"The Mississippi" or "I Need Some Terrain Because It Is Too Damn Flat In Elgin"

So, even after all my family did this summer, I still have a large amount of paid time off to use, and I'd rather not use them in the middle of winter when I don't have anywhere to go. So where does a guy go that has only ridden his motorcycle 1000 miles, mostly too and from work? That's a good question. I looked in all directions but I was limited as a cold front was coming in and I didn't want to be caught riding a motorcycle hundreds of miles in 50 degree weather. The quick answer was the Mississippi River.

I've been on some epic travels in the past few years. Traveling is one of the ways I use to figure out things in my life, and for decades, I've had a lot on my mind. Recently, I've cleared up a lot of things that have tormented my mind, so my trips have become fewer and less about naval gazing than in the past. So, instead of finding a place along the river and trying to find reason and coherence for my life, I am more interested in riding my bike and just enjoying where I am.

I have favorite stretches of the river. There are a few places south of Burlington Iowa that are pleasant, but I've been there almost each year in the past 20. I like the river south of St. Louis, but I couldn't go there and get back in a day. I visited St. Louis last year too. So that leaves that almost directly west of here. I hadn't ridden US 20 to Galena on my bike, and I keep hearing how nice the ride is. Tracy and I visited there last year with the kids when we were coming back from camping at the Mississippi Palisades. I'm not a great fan of the place, but the ride does remind me of a road in Vermont that I frequented, trying to get away from the stresses of being a missionary. So that was it. I'll go to Galena and head north and turn around either at Prairie Du Chien or La Cross. I really like that section since I first visited on a trip to Minneapolis. In fact, Hayden and I camped there when he was 4 or 5. It was one of my most memorable trips.

The ride to Galena was nice, and it was worth the time. I liked the fact that there is terrain, actual hills and turns. I weary so of the level/straight landscape that plagues most of Illinois. If it wasn't for the job and proximity to family, I would be out of here soooooo fast. Less traveled by me is the trip to Dubuque, Iowa. I caught the Great River Road in Galena and would follow it to Prairie Du Chien (PDC). If memory served, I would be traveling some more rustic roads on the Wisconsin portions. One of my first surprises was in order to get to Wisconsin, I had to travel through Dubuque. So I crossed the Mississippi and traveled north for a mile, and crossed again. Wisconsin! I traveled inland for some time and I became worried that I had missed a turn. 8 Miles in and I found my turn. I was greeted by a typical state road until I turned in what appeared to be a normal residential area. That was an odd turn, and I found Potosi. The town was one house wide on either side as it was built in a river valley with high bluffs. I passed what was billed as "Wisconsin's First All Girls' School", and a brewery. A large 2 story can of beer and a mobile "bar" serving Potosi beer, of course.



It was a nice short ride to Cassville. I didn't remember any of this from my previous trips, and I would have because Cassville had two, count them, two power plants. I have a thing for power plants. I know I wouldn't pass by two impressive power plants if I had to turn around at PDC, so I was happy that I found these two there. My bike's gas meter also started blinking north of the northern plant, and I knew I was going to be on back roads until I hit PDC. Hopefully I could make it.

The road was interesting, but not extremely enjoyable. The scenery was great, but the road was loose gravel so I couldn't go at speed as the wheels couldn't find consistent purchase. I remembered heading south on this road some years previous with Tracy. I remembered a dark road, kind of swampy, with some old mobile homes. Well, I found that spot, but the sun was brighter and it wasn't nearly as foreboding as I remembered. I then climbed the bluff and was in the midst of cornfields until once again meeting 35 and heading into PDC. Gas and a wipe of the visor and front wind shield made for a nice ride across the Wisconsin River and into PDC proper.

A quick lunch and a message to Tracy to let her know I was alive and I headed across the river. I did a brief ride through riverside park, unintentionally as I made a wrong turn. It wasn't that remarkable and the navigable part of the river was closer to the Iowa side on the far side of the island I was viewing.

Once across the river, I made a turn right and headed to the Effigy Mounds. I was always disappointed at my previous visits, but I still stopped to see what it was that I was disappointed in. Ah, yes. The hikes to get to the mounds. I'm always strapped for time, so I didn't see them again. Oh well, I headed south again and made a stop at the "hysterical" marker. I remembered I was disappointed there to, but couldn't remember why. Ah yes, there was a trail from one fort to another....big deal. Why did they even mark this?

I had to stop in Marquette for a train, so I took these pictures of the casino while I waited. My next stop would be up on the bluff at one of my favorite places, Pike's Peak State Park.


I remember camping here with Hayden many years back. I distinctly remember the playground and the view is fantastic. The campground is nice and the town below is charming, if not on the old side. It is a great place to visit. There isn't much barge traffic on the north Mississippi, but the view is nice to see. Because of the time of day and knowing my drive back, I didn't spend much time there. I will be back though.

I also remembered a few churches close by. I think the reason I remembered them is that they were out of place and seemingly "in the middle of nowhere." Truth be told, I was only a few miles out of the village, but the fact that the town was on the river and the churches were up on the bluff, the distance is really just an illusion. The transition from the river to the bluff feels more drastic than it really is.


The churches are surrounded by cornfields, which isn't really all that unusual. Everything in the midwest is surrounded by cornfields. It just strengthens the feeling of isolation. I'm sure if I lived there, it wouldn't seem so isolated. FYI, if you want to see them on the map, church1, Norsk Church. The older church might not actually have services, but is used for other purposes.

Once again, the road took me off the bluff and towards the river. It was a thoroughly enjoyable road. I felt so comfortable on the bike, and I could take the turns at speed. The scenery was awesome, as far as the river goes, and I just hit a rhythm with the bike and the road. I soon was confronted once again with a turn and a city. I lost track of the road, if that makes sense. I actually started to follow the geo metro ahead of me more that I was following the signs. It wasn't like I had any particular way to go.  I looked around and I remembered the city. This might be the city that I remembered liking so well. I turned off the highway and was met by a park all along the riverside. It looked kind of shabby, but there was the park, the lock and dam...it had to be it. I moved through the town still seeing how much things had changed from my memory. It wouldn't be the first time I remembered things incorrectly. I was out East showing Tracy where I served on my mission and I told her of this long bridge and how high it was. When we actually were on it, she looked at my like I was insane. It was a bridge, but it was only about 10' high. How on earth did I remember it so differently? Anyway, Guttenburg, IA. I stopped on the south side of town and looked around. I didn't remember this end of town correctly at all. I remembered there being a park, up on the bluff, and there wasn't a bluff here, but everything else was expected....hmmmm.

I soon came up on the bluff and I remembered how much I enjoyed this part of the road, The road went up and up to what might be the highest part of the state, for all I know. I came through the town of Balltown, up on the peak of the ridge, if that is what it is. I could see across the river to Cassville and the power plants. I considered taking a picture but I would have to zoom in and it just wouldn't do it justice. I might have to consider getting a better camera. I continued down the ridge and on the outskirts of town there was a sign, "The Churches of Sherrill Welcome You". I thought "Sherrill is an odd name for a god, but whatever." The River Road took an odd turn and I was greeted by an uncomfortable ride. Lots of turns, but none could be taken at speed. The road was in bad condition and the wheels kept wanting to slip under me. I was glad to be off of it and meet up with 52 again as it was a lousy road.

One thing I noticed, aside from the patches of yellow flowers that were in patches along the east bank, was the silver grasses. There were large patches of this all along the Iowa side of the river. With all the wind, the impression that parts of the state were chromed with this grass made for a more enjoyable trip.

A slow travel through Dubuque and odd construction zones and I was once again on my way south. Bellvue. Bellvue was the town I was thinking off. It was almost a copy of Guttenburg but with more "money" and, sure enough, there was the state park south of town. It is a beautiful place in the summer. I'll be camping there next year maybe.

A non remarkable road followed and I eventually came to Sabula. It is an odd little town; poor and located on an island if you don't consider the multiple causeways that connect to it. I think I've been here three times in the past couple of years. I braced myself for the trip across the bridge back into Illinois. It is a very narrow, steel deck bridge. It grabs your tires and moves you around, and there aren't any railings to keep you from falling in the river if it moves you too much. It is a high bridge, like all that cross the river to accommodate barge traffic. Now I was on completely familiar ground. I stopped for a quick bite at the Taco Bell and headed home. It was surprisingly a quick 2 hour ride back home. One thing I like about motorcycles is that although I'm not a speed freak, I know I can pass almost anything in a short period of time. That is helpful on these back country roads.

I got back home at around 7:30, after dark. I had ridden 500 miles and I was sore. I am amazed at how tired sitting down on a bike can be. My neck hurt because my helmet isn't the lightest made. I'm glad I went on it, but I think next year I'm going to the Twin Cities on a longer ride. I really like the river, and Illinois is too damn flat.