Modern Vespa

Just finished off our annual SW Wisconsin long ride weekend. Temperatures neared 100 in the two days prior but thankfully cooler weather took over. By Sunday it was actually 30 degrees cooler and I wore an extra layer to keep warm.

A lot of us usually ride to the starting point, and despite the heat I expected the same. My wife was campaigning for me to trailer down because of the heat, but I'm like, "hey, it's only 100 miles...." Turns out I was actually the only one who did. I would have had a companion, coming well over twice that far, but he crashed early in his ride. Still don't know what happened other than he left the road, but had to be flown to a regional hospital. Makes for a rather somber start to a ride.

Started out the next morning on a 120 mile route, variety of roads from small local roads without center lines to a few highway stretches. Smaller group this year (8?) made it easier to keep track of everyone. FWIW I'd been using RideWithGPS for planning and running the route. I years past I'd used the Bluetooth directions mostly with occasional glances at the map. Bright sun and my phone going on standby was a PITA, this year I found that except for rare occasions, such as rerouting for detours, I was fine without visuals. We actually got back early for a change so had a couple of hours to read, nap, hang out before dinner.

Saturday's route was 140 miles or so, included a ferry, stop at an old winery (old for this part of the world), museum at an old munitions manufacturing site, and "Dr. Evermore's Sculpture Garden." The builder/artist did industrial demolitions, which explains his collection of interesting metal bits, though its a pretty weird collection. And free, even!

Detours always prove interesting, as you show up at a spot with a gaggle of scooters and have to change plans on the fly. In countryside with curvy roads you're not really sure where you'll wind up. On one of the detours my glance at the phone suggested we'd get close to the town we were heading towards, but some miles down the road I'm thinking I have no idea where we're really going, and wondering if we'd come out miles off course. Nope. Got lucky and didn't ruin my reputation (which has been a bit shaky anyway, ).

Good riding, fairly good weather, and always nice riding with friends.

Dave,

Thanks for the great ride report and photos. Regret that I was unable to attend this year. Kind of breaks my string of annual attendance.

You always find interesting spots to stop at on the trail. Inspired by you, I took my scooter group up to the overlook at La Crosse that you took us to on a prior Wisconscoot.

Again thanks for the report - Happy Trails to you.....

Bob Copeland
Just over the border in Minnesota