Taking a Break in the Trip

Made it to Wisconsin - Time for a Break

Saturday, August 10th, 2019 - Albert Lea, MN to Watertown, WI

I left the hotel at 6:10 AM. It was after sunrise, however, because of the heavy overcast and light showers it was still dark. I decided to start riding even though I had no rear running lights. About a half-hour later the skies cleared, and it was no longer a factor. I put on the leather jacket again since the temperature was 65.

I hit several small patches with very light rain. Enough though that I had to use a small towel to clear my visor. I stopped around 2 hours later to get gas and have some breakfast. There was a small cafe at the gas station. I ordered a Denver Omelet, which was one of the best I have ever had. It was very cheesy. I put the leather jacket back on since was still 65 but was now partly cloudy. I crossed over the Mississippi River at La Cross Wisconsin around 9:00 AM,

About an hour later, I was getting drowsy and I started to open the vents in my jacket in order to stay cool. The drowsiness is usually a sign that I am getting too warm. In my early trips in 2014, this would happen often until I discovered the pattern in 2016. I also learned that chewing gum also minimized this as well.

I pulled off the road at a rest area near Camp Douglas. I have stopped there several times in the past when driving to Minneapolis for work 20-years ago. It is a nice shaded park with several large limestone formations called Castle Rock that people stop and climb. I took off my gear and stretched out on a picnic table and took a short nap. I got up and shed the jacket even though the temperature was 72. This is still a little cool to ride without something extra on, but I took it off anyways.

I made good time and remembered as I was passing Madison, this is where I usually stopped. This time is different since our daughter has moved to Oshkosh. I headed east towards Milwaukee. I stopped for gas in Waukesha. I covered nearly 210 miles on a tank of gas which is the longest run on a tank so far this trip. I didn't encounter any winds which probably had much to do with that.

I arrived at my granddaughter Angie's home at around 1:00 PM. I covered 337.5 miles in 6 and a half hours. I was greeted by my two three-year-old great-grandchildren. While sitting in the Harley dealer waiting for my motorcycle to be fixed, it dawned on me that stopping here was a break I desperately needed. We drove to an auto parts store later in the afternoon to get some fuses and a multi-meter. I was able to do two loads of laundry and repack my gear for the next segment of the trip. During the interim, it was nice to get into casual clothes for the first time in seven days.

We had a very nice pasta dinner that Angie prepared that was made from scratch. It was so good, I had three helpings. It was so great to sit down and have a wonderful home cooked meal and enjoy family. As I get older, I regret that I didn't spend more time with my own daughter when she was growing up. I let my career take precedence and did not balance the other portions of my life at the time. The kids tried on my jacket which weighs nearly as much as they do. Bennett and Alexa are great kids with personalities. Alexa loves to sing when she is bored at mealtime. Bennett is a very good eater. They love to dance with each other when there is music playing. 

It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon and we sat out and enjoyed watching the kids play outside. The kids were drawing things on the driveway with chalk, so I had them lay down as I traced an outline of their bodies down by the street. It wasn't as good as CSI, but I thought it would be fun. It turns out, when Angie and her husband Trevor were installing new flooring in the living room, they did the same thing with Trevor's brother. That should cause the next owner some shock when they replace the flooring.

We cooked S'mores that evening in a small fire that we built in the back yard. I went to bed around the same time as the kids. I had one without the chocolate (allergy) and then just ate a handful of marshmallows (weakness).

Sunday, August 11th, 2019 - Fixing the Electrical Problem

We got up and had eggs, bacon and pancakes for breakfast. The kids ran off to play, and I went out and accessed the fuse panel and removed the liner from the Touring Box storage to access the electrical wiring where the problems have been occurring. There are about a dozen 15 Amp fuses and it was the next to last one that was blown. I put the new one in upside down so that it will be easy to spot if it reoccurs. I found a loose connection and a broken wire which was most likely causing the electrical short. I fixed those two things and checked out the system before putting it all back together. I am grateful that I found a couple of You Tube videos showing me how to do the job.

I took the day to relax and I was able to change my hotel reservation for the night to Monday, so I extended the trip by one day to enjoy family. If I had thought about it earlier, we could have gone to the State Fair since it was cloudy and moderate temperatures. We ultimately went out for dinner at an old Lakefront Supper Club that my wife Trish and I used to eat at when we lived in Muskego. I was only about a mile or so from our old house.

After the kids went to bed, I did some paperwork and adjusted the plans for the remainder of the trip. It was great to spend time with family, but I must reluctantly press on with the remainder of the trip. I will miss the kids waking me up in the morning.

I will be heading to Port Huron Michigan on Monday and will most likely stop to see one of my brothers when I pass through town. I will leave after breakfast in order to miss the Chicago rush hour.