT:  05JUL15

Sunday 5th July 2015

SANTA BARBARA, CA VIA MALIBU AND SANTA MONICA TO

WEST COVINA, CALIFORNIA

2 NIGHTS

IN:   05JUL15

OUT:  07JUL15

Tuesday 07th July 2015

FLY LOS ANGELES TO MELBOURNE

Thursday 09th July 2015

ARRIVE IN MELBOURNE

SKYBUS TO SOUTHERN CROSS STATION MELBOURNE

V LINE TRAIN FROM SOUTHERN CROSS STATION TO TRARALGON


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Sep
12
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Well we had an absolutely awesome trip from start to finish and with this being our 5th trip OS on bikes I guess we would need to be getting the hang of it after all. Lot's of people make one of two comments.

1. I'd love to do that but I doubt I ever will - Our response- If you really want to you need to plan it to make it happen and you will .... and then work like mad for 40 odd years to make sure it does.

2. You did what? Man how lucky are you! - Our response - Yep and the harder we work the luckier we get.

Bit of a theme happening here I think.

 Us.jpg

The favourite part of our trip as always is being out and about together….being immersed in spectacular geography and on the bikes was a great bonus!

What worked well:

  • Packed less and still didn't use it all .... again. Better get it right next year it will be the last year in the USA and we will have extra bits to bring home!

  • Circling all destination towns on map so we could track weather from the weather channel and make decisions for more / less direct routes, also to divert off 4 lane highways to more rural roads and to key in other sights / must sees locals have told us about (often highlights of our day).

  • Norm arranged a birthday present for me (driving lights for my bike) so I could be seen and be safe and his new bike had them also, shame we had to disconnect his so they could be rewired but his headlight was awesome anyway so he was still very visible.

  • Thankfully our health was good and the old bodies didn't let us down. I had a restless nights sleep a few nights before we got to Chicago to return the bikes and apparently slipped a tendon to the wrong side of my shoulder which wasn't too comfortable but I could comfortably ride which was just as well and it's now sorted.

  •  Last minute failure of my GPS before we left for our trip and difficulty by the bike shop getting another mount for my bike saw me without a GPS for a few days until we came across GARMIN HQ... who says there isn't a God! They were brilliantly helpful and nothing was a bother. I would NEVER consider such a trip, especially into and out of large cities as we do without one especially if on your own unless you want to quickly go round the bend ... as in the insanity one.

  • Had a number of comments of how visible we were on the road with the yellow 'rain coat covers' we have over our suitcases. Good feedback.

  • The roads overall were excellent, surface and camber good and even the older ones maintained well. Travelled over more than 100km on gravel roads this year ... what were we thinking? Thinking we wanted to get to or from somewhere we couldn't otherwise do is what. VERY variable surfaces on these as you would expect .... enough said.

  • Norm solved an age old problem of flat feather pillows suffocating him and not being comfortable......shove one pillow into the pillowcase of another pillow. Worked a treat!

 balanced rock.jpg

Balanced Rock-heard about it from the locals. NO signs until almost right on top of it. The Canyon area surrounding this was literally in the middle of a lot of fields of corn. Bizarre.

What didn't /could improve

  • Some things we have little / no real control over other than feedback to hotels and that is often like a 'talk to the hand ' experience. Only 2 hotels on the whole trip had luggage stands for 2 suitcases. Seriously? I don't think I've ever seen a couple travelling with 1 suitcase and it sort of defeats the purpose of having a nice armchair if it's covered with a suitcase.

  • While I'm at it I think a lot of hotel bathroom installation people must have chiropractic businesses as a sideline for all the overstretched necks arms and backs from trying to access a toilet roll while using a toilet!

  • Enough whingeing. Small things only but both things from the customers perspective which would be simple to fix with little cost.

  • I need to try and review rooms better also so we can hopefully have enough floor to stretch out on to do our morning flexibility exercises to keep everything where it should be and be willing to work like we need it to.

  • The blog was on a new format and wasn't as user friendly as it should have been so I'm hanging out for the capacity to upload multiple photos at a time among other things. Still working on that.

  • I used my Samsung Galaxy 10.1 to do the blog and we're still getting used to each other so not sure what the final outcome of that will be .... we will see.

 room.jpg

Reasonable size but only one chair, had to use the floor for the second case when we didn't have one.

What was different / better than last time / expected

  • The USA economy (and citizens) both seemed more positive.

  • The people in business clearly wanted to be there and there were fewer retirees working in fast food stores and looking like they wanted to be anywhere but there and overall apart from really small communities, there seemed fewer empty shops and big shopping centres generally had more parking spaces being used and more people in shops.

  • Truck configurations were also vastly different to what we saw last year. Not sure if that is differing state rules or just more practical application since the GFC.

  • Last year there were predominantly tandem drive and tandem axle semi's. This year there were countless tri-axle semi's and heaps of flat top open trailers where we hardly saw any of those last year and they were almost always loaded.

  • Like in Australia in both the USA and Canada there were many young people from other countries, university students and others of similar age, working in seasonal workplaces and apparently there are many adds in Universities of work coming up in University break times, I assume it is the same in Australia. Heaps of Aussies working in Whistler and other places which are snow ski sites as well as summer attractions.

  • Conclusion - the economy has improved, infrastructure works are increasing (and road maintenance was definitely more noticeable this year) and fewer operators doing what has always been done i.e. taut liners from point to point. We talked to truckers at roadside stops and roadhouses but not enough to really know.

 truck.jpg

A more creative combination than was usual to see last year

Planning for 2015 USA.

  • Well underway so we can be poised and ready to swoop on specials for airfares!

  • Travelling part of the way again this year with Sharen and Ken our usual travelling companions so we are looking forward to that.

  • Have just finalised the route for 2015 as opposed to theory and making sure we can take advantage of 'must sees' along the way, now to getting onto booking accommodation.

 USA map.jpg

Got the Map marked up with most of our last 2 trips on it except where the map didn’t spread far enough.


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Aug
11
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IMG_2395-2.jpg

A shot of yet another attractive Art Deco building in Madison.

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We had a lovely ride into Chicago today. We were heading for Rockford initially but some sort of glitch in Norm's GPS meant we overshot the mark. Not to worry we still saw and rode plenty of minor roads so it is officially farewell for a few months to the lovely farming country we have seen and this is a shot of a tidy family farm unit. Liked the the different sorts of barns.

 IMG_6733-2.jpg

And an example of a community size collective for storage.

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And a more seriously commercial one.

IMG_2411-2.jpg 

Getting closer to Chicago we came across an attractive little town called Sycamore and this is the Dekalb County Courthouse there.

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With plenty of time on our hands I managed to convince Norm I could cruise through some nice houses. This is in a relatively new subdivision called Fox Mill on the outskirts of St Charles.

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And this is in St Charles in a well established area.

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As is this one.

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And lastly a lovely garden. Beautiful leafy and colorful mix without being too structured.

Bits and Bobs:

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A shot of 4 cute butts at a rest stop this morning.

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And a reminder for us that as well as looking ahead to what is coming up we also need to reflect on what has passed so we can savour the moments as they happen and once they have passed as well.

And that's it for another trip until, I get home and do a debrief of what worked / didn't, what was different to last year and other plans for next year.

Last Night's Accommodation:

Best Western Plus Inn on Park, 22 Carroll Street, Madison, WI 53703

Gracious comfortable place and room very nice but a lot of furniture which reduces space overall. Free parking and wifi. On site bar restauarant and pool. Breakfast not included but available. Staff helpful and engage well. Comfortable bed and fridge so cold water to take tomorrow. Reasonble value. Lovely area and it would be nice to have an extra day to explore. 

 IMG_6728-2.jpg

Tonight's Accomodation:

Hotel Baker, 100 W Main Street, Saint Charles, IL 60174

Lovely Art Deco building which looks very cool and has been beautifully maintained. Comfortable roomy suite with outlook over the river. Complimentary deluxe continental breakfast, parking and wifi. On site restaurant where we dined on the last night last year but decided on the new Mexican restaurant tonight.

IMG_6736-2.jpg


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Aug
10
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mobile_photo

Thumbnail is a shot of a fountain in the warterfront near our hotel, the column has a statue of a great eagle on top. Beautiful.

 IMG_2332-2.jpg

Today we chose the road less travelled again and were rewarded with minimal traffic and winding roads rather than the opposite on both fronts as well as being rewarded by an absoloutely delightful ride. We rode through beautiful lush country alternating from intensive cropping on tablelands and narrow to broad valleys with just trees and little pockets of sweet corn or grassland and beautiful ascents or descents along limestone bluffs. What a treat. This is a sign we came across which explained the strip planting of crops we had seen. What a gutsy move by all involved many years ago and it continues today as they have seen the positive results. 

 IMG_2339-2.jpg

And this is a small example.

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And the big old sandy Wisconsin River. No matter where we came acoss it there were large areas of sand evident.

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Lunch in Fennimore saw us across the road fom the Railroad Museum and a model train ride. A universal attraction for all ages and they did good business in the time we were there.

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A County building in Dodgeville as we tried to find some locals to get diretions to the Frank Lloyd Wright Building we were trying to track down.

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And this is the waterfall at the entry to 'Talesin' at Spring Green and what a treat it was to visit the property. The Architect lived and worked here on the property his Maternal Grandmother's family lived on. Apparently this was a favourite picnic spot, This was a waterfall built by Frank Lloyd Wright to dam the flow of a natural spring on the property. It was a beautiful place and was no doubt of great solace to him as he rebuilt the home two times after it was burnt down, the first time when his second wife died in the fire, so we saw a combination of the original farming buildings used for the Apprentices and Fellows in his Architectural School to live in, his Studio and his own home. We got there just in time to go on a 2 hour tour of the home and property but that meant we got in much later tonight than we intended.

 IMG_2363-2.jpg

And a shot of what was once part of the dairy and is now apartments for some of those doing an Architectural Fellwoship here.

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And a shot from the garden towards what is known as the Garden Room which used to be an outside open area until Samuel Guggnheim was coming to talk about Frank Lloyd Wright building a Museum for him and Wright thought it was desireable to have it built in and set his Apprentices the task to do it in a very short space of time.

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And a view from the garden across the property which was just lovely. I took heaps of photos but outside only as no photos are allowed indoors even so I just love the look.

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When we did get into Madison tonight we discovered our hotel right on the park which surrounds the Wisconsin State Capitol Building and here it is.

Bits and Bobs:

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A truly profound sign we saw as we headed out of La crosse this morning. Norm was about to head out onto the road to take it full on when a police car pulled up so he thought .... perhaps not.

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And a more friendly sign we came across in Viroqua where we had a coffee and found some beautiful homes as well.

Last Night's Accommodation:

Courtyard Marriott La Crosse, 500 Front Street, La Crosse, WI 54601

Lovely comfortable room and hotel. We have had great beds all the time we have been here with one exception but this was the best for me. Ahhh. Staff very welcoming and facilities designed for relaxing guests. On site pool, bar and bistro. Comfortable patio overlooking the Mississippi River complete with gas fire pit. Included parking and wifi. Spacious comfortable room and good value overall.

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Aug
09
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Thumbnail is a shot of a City building in Minneapolis, one of many which we love which surprises us as we are not city people. By the way, the hotel staff told me today it isn't a power station next door but a steam distribution point from the steam generated out of town by the rubbish furnaces.

Today's ride has been just lovely. Norm plotted a course so we could have more country road riding than interstates and it has been a delight and a huge bonus is that the traffic, once we lost an hour in stop start traffic on road works getting out of Minneapolis, has been minimal so a treat. The countryside has been gently undulating to small hills and bluff areas and heaps of farmland, mainly cropping with some dairy along the way, and not dairy as we know it but in barns and the fragrance of all that concentrated excreta is NOT fragrant. That aside, most of the activity is on the flat to undulating land and for the most part the hills have been smothered in luxuriant forest growth somewhat reminiscent of the forest areas we rode through last year in the east of the state though the colours are many shades of green rather than being clothed in a fall mantle of orange red and gold though we did find one plant along the side of the road today which was totally confused as to the season and was a brilliant combination of fall colours.

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Soon after we left we came to St Croix and this was a quirky railway bridge we found crossing the river. We didn't find Ellsworh Falls which were supposedly close to here , not sure how we missed them.

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Then into Ellsworth For a coffee and this is the Pierce County Courthouse, one of the most significant buildings in town as they often are.

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One of the things we enjoyed about the ride today was that there was pretty intensive farming in small holdings with lots of communities small and large along the way and that is close to an absolute opposite of the land and communities we experienced as we followed the Oregon Trail heading west, even where water was plentiful on the Trail the terrain lent itself to large broad acre holdings so communities were sparse on the ground. This is an example of a tidy little farm, one of many we saw on our travels.

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And this is an example of a community hub ahead.

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We called in to see Crystal Lake but most of it was covered in a green growth of some sort and not so crystal clear so we proceeded on to Black River Falls, but the only remains of the falls we could find were beside the dam wall to hold the Black River back. Ah well.

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Ths is a shot of another significant courthouse the Jackson County Courthouse in Black River Falls. This was only about a third of the building and the Police / Sheriff offices were beside it and extended at least half the distance again on from that so substantial.

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And a street scape shot again in Black River Falls. This was a substantial and well maintained town.

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And here we are in La Crosse and this is a shot of the waterfront on the mighty Mississippi River.

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And another courthouse, this time the Courthouse and Law Enforcement Building, a more recent build than those already shown today.

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And the Weber Centre for the Performing Arts which is next door to our hotel on the banks of the Mississippi.

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And this is the bridge across the river literally next to our hotel.

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And a shot under one side of the bridge at the edge of the car park. 

Bits and Bobs:

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The little town of Black River Falls, apart from having many Art Deco buildings, had lots of murals and dedications to their history both significant historically and to the regular population. This is one example of the latter.

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And this was a bike stand near our hotel tonight in La Crosse which looks great.

Last 2 Night's Accommodation:

Best Western Normandy Inn & Suites, 405 South 8th Street, Minneapolis, MN 55404

A nice welcoming hotel with multiple options of places to sit and relax, comfortable space in our room and bed lovely. Restaurant and bar on site but many options close by as well. Included parking and wifi.. On site guest laundry, gym and swimming pool. A handy spot to the downtown and good value.

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Aug
08
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Thumbnail is a night shot of some of the skyline visible from near our hotel. The Foshey Tower on the left was once the tallest building in Minneapolis .... a long time ago I'm thinking.

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Heading out this morning feeling fresh and enthusiastic. A shot with an interesting mix of buildings on our way to breakfast at the 'HenHouse Eatery' which was delicious after a big sleep in. We ultimately nearly walked our legs off today, so much for having a quiet day but we decided we like Minneapolis. It sort of has a Chicago feel about it in that there are lots of different architectural styles in buildings without really detracting from their neighbours. There were many low rise Art Deco examples again around 3 - 4 storey only but also much higher with beautiful brickwork and lots of much newer interesting shapes and styles which works well together.

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And a street sculpture after we turned into the walking Mall with foot traffic only except for buses and emergency service vehicles. Lots of eating options here as well as the majority of retail options and also connected overhead by walkways to many shopping malls in the 1st storey of office buildings.

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Great efforts have been made to incorporate lovely leafy areas around hotels and residential apartment areas. Loved it. This is one near the Hyatt Hotel and many apartments on our trek to the Loring Park and Sculpture Park.

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And I found this squirrel which was so still I thought it was a cute sculpture in the park until I saw the fluffy tail and it managed to stay still long enough for me to fish out the camera. Yay.

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There were many areas for sports activities on our way to the Sculpture Park as well as some pretty gardens and this is a shot across some gardens to the bridge across some water.

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And the apparently world famous Spoon and Cherry Sculpture which we hadn't heard of until last night.

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Heading back to the city area we came across this lovely fountain where we sat to cool off and enjoyed seeing the local children cooling off in the water.

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A nifty address (1221) and a quirky view of the building and it's neighbours.

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Another interesting street scape.The building with the big veranda looking extension is the new Public Library.

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The ancient Stone Arch Bridge.

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And a shot of St Anthony Falls, dam and lock to the left hand side. Quite a level drop in the lock.

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And a shot of the Guthrie Theatre from the rear but I just didn't have it in me to find the front.

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This area was known as the Mills Area where flour was milled for many years and these ruins at the front are pretty much all that is left and the buildings behind are now apartments. Looks good.

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And last but not least, figured you wouldn't believe us if we told you there was a power station next door to our hotel in the middle of Minneapolis so here is a shot to prove it. Hotel left hand side, power station on the right.

Bits and Bobs:

We were having a coffee in a Caribou Coffee shop today and amongst a lot , of other guff we read we came across some words which pretty much describe Norm and I and how we seem to have the capacity to egg each other on and have come up with what we think describes us ...... " When What if runs away hand in hand with Why not". Ha ha, be interested to see if our kids agree with that statement!

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All but one we saw were on the leash.

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A cute idea in the middle of a predominantly residential apartment area.

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And a temporary fix ... I hope.


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