I left Saturday morning in rain--with a new rear tire. But the downpour was brief. Met up with more rain once getting into WI; fortunately, it too was short. Still, it was a bit cooler and far grayer than I like. Yet, the ride was nothing short of spectacular--even with a few slippery moments.
Although Madison was my destination, I spent little time there as their "Mad Marathon" and "Brat Fest" were enough to keep me away. Besides, after reaching Madison I was exhausted from the wind gusts and feeling a bit shakey. Thus, I rested and planned for the roads I'd take to the next day.
Sunday morning, I headed west. Brilliant decision, I must say! The journey to Spring Green, WI can only be described as exceptional! Spring Green is home of Taliesin, the Frank Lloyd Wright home and now school of architect. It is a place replete with history, intrigue and mystery--more on that later. There, I nearly blew my entire trip budget on the house tour and the Taliesin gift shop. Getting to and from Taliesin deserves a separate ride report! Even with the whipping winds, the roads to and from there were gorgeous--nothing detracted from the splendid beauty of this scenic valley.
Monday, more riding and lots more pics. I will write up the highlights of Monday--of which there were many! Did the whole touring thing and enjoyed every moment of it--well, almost. I missed the Ridge Runner Tour from New Glarus to Blue Mounds. I simply ran out of time. As it was, I didn't arrive back to IL until 9pm, just as it was getting dark. The tour would easily have added another three hours to the trip--no way did I or do I ever want to be out on those country roads at night--there is no blacker blackness.
For now, here are the pics from the three day trip. Those strange, odd shaped dagger-like icicles descending from the ceiling or sprouting up from the ground are stalactites and stalagmites, respectively, from Blue Mounds, WI. More on that later too.
Visited Little Norway and Mount Horeb, two towns that wear their Norwegian roots proudly. Trolls are omnipresent. Ride reports to follow.
Photos of my trip are here.
