My day started kind of rough. The Famous Dave's from the previous night really didn't sit well. My meal tasted below average and there seemed to be a strong correlation with the way the meal tasted and the way I felt during the night. So I wound up waking to use the restroom four times during the night.
When I was in bed, the mattress was soft but the pillow was hard. Usually I like a firm pillow, but this was even firmer than I cared for. Couple all of this with the sickness that I'd been fighting for the previous few days and I was pretty beat by the time my alarm went off at 7:30.
As a result, I was moving unusually slow as I prepared for the day. I was hoping that the motel would have some coffee or doughnuts in the office. I meandered down to that end of the building, but only found a metal shelf that looked like it might contain doughnuts at various points in time, just not today. And no coffee. I decided I'd have to stop somewhere for a bite and some caffeine.
I wandered back to the room and packed up the bike. I didn't need to take much with me as I was returning to the motel that day, so no luggage. Just a few things in my saddlebag and I was ready to go.
I climbed on the bike, hit the starter and heard a pathetic groan of the engine slowly turning over, and then nothing. The slow starting I experienced the night before after getting gas wasn't just the result of a hot engine. My battery was dead.
Well, this was a conundrum. Motorcycle batteries can sometimes be hard to find, especially the specific one my bike takes. I went back into the hotel room and hopped on my laptop to try and find somewhere in town that may sell batteries. There looked like there as a Napa Auto Parts store just north of town on highway 13. I decided that was worth a try.
I went back out to the bike. I had parked facing away from the door, and there was a slight downhill grade in front of the motorcycle. I pulled the choke, turned the ignition on, put the bike in gear while holding the clutch and did my best to push the bike as fast as I could. I popped the clutch and it fired up right away, which on a chilly morning is an answer to prayer for my bike. Now I just had to keep it running until it warmed up.
The best way to warm it up is to ride it, but first I had to get out of the parking lot. I rode to the street and despite a couple of close calls when the engine stumbled, I managed to get going heading east.
I only had to go about a block to reach highway 13, and thankfully the light turned green so I could just stay on the gas. I rode 3rd gear at a pretty high RPM as I went down the highway, trying to get the bike good and warm as fast as I could. I scanned the buildings looking for the NAPA.
I probably rode 5 miles without seeing the parts store. I finally reasoned that it either wasn't there or I'd passed it, so I turned around and headed back. Still couldn't find it. There were a few power sports stores along this highway, but they looked like they mostly catered to boaters and jet skis. I'm not sure they would have a motorcycle battery, and even if they did they weren't yet open.
I reached town again and decided to ride through the main streets. Surely there had to be an auto parts store somewhere, right? I took highway 23 as far as I could west. Then I turned around and followed highway 12 through town. Nothing. There was a Wal-Mart and I know they have a limited supply of auto batteries but I decided the chance of them having the right battery for my motorcycle was slim. There was a Harley store, but it was the kind that just sells clothing and trinkets but doesn't have a service department.
At the south end of town I had yet to find an auto parts store within the Wisconsin Dells. I decided that I would just head out and drive my planned route and hope that in one of the other towns I would come across. In the meantime, I was surprisingly hungry which I didn't expect given the way I felt during the night. I decided to stop and grab a quick bite.
The quickest bite I could think of was McDonalds. I pulled in and found a spot in the back of the parking lot with a long, open area in front of me sloped downward. I was going to leave the bike running while I went in and grabbed a sandwich, but just in case it died I wanted a shot at push starting it again.
I ordered a sandwich to go, then ran back outside. Much to my relief the bike was still running with that rough, uneven idle it exhibits where it sounds like it's going to die about every four revolutions. I quick ate my sandwich and then climbed back on the bike to head south towards Mt. Horeb. My mood was pretty tense as I hadn't prepared myself mentally for a mechanical problem. I really hoped I could find somewhere to buy a battery without having to ride all the way to Madison.
I rode south, scanning the sides of the road for any sign of somewhere that might sell a motorcycle battery. Farm and tractor supply store? Probably not. Heavy equipment dealer? Not likely. Past the town of Baraboo, still nothing.
Then as I entered Sauk City I came across an O'Reily auto parts store. I was skeptical they would have one, but I decided it was worth a stop. I pulled in, backed the bike up a slight incline and left it running. The guy behind the counter was friendly. I explained my dilemma and he looked up their inventory. Not only did they have a battery for my bike, they had two versions: a "wet" version where you have to add the battery acid, and a "dry" maintenance free version for a bit more money. I've always used the dry batteries in this bike, so I said I'd take it.
He rang it up, and then started talking about the core charge that I would get back when I brought in my old battery. I asked if it would be easier if I went out and pulled my old battery before I paid for the new one, so we could just have one transaction on my credit card. He agreed that would be easier, so I left the new battery on the counter and ran out to the bike.
Thankfully, removing the battery from my motorcycle is a pretty simple process. Pop the seat, remove the two screws from the battery post, unhook the rubber hold-down strap and pull it out. In less than five minutes I was back in the store dead battery in hand.
I purchased the new battery and went back out to the bike. On my way out there was a guy walking across the parking lot toward the store. He noticed I was carrying a motorcycle battery and struck up a conversation. He asked me how often I needed to change batteries, and I replied that I'll get anywhere from three to seven years out of mine. He said that every year he has to buy a new one in the spring even though he leaves his on a charger during the winter.
My immediate thought was that he was cooking the battery to death every winter by leaving it on a charger. I tried to subtly suggest that's what was happening and mentioned that I don't do anything to my battery when I park the bike. He insisted that he needed to leave his battery on a charger. After a couple minutes of talking we wished each other well and went our separate ways.
After five more minutes I had the new battery installed. Now it was the moment of truth. I was hoping that the problem actually was the battery and not something worse, like a starter that had gone south. I got the seat back on, turned on the ignition, hit the starter and the bike roared to life. Whew! I felt a wave of relief come over me.
With a new-found sense of enthusiasm, I hit the road. Now I felt like I could really relax and enjoy the day knowing that I wouldn't be traipsing all over Wisconsin trying to get my motorcycle fixed.
I headed south out of Sauk City on highway 78 towards Mt. Horeb.
The road wasn't particularly curvy, but the scenery was pretty nice. The leaves were just starting to turn colors. I could only imagine how pretty southern Wisconsin would be in another two weeks.
Roughly halfway between Sauk City and Mt Horeb highway 78 merges with highway 14 for a couple of miles. As I approached the intersection I noticed there was a small parking lot on the right side of the highway, designed for commuters to park their cars while they carpool to nearby towns. I decided it would be a good spot to pull over and snap a couple of pictures and double-check my map.
I signaled a right turn and started to slow down. About that point in time I heard the chatter of squealing tires behind me. I made the split-second (and ultimately wise) decision to not pull to the right in preparation for the turn, but just to maintain my lane position. No sooner had I made that unconscious choice when a lady in an SUV came zooming by my right side with her anti-lock brakes audibly engaged. She had a phone in her hand and a look of panic on her face.
From putting the pieces together, I speculate that she was texting/looking at her phone and hadn't noticed my signal or the fact that I was slowing down until it was too late. She jammed on the brakes, realized she wasn't going to stop in time and decided to pass me on the right side even though that was the direction I was signaling.
We both came to a stop (thankfully with no contact) and stared at each other for a moment. I gave her my best, "Are you trying to kill me?!!!" look, and she panicked and took off. Ugh. I pulled into the parking lot for a couple of minutes to let the adrenaline clear my system.
Once I calmed down a bit I continued following highway 78 south.
As I came to the town of Mt. Horeb I decided I was in need of a short break. I had yet to have any coffee and I'm one of those people who don't enjoy life without coffee every morning. As I rode through town I saw a Kwik Trip. I like Kwik Trips so I pulled in.
I was not prepared for what I discovered. This Kwik Trip was the nicest convenience store I've ever been in. Impeccably clean. Well stocked. Well staffed. Hardwood floors. It felt like a hotel concierge lounge that also sold gas. It was amazing.
I bought a large coffee and a cake doughnut. Then I stepped outside and enjoyed the sunshine as I ate. I pulled out my map and studied the map and route for the next leg of the journey.
Before I left on the trip, as I was sitting at home feeling sick, I googled "best Wisconsin motorcycle roads." I looked through lots of road recommendations and found one that started in Mt.Horeb and took a somewhat circular route through the back roads of the area, with lots of twists and turns. So many, in fact, that I couldn't just follow a map as a printed map wouldn't have the resolution needed. So I had written out the directions on a piece of paper.
Back on the motorcycle, I now had to find the starting point as written on my paper. My directions had me start at the intersection of highway 78 and Fertile Ridge Road. 78 was the main street through Mt. Horeb, so I continued riding down main street looking for my intersection. Pretty soon I was about five miles west of town and was convinced that I must have missed the sign. So I turned around and road back. Then I found myself back in Mt. Horeb just a few blocks from the Kwik Trip, with no sign of Fertile Ridge. I pulled over and grabbed my phone to try and zero in on where this elusive road was located.
As it turns out, on the west side of Mt. Horeb highway 78 junctions and heads south. When I was riding west out of town I was so focused on looking for Fertile Ridge that I missed that fact. Now that I had my bearings I was back on the road and found the start point as indicated on my instructions.
I started down the road. This was a pretty cool route, but wound up taking a lot longer to ride than I expected. When planning it looked like about 1/2 hour worth of miles. When actually riding, it wound up taking closer to 1 1/2 hours.
A lot of this was because I stopped and snapped a photo at every junction and then would check my map to figure out where the next junction was located. Most of them were only a couple miles apart, but there were a lot of them and correspondingly, a lot of stops. Route was cool, but slow and longer than expected.
I saw some neat things of which I didn't get a photo, like a Kestrel soaring above me. I also encountered some less-than neat things, like black walnuts in the road that had fallen. I discovered if you hit one of those while going around a curve it will enhance your prayer life.
I was following my directions when at one point I realized I had ridden about five miles without seeing my next junction. That was unusual on this route, and I considered going back to double check, but decided maybe I was being paranoid. After 10 miles I was pretty sure I'd missed my turn, but at this point I wasn't sure I wanted to ride 10 miles back to try and figure out where things went wrong. After 15 miles I reached the town of Monroe, WI.
I rode through Monroe and decided that I should stop and try to regain my bearings and maybe make some route changes. I pulled onto a side street and found a shady area where I parked the bike. I got off and stretched and then relaxed on the park way to figure out where I was. Unfortunately, my phone wouldn't connect to a cell tower to let me use online maps. I resorted to "plan B" and pulled my atlas out of my saddlebag.
The first thing I verified was that I indeed missed my turn, which was supposed to happen back in the town of Argyle. The second thing I figured out is I was now just a few miles north of the Illinois border. The third thing I figured out was the atlas didn't have enough detail for me to come up with a new route using smaller back roads.
I decided it was a good time for some lunch, and if I could find somewhere that offered wifi I could use the maps on my phone and determine a new plan. I got back on the bike and rode back to an area I'd passed through on the way into town. There was a Culvers there. I like Culvers, and they usually offer wifi access so it was a good combination.
I went into Culvers and ordered some lunch. As I pulled out my wallet and opened it, a bee flew out and landed on the counter in front of me. The lady behind the counter got wide eyed and visibly scared. I was more surprised than anything, wondering how long it had been in there. I had my wallet out in Mt. Horeb, so odds were it was sometime in the last two hours.
Generally, I like bees. They are very, very beneficial. The large number of bees that have been dying off concerns me. I want to keep them around, as a world without them would be a very bad place to live. However, this particular bee looked like it had been through the wringer and wasn't long for this world. The lady behind the counter was beginning to freak out (obviously had a big fear of bees) so I regrettably smashed it. I still kind of feel bad about the situation months later as I write this.
The secret to ordering at Culvers is to get the kids meal. Oops, I just gave it away. For less than $5 you get a cheeseburger, fries and a drink, plus a dish of frozen custard. It's hard to beat the value and if I'm honest with myself, it's more than enough food to meet my needs. Maybe not my wants, but my needs. As a bonus, Culvers doesn't have a problem with adults ordering off the kids' menu. Some restaurants get a bit snippy about that.
As I ate my lunch I was able to connect to the internet and figure out where I went wrong on my previous portion of the ride. Then I mapped out a new route. My next destination of the day was Janesville, WI. I wrote out a new plan that would take me from Monroe to there.
After I finished eating I went back out to the bike and changed my attire. The day was warming up and I didn't need the same number of layers I had put on earlier that morning. I also took some ibuprofen as I had a headache and some body aches. I'm not sure if those were caused by riding, or by the creeping crud I was fighting that week. Or quite possibly, some of both.
On the north side of Monroe is highway 11. The typical route over to highway 59 would be to backtrack a bit and get on highway 11 to avoid riding through town. For some reason, however, I was more in the mood for a leisurely ride through town. So I headed east on 8th street and then jogged north a couple of blocks to 6th street. At the edge of town 6th street turns into highway 59.
The best way to describe Highway 59 is: immaculate. It was perfect. No potholes, bumps or seams. I suspect it had been recently repaved as it was in beautiful shape. And smooth pavement like this makes for a much more enjoyable ride. I tooled along for 25 miles enjoying every bit of this road.
Just north of Magnolia 59 came to an end. I bid it a sad farewell, and turned south for a mile, then turned east on county highway A. This road was in good shape, but not as nice as 59. It was very pretty though. This road took me all the way into Janesville.
Now here's the reason for Janesville being the destination for the day: I have an older sister. She died at birth about three years before I was born, so I never knew her. My parents were living in Janesville at the time, so she is buried here.
I remember visiting her grave as a child while I was traveling with my parents. Unfortunately I was too young to remember any specifics about what cemetery or the location within the cemetery. I could only remember the name of the town. Also unfortunately, my parents are no longer alive for me to ask them.
For some reason, I felt a yearning to visit her grave. I'm not sure why, it was just something I felt I should do. I'd actually been thinking about it for a few years, and because I was going to be relatively close to Janesville on this trip I decided there was no better time than now to try and find the grave.
With a little assistance from the Find A Grave I was able to learn which cemetery she was buried in, and even see a picture of her headstone. Using that information, once I arrived in Janesville I was able to find the Oak Hill cemetery where she was buried. It was actually located on the northwest side of Janesville, not too far from county highway A where I rode into town.
I then made two unfortunate discoveries. First, the Find A Grave site on the phone didn't seem to get specific enough for me to see where in the cemetery the grave might be found (I see they've since updated the site which allows the grave location to be better marked.) And second, this cemetery is big. Much bigger than I guessed it would have been. In all seriousness, there had to have been 15,000 graves in this cemetery.
I had a plot number and I was hoping that the cemetery had a map somewhere to point me in the general location. I rode around looking but didn't find one. So then I resorted to riding around and looking for graves that were generally in the same date range. I reasoned that as they extended the cemetery over time that graves in a certain area would naturally be around the same age.
I spent about an hour and a half searching, but the sheer size of the cemetery felt like an exercise in futility. I would find some graves within a decade of what I was looking for, park the bike and hike around looking at every headstone in the area. After a while I had to accept the fact that I wasn't going to find her. I felt bad.
At one point as I was walking, I heard something hit the ground behind me. I turned around to discover an acorn that had fallen from a large oak tree. I picked it up and put it in my pocket. I'm really not sure why I did that at the time, but later on after thinking about it I thought it might be cool to plant it somewhere in memory of my sister.
Feeling a bit frustrated, I decided it was time to start heading back to the Dells. I got back on the bike and left the area. Mentally I was pretty well spent. Physically I was tired. Spiritually, I had this feeling like I had let my sister down even though logically I knew that wasn't true. I even almost turned around and went back to the cemetery to resume the search.
But it was time to accept defeat and continue the journey back. I had a hundred miles on the return trip, so it was time to get some fuel. I found a gas station and filled up. While I was there I grabbed a soda. I also got to witness a guy in a truck blasting country music at an impressively annoying volume.
As I was preparing to hit the road, I realized that somewhere at the cemetery I had lost one of my earplugs. Well, rats. There wasn't much I could do about it at the moment, so I just put one in my right ear. I figured that one was on the pipe side of the bike where it would be louder.
The fast way back to the Dells would have been to get on interstate 90/94, but that is boring. I was in Wisconsin to explore back roads, so I chose highway 14 instead. That runs from Janesville up to Madison.
Traffic was getting heavier and heavier as rush hour was approaching, and as I got closer and closer to Madison. Even though traffic was going to be heavier, I decided to try riding through Madison rather than around it. It didn't look that far on the map.
Pretty soon, I was in very heavy traffic. Then I realized that the street I was on led me right into the middle of the University of Wisconsin campus at 5 PM. I rode slowly through the gridlock and pedestrians until I found myself at a dead end on the shore of Lake Mendota. Well, that didn't seem right at all.
I pulled over and consulted my map. As it turned out I had missed the highway 151 junction that occurred many blocks south. I decided that rather than backtracking through the U of W campus all the way back, I would head east on Johnson street. That street would eventually turn into highway 113, which is the highway I wanted to take me out of town.
As I was pondering my map, I looked up and saw a guy balancing and walking on the guardrail of a balcony. That seems pretty nuts to me. I snapped a photo just in case it was the last one of him still alive. Thankfully, he survived.
I took off and followed my new route down Johnson street. Traffic was very thick and slow going that route as well. I passed by the capitol building, but given the traffic I didn't stop to snap a photo. After what seemed an eternity I finally found myself on highway 113 heading out of town to the northwest.
I headed towards the town of Lodi, and then on to Merrimack. Traffic was lighter and moving at a decent enough clip. I found myself behind a rather unusual 3 wheeled vehicle. It looked like a custom job made from old motorcycle parts with a fiberglass body.
At Merrimack the road crosses the Wisconsin river. And we do that via a ferry. I had taken my motorcycle on the ferry back in 2010 heading the opposite direction. This time I was going to ride it heading north. Not that there's that much difference between the two directions.
I arrived at the edge of the river right as the ferry had departed for the other side. That meant I had a few minutes to kill. I parked the bike and walked over to a public restroom. Then I stretched and finished my soda. After about 15 minutes the ferry had returned to my side of the river. I rode onto the boat and we crossed.
Now I was on the last stretch of the day. It was only about 1/2 ride from Merrimack up through Baraboo and then into the Dells. As I rode into town, I was getting pretty hungry but decided to stop off at Wal-Mart for a few supplies. Most notably I wanted a box of tissue, as I didn't have one in the hotel room and wanted some to better deal with my runny nose from the plague I had contracted. While I was there I also picked up a few bottles of water and some more earplugs.
I decided to stop at a restaurant I had visited the previous year with my family called, "Kickers". They served a variety of food and had lots of televisions, so I was hoping I could eat and catch the Twins game. I was half right, as they were showing baseball but none of the games were the Twins.
It was rather nice that since the last time I had visited they added a buffet. The buffet included ribs and pizza, so I wound up making a bit of a pig of myself (when don't I) with several trips through the food line.
It was time to call it a night and head back to the hotel. I stopped off and topped off the motorcycle with gas. While I was there I washed a heavy layer of bugs off the windsheild.
Back in my room I called home. Then I watched the play-by-play text feed of the Twins game on my laptop. That's not a very exciting way to see a baseball game. At least the Twins won 3-1 when Eddie Rosario hit a 2 run walk-off homer in the bottom of the 10th inning. I was wiped out tired and not feeling well, so I sacked out once I saw the outcome of the game.
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This page last updated on 05/15/2023