Leelover

Some of the other old timers out there may recognize that opening line from a 1969 TV show, but here is more info on it if you would like to check it out: ...then came BRONSON
That series made quite an impact on me as a 10 year old boy with a sense of adventure out of proportion to my then sheltered life. I was gripped by the concept of hopping on a bike to take on the open road and what ever I might encounter. Still am actually. There is some thing so powerful about the idea of just man and machine on the highway, subject to the elements and the whims of fate. It would be an epic adventure, wrought with hardship that builds or exposes character. Success (survival?) would depend on the individuals wits, skill, and luck...

So, 38 years have gone by. My life has not been without adventure, not always the kind I have sought, but it has not been boring. I have had my share of character building hardship, not especially by my own design. But I have never really taken off, headed out on the highway, seen where it would take me. The last few years have been rather trying. A really big chapter in my life has just ended, I don't know what the future holds, and I must admit I am more than a little scared. This is not exactly the endless road trip adventure I envisioned long ago, too many responsibilities, but at least for a little while, I am taking a trip.

Day one:
I got up and prepped for my departure. I had packed the FJR's three hardcases before leaving Florida, so I did not have to do too much packing. Mainly went over what I thought I would need again for the hundredth time. My route
plan at this point is to point the bike west and stick to that direction as much as possible till I get to the shore
of Lake Michigan. I grew up in northern Illinois, and we vacationed in the area just south of Muskegon a few summers.
I hope to find some familiar land marks.

After getting the bike and the truck packed, XSIVSPD and I had lunch in the Candlestone's Bogie lounge. All system's are a go. We said our goodbyes, headed south to 44 where Corey turned east and I headed west (old man!). That part is never easy...parenting never seems to end, only change.

I ride my "plan". It works surprisingly well, head west till I can't go on, then north till I find a likely looking west bound road, then west again. I make it to the shore just south of Muskegon with almost no backtracking. I have no GPS (by design, part of the romance), we will see if there is one on the bike by the time I get home. Shortly after turning south on a road that seems to hug the lake shore I receive a tremendous blessing: I stumble upon the beach access park we used to go to in the early 70's! Awesome! I pull in and take a couple pics, and reflect on my attempts to surf in the miniature waves along the sandy beach long ago. Heading south again it gets even better: within ten miles I find the trailer park that Aunt Doris moved to after Uncle Bud died (he was a cool guy, looked like Bing Crosby, smoked a pipe, and taught me a lot about fishing)! This place is really special to me, I was about 12 or 13, and there was this girl that lived there...ah, young love!
I head south again and then take a wrong turn due to a detour. Go about 45 miles out of my way before making it back on track to get onto A-2 south of Holland (a vote for GPS?). A-2 is great! The 2-lane road wound along the lake shore in a series of gentle sweepers with occasional sections open to the view of afternoon sunlight glinting off the cool blue Lake waters. To echo bwhip, it was a gift! I followed that road all the way to Indiana where it becomes something else, but still follows the curve of the south end of Lake Mich. Not far before the state line I stopped to eat at a little BBQ joint named Smokin Woody's. The sign reminded me of the mural in LuvToLean's trailer (great job, btw!). The food was good, a couple in their 60's own and run it. He had a FJ1200 Yammie "back in the day", and a sticker on his pickup that said "Driver carries no cash, he owns a race car". Somehow I can relate! A new friend and I were musing about the things you see and people you meet only when you get off the beaten path, and it is so true! In fact even as we were speaking we got the opportunity to sample some chocolate chip cookies by a character that we would never have met if we hadn't taken a little time. (They were good, but not AS good as his description ! Though I did almost choke when he said it!)

I had no desire to ride through the Gary, IN/Chicago area, so I headed south on 49 and then west on US 30. Just before I got to Joliet the sky turned the most awesome colors as the sun set. Orange, pink, rose colors, beyond description! I took a couple pics, but they don't do it justice. I planned to stop somewhere around Joliet for the night, but somehow I didn't see a place I liked and ended up going all the way to Aurora. Finally found a decent hotel and turned in for the night.

Tomorrow I want to go revisit the area I grew up in. The towns of Oswego, Yorkville, and the old homestead in between.

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__________________
"The Father wove the skein of your life a long time ago. Go and hide in a hole if you wish, but you won't live one instant longer. Your fate is fixed. Fear profits a man nothing." Herger the Joyous

phobe

If you're up to it, check out the black hills of South Dakota... Beautiful scenery, lots of history and awesome roads.

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quick26

nice write up, be safe

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I am not post whoring, I am providing an abundance of useless opinion.

deftones156

Dale, you going to be swinging into the WI area on your journey?

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"My friend said to me, ‘You know what I like? Mashed potatoes.’ I was like, ‘Dude, you have to give me time to guess. If you're going to quiz me you have to insert a pause."

evl_twn

If you're passing through central IL, either on the way out or on your way home, you've got a place to stay...

luvtolean

Sweetness.

Roadtripping rules.

Be safe, if the road leads to SoCal, let me know.

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Someone needs to present the facts and the physics rather than just the rhetoric. Poor old Carmelo doesn't understand the physics of a motorcycle. - Jerry Burgess, on spec tires and changing engine rules

Leelover

Day two:
Wake up fairly early despite my attempts to sleep in. I am really tired lately but can't seem to sleep much. Get online and check the news on the forum. So sad about Rich...

After reloading the bike (these cases are heavy! I will have to weigh them at some point) I start to find my way towards Oswego. To say this area has changed is a gross understatement . I stop at a gas station to fill up and get a local map. Good thing because my memories of the road directions in this area are wrong. Also, my usually good sense of direction seems to be skewed here (because I grew up here?). Talked a guy getting gas who also has a condo in Punta Gorda, FL. He and his wife were there and stayed through Hurricane Charlie. "Never again, made me totally respect the forces of nature".

I make my way west towards Oswego. For the first time since my wife died I don't have something pressing to occupy my mind. Interesting to see the emotions that seem to take over.
I don't know why I feel drawn (almost compelled) to revisit this area, but it must be part of the process. Things are starting to look familiar. Arriving at Oswego, I find the old down town section to look almost as it did thirty-some years ago. The buildings are the same, if not the businesses. I stop at the "Dairy Hut" to have a Italian beef sandwich for lunch. MMM, mm! I don't know why these things don't seem to exist much of anywhere outside the Chicagoland area-food of the gods! This little ice cream/sandwich shop has been here forever, gramps used to load my sisters, my cousins and I up in his '61 VW bug, and haul the six of us in to get ice cream sundaes long ago. Since my cousin Richie and I were the oldest, we had the privilege of standing on the back seat with our upper bodies sticking through the sunroof (yes, this was LONG before mandatory child safety seats!).

I then walk around a bit to see the familiar storefronts. Two of note in particular: Oswego Hardware (now an antique shop), they had a knife display case that fascinated me. And even more so: directly across Main street, a little diner (now an antique shop) that also fascinated me but for a different reason, quite a bit later on. You see, there was this girl that worked there. She was a waitress, not a dancer, and it wasn't a "little club downtown", but she WAS long and lovely, and every time I hear Bob Seger's "Main street" I am standing on that corner "tryin' to get my courage up"!
After that little sojourn it is time to press on to something more poignant: heading out to the farm where I spent my youth. This area has changed drastically. Where there was nothing but corn and soy bean fields, now the land seems to sprout housing developments. Just like almost everywhere else, I suppose. I made my way out to the "Gentleman's farm" My grandfather bought back in the late 1940's. It was about 80 acres of pasture and woods with a bunch of old outbuildings and an old house way back in the woods in addition to my grandparents house and ours. I lived there from birth till I was 17. Spent a lot of time rambling around the property (and the neighboring ones), shooting, hunting, riding horses, and later an assortment of motorcycles that were not especially made for off road work. At that time there were no close neighbors, it was real country. Now there are many newer homes in the vicinity, some very high end. Speaking of which, I found that the old 3/1/1 ranch house of about 1200 square feet that I grew up in to be replaced with a palatial brick home of almost 6000 square feet! Wow, big change! It was more emotional going back to "the Farm" than I thought. After a very brief look around I was ready to move on. Definitely a closed chapter now.


After puttering around a bunch of roads I used to travel I explored the town of Yorkville. I went to school there and lived there for several years after I married my first wife. I worked in a big family style restaurant on the north side of town for my first serious job. The entire shopping center it was in has been totally leveled. The old downtown section is fairly close to the same, but the surrounding areas are filled with housing developments. Population when I left in 1978 was about 2000, now they are projecting 200,000 residents by 2010!. I look up the son of a farmer my dad used to work for. He took me to see his parents, and we had a nice visit. It was good to remember Dad with some people he really enjoyed. Took off and cruised more country roads-some gravel! Man this is a big, heavy bike! I stay the night in a little, old school motel in town that I stayed in long ago. Hasn't changed a bit, for better or worse! They have no internet access (surprise), so I use the aircard to post a few things but the connection is not too good. Time for bed.

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__________________
"The Father wove the skein of your life a long time ago. Go and hide in a hole if you wish, but you won't live one instant longer. Your fate is fixed. Fear profits a man nothing." Herger the Joyous

ONEvcs

Glad for you. Can't wait for the rest of the report...
You're leaving one of my dreams.

Leelover

Oh yeah, almost forgot, I had lunch in a little cafe in dowtown Yorkville. Look what was parked next to my bike when I came out:

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__________________
"The Father wove the skein of your life a long time ago. Go and hide in a hole if you wish, but you won't live one instant longer. Your fate is fixed. Fear profits a man nothing." Herger the Joyous

Leelover

Also, in case you are wondering how far it is from Yorkville, IL to New Orleans, LA, by water...

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__________________
"The Father wove the skein of your life a long time ago. Go and hide in a hole if you wish, but you won't live one instant longer. Your fate is fixed. Fear profits a man nothing." Herger the Joyous

4theRide

Awesome I've always wanted to just take off for a journey on the bike and see what happens!!

Be safe and have a great time!!!!!

Leelover

Day three:
Up early again. I Wake to a Panera Bread across the street for some coffee (Yorkville has everything now). Have breakfast and peruse the local phonebook for names I might recognize. There are a few, but nobody I really want to look up. The Panera Bread has WIFI, so I bring the laptop over and post some stuff.
I really felt strongly that I should come back here, but now it is time to go...
Saddle up and head west on Highway 34. Through the towns of Plano (home of Plano Tackle boxes), and Sandwich. In the country outside of Sandwich, I stop a familiar landmark. I honestly never knew the real name of the establishment-it was always refereed to as The Hoghouse", or "The Hogger" due to the original building being a pig barn. It was a bar/lounge that had live music and a large dance floor. They were located just over the county line in a county that allowed bars to stay open two more hours than any of the surrounding areas. So, the place was pretty well empty till around 1 AM, then filled up rapidly with pre-inebriated clientèle. The atmosphere was roadhouse tacky, complete with mostly old vinyl padded kitchen chairs and tables that I swear they got from a town dump! Not a bad idea, what with the frequency that they were destroyed! It was not a destination place, but rather a place you ended up, and I had plenty an adventure there!

I am heading to Sheridan to see my friend Randy and his family. He is one of two best friends from the restaurant days. We have quite a history together, though he does seem to remember a lot of weird things I did that I don't always recall . They have a nice travel trailer they keep at the local rod and gun club (really a small, private camp ground) that they have offered to let me stay at. The camp is great! They show me around and introduce me to other members who are having a steak dinner cook out. Randy and his wife Andrea have to go to a wedding so I have some time to myself. I find I can buy into the dinner for $8. It is awesome, great steak and lots of homemade sides!

As I eat I listen to the long-ago familiar banter about local gossip, fishing, work, and of course, the corn crop. I have been a lot of places since I moved from here, but that stuff sure takes me back. This place is very relaxing, a close knit group of folks, bunches of kids playing with no worries. I get a chance to get caught up on some of my writing, though there is no internet access around and very little cell signal. Have to put it in Notepad and post later (at least maybe I won't somehow delete it like I did the first day...).

Randy and Andrea come back after their reception and we go to Joliet to see "Wild Hogs" ($2/person, btw). Uh-oh, I hope my trip doesn't take on some of the aspects of theirs! I guess the motorcycle trip ideal is pretty universal in guys of my generation. At least I am not a poser on a Harley, just a poser on a sport/tour!

A bit about that, too: I am really enjoying the FJR, It is doing what it should. Carrying me a bunch of luggage well and still exhibiting the ability to carve up some curves, and pull pretty hard when I feel like it. But I am not sure if it is the bike for me over all. The one thing I would like is the ability to explore some of the un-paved roads and trails I come across (though I don't know if that would be ultimately a good thing...trespassing and failure to avoid dirt-bike antics could prove to be a downfall). Also, I bought this specific bike with two up aspirations, and the empty back seat bothers me a lot at times. Trying not to get into that too much here.

Anyway, on the way home we stop at Andrea's sisters place out in the country. They are having a party, and I remember the country parties of my youth. Lots going on, but pretty harmless in the overall.

Finally back to the camp late and hit the rack.

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__________________
"The Father wove the skein of your life a long time ago. Go and hide in a hole if you wish, but you won't live one instant longer. Your fate is fixed. Fear profits a man nothing." Herger the Joyous

Leelover

Day four:
Slept much better last night, must be the county air!

Go to Randy and Andrea's for home made sausage and gravy biscuit breakfast. The have three kids, one on her own with a child now. It is hard to believe how much stuff they do with jobs, the kids being in a variety of sports, and community. The town they live in has a population of about 1400, and all the small town drama that comes with these little farm towns. Everybody knows everybody and their personal business, good and bad. They do an amazing amount of stuff together, community is strong here. There is a lot of preparation for the 4th of July holiday, excitement is high, most of the town have responsibilities in getting ready for the parade and fireworks, etc.

We attend a church service in the Gazebo of the town park. It is the Methodist Church in town. Less than 50 people there, beautiful weather. It is a simple service, no great miracles performed, just simple people honoring their Lord. At the end we sing "They will know we are Christians". Most of these folks will go out to live out the lyrics, who was it who said there were no miracles?

We hook Randy's boat and head down to the Illinois river near Ottawa. Put in at Starved Rock. Here is some info on the site if you would like: DNR
The reason it is named such is really quite sad.

The river is beautiful, perfect weather complete with azure skies and fluffy white popcorn clouds. Lots of people on the water and the river banks, tubing, skiing, fishing and having fun. Quite a few barges on the river carrying grain and coal. We have a great ride, then load up and head back to the camp to cook burgers, brats, and hotdogs. Oh, and sweet corn! This stuff is early crop from southern Illinois, not as good as what will be harvested later around here, but still a little bit of heaven on a cob!

Andrea comes form a large family and there are a lot of sisters and their husbands, nieces and nephews, and relatives in general around. Family is truly a powerful thing. I am really blessed to know these folks and be able to spend time with them. Randy has come a long way from the goofy kid I had to get out of stupid situations back in the "wild days"! He has become a great husband, father, and friend to many.

Go to my sleeping bag totally spent tonight, great day.

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__________________
"The Father wove the skein of your life a long time ago. Go and hide in a hole if you wish, but you won't live one instant longer. Your fate is fixed. Fear profits a man nothing." Herger the Joyous

DEPO

You are in my old stomping grounds..... lived in Streator, IL

Oswego is a great town, recovered from that really bad tornado, not too long a go.

Used to boat in the Illinois River all the time.... right there in Ottawa.

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HondaGalToo

Awesome! I, too, have always wanted to take off on my motorcycle, perhaps ride across the country. Hopefully I'll do it someday, but getting that kind of time off is unlikely. Guess I should start getting Lotto tickets!

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“I want to stand as close to the edge as I can without going over. Out on the edge you see all the kinds of things you can't see from the center.”
~Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.

Leelover

Thank you all for the encouragment, trip ideas, and offers!

Right now I don't know where I am going, or when. I am considering attending Rich's memorial service, but not sure of anything else yet.

__________________
"The Father wove the skein of your life a long time ago. Go and hide in a hole if you wish, but you won't live one instant longer. Your fate is fixed. Fear profits a man nothing." Herger the Joyous

DonB

Thanks for the trip report, Dale. Looking forward to more.

Give me a call if you find yourself in N. CA.

seamus

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Richard Herald, The Gentle Giant

The nation that makes a great distinction between its scholars and its warriors will have its thinking done by cowards and its fighting done by fools.
--- Thucydides

CBRVFR

I appreciate the great write ups, Dale.

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"...the TV also never took away the screwdriver and shoved it up the repairman's ass."

Our own Mr.2nd Amendment, explaining the difference. Perfectly.

Rich Herald, the Gentle Giant

phobe

Hey tell those Canadian geese to come back home eh?

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RC51Mike

Thanks for taking us along on your trip.

For a little background:

Then Came Bronson - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Opening scene that spawned young Leelover's sense of adventure: http://www.tvparty.com/g2/bronopfd.ram

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2001 RC51
2003 Ruckus
2006 BMW K1200S
1967 Plymouth Valiant (sold 1979)

I needed a certain exhilarating milieu. There is nothing more exhilarating than philistine vulgarity. - Nabokov

ONEvcs

Awesome write up. If you find yourself near Ft. Worth my home is your home.