Take Me to the River

[fishball]

I just got back from my annual ride with my friends Aaron and Greg.  We do this each year, make a weekend of it and ride.  We put on just about 570 miles total from Milwaukee to La Crosse taking state highways and local roads when possible.  I wasn't able to get the variety of photos I usually prefer but when riding with a group it's a pain to ask them to stop often.  Here is the route...


Going There.


Coming Back.


The Hawk Loaded with the New Luggage.


First Stop was Gino's Italian Deli Just Southwest of Madison.


Best Meal of the Trip, an Italian Sub.


The Route was Nothing Short of Amazing, Here is Marvelous HWY M.


Aaron and Greg Waiting for me at the Bottom of a Large Descent.  I Went Back to get the Previous Photo.


Greg's 83 Shadow 750, Nicknamed Drippy.


Entrance to Wildcat Mountain State Park.


Wisconsin Wilderness.


Rounding the Corner.


The Face-Off.


Riding the Ridge.


View From Granddad's Bluff La Crosse.


Precipitous.


Overlooking the Ole' Miss.


The Evening's Appetizer, Before I Lost my Money at Texas Hold Em'.


On The Road the Next Day, the Great River Road.


Lock and Dam No. 8 in Genoa.  It has an 11ft. Lift from the Lower to the Upper Pool.  Cost $6.7 Million in 1937 to Build.


A View of the Mississippi River.


Built as a Nuclear Reactor in 1967 the La Crosse Boiling Water Reactor was Converted to Coal in 1987.


I Love Trains, Got Lucky and Snapped this just as we Pulled Over.


From the Potosi Brew Pub.


Frothingslosh Beer Cans part of the Pub's Collection.


Posing by the River.

This ride was the best I've ever been on.  The Great River Road is relaxing and wide open with big sweepers and beautiful vistas of bluffs on one side and the river on the other.  The hwy's 18, 33, M and HH plus a litany of lesser roads were a riders heaven from tricky technical to wide open cruising.  I wish all my forum friends lived closer as this is the trip I would love to take them on.

[Hangster]

Nice ride Fishball , sure beats riding alone and awesome scenery too (one of these days i'll be back in your back yard)

[luckylindy]

 Excellent.  Gorgeous scenery in Cheeseland.

[drdubb]

Seems like I've seen an article about this ride in one of the mags.
Looks like a good time.

[fishmeister]

Wish I was invited, gee.....

Beautifull ride report, only lacking one thing..........The FishMan video formatting!

[hockeyhawk]

    Nice report and great pics. Nice job Fishball.

[tcoop]

Nice report. Love the pictures, the fourth picture is my favorite. (The one you went back up for)

[ariwhiteboy]

Very nice FB, I've seen those beer cans before but now I know where they come from.

[hppants]

Great pictures - thanks for sharing.  Don't know why, but the train picture is my favorite.

I wish we had a ridge of any kind where I live.   

[JB1290]

Great report, Fish. I used to go out to LaCrosse to go fishing on the dam but never have done any riding out there. I'll have to put that on my list of "to do rides".

[geemann]

nice ride!  I am very jealous!

[highwayjamin]

  Great report fish.   Its always nice to have other riders along with you.  Great job 

[Me]

Beautiful pics... the bluffs around LaCrosse are always amazing.  Utterly breathtaking in the fall with the changing colors....

Unbelievable how big the Mississippi gets between here and there.

Looks like you had a great weekend for the ride..... not seeing too many of them this year in MN.

[bajakirch]

Modify that route just a smidge and you'd be coming right by my house. Thanks for the tip on it. One of my goals for this year is to do a good long ride, on my own if I have to, out that way.

If you ask me, the SW corner of WI is just about the prettiest area in the state. And yet, very few people visit it.

[bajakirch]

OH! And how could I neglect to comment on Gino's? Delicious!!!

Just don't wander too far across Verona Road unless you're packin' heat.

[Soupskin]

Drop me in the water!

Nice report, thanks.

[darian]

Looks like a good ride!  I didn't realize the terrain was like that up there.

[fishball]

Thanks for the comments everyone.  JB, Bajakirch and Me you should all take a ride in that area if you get a chance, you will not be disappointed.

Wish I was invited, gee.....

Beautifull ride report, only lacking one thing..........The FishMan video formatting!

I would love to ride with you someday Fish1.  I should note that I did bring my video camera but... as I was leaving I kept asking my wife, "I know I'm forgetting something but I don't know what it is?"... turns out I forgot the camera mount that attaches to the bike.  Hopefully I won't make the same mistake on the Lake Michigan ride.

[fishmeister]

Make sure you bring it when you cross the pond on the ferry and meet up with designflaw on Sept 10/11th.

We will be needing a FishMan episode for the eastern Michigan/Lake Huron ride!

[JB1290]

Thanks for the comments everyone.  JB, Bajakirch and Me you should all take a ride in that area if you get a chance, you will not be disappointed.

Wish I was invited, gee.....

Beautifull ride report, only lacking one thing..........The FishMan video formatting!

I would love to ride with you someday Fish1.  I should note that I did bring my video camera but... as I was leaving I kept asking my wife, "I know I'm forgetting something but I don't know what it is?"... turns out I forgot the camera mount that attaches to the bike.  Hopefully I won't make the same mistake on the Lake Michigan ride.

If there is a chance we can do it before the snow starts flying, I'm in. I need to get at least 1 good ride in this year.

[bajakirch]

I'm in, if my schedule is free. Working 3 jobs plus all my other responsibilities, it fills in fast. But I'm up for a ride, maybe in September.

[JB1290]

I hope we can get something together. We can't let all the warm weather members here have all the fun. 

Maybe we can also get pants to come up. Afterall, he is kind of a celebrity here.   

[bajakirch]

How about a Labor Day weekend ride?

[ariwhiteboy]

How about a Labor Day weekend ride?

To Georgia? 

[fishball]

How about a Labor Day weekend ride?

That would be a tough one to slip out on the missus.