Re: Trip Planning: Summer 2013

Posted by sgtslag on May 14, 2013; 12:51pm
URL: http://vintage-and-classic-hondas.81.s1.nabble.com/Trip-Planning-Summer-2013-tp4039727p4040740.html

Is the sightseeing worth it?...  For me, and my wife, most definitely, YES.  For other folks, I could not say.  What I can say is that we have ridden the stretch of the Mississippi River along the Iowa/Illinois border, and it is pretty.  The road is two-lane, not perfectly straight, but not tremendously curvy, either -- it makes for a nice, leisurely ride; the speed limit is typically less than 50 MPH along this stretch, and it can have heavy traffic on it, which will keep speeds down.  There is at least one park, with a lookout deck, to take in the view of the River, which is beautiful.

The path you have mapped out, will take you along the heart of the best that stretch of River has to offer.  You will see miles, and miles of the Mississippi.  There will be many small towns along the way, particularly in Wisconsin, to stop, enjoy some pie, some ice cream, and a good meal (typically burgers and fish).  There is a motorcycle shop, Poopy's, in Illinois, which caters to the H-D culture, but some folks regard it as quite the place to visit.

As to riding this stretch, it will take you one day to cover it, maybe 2 days, if you stop a lot, smell the flowers, and do a little hiking.  There are sand-bars, mostly on the Wisconsin side, which are perfect for camping.  Not sure how accessible they would be for a bike, but they're nice.  There are other campgrounds along the route, as well, though they may be a mile from the River.

To help evaluate the area/route, use the map in satellite view, to zoom in.  There should be some photo's posted, in various spots, or maybe even some 360-degree views from the Google car's cameras.  These will help you make an informed decision about your selected route.  Cheers!