4/6/2011 - The first official ride of the season and the weather was a balmy 53 degrees. No chaps or heavy gloves. All I wore was a jacket, jeans, and thin summer gloves. I just planned on getting the three closest towns, but it was so nice to be back on the bike again, I wasn't ready to turn around. After getting Paddock Lake, Silver Lake, and Twin Lakes, I ventured over the border into Illinois to get Spring Grove. It's less than 10 miles away, no big deal. At the fork in the road, I opted to go east and got Fox Lake instead. Realizing it was getting late, I headed back. It was a bit nippy at this point. The hand warmers on the bike weren't helping. By the time I got back, I ... read more

7/19/2010 - 7/25/2010. Day 1 - Immediately following the Spook Cave trip, I was off to the north with my husband for a week's vacation. We are staying at mom and dad's place which is a nice little piece of pure relaxation. A river surrounding the property, a fire pit, and plenty of mosquitos to suck us dry, the house is a perfect place to hang out for a few days. We left Monday morning and took the highway to get some fast miles behind us. With the city behind us, we got off the interstate and headed north on the Kettle Moraine Scenic Drive. Riding past the lakes and enjoying the smell of the pine trees, we found our way to Parnell Tower and hiked up the gazillion stairs for hazy view of the countryside. ... read more

July 10, 2010. Hubby and I set off to the near north to grab some more tons and bergs. The highlight of the trip was Cedarburg where we stopped to sample some wines and ate lunch. We ate at Maxwell's and had fabulous burgers with special seasoned fries. Very yummy! There was some rain in the area, but we managed to miss it. All we found were some wet roads. I bagged Hamilton, Cedarburg, Grafton, Port Washington, Newburg, Trenton, Allenton, and Huilsburg. 180 miles. ... read more

June 11-13th. Another 3-day weekend! For this trip, I ride with my friend Ingrid to her friends' place in Guttenberg located in Iowa. We are both doing the contest so it was a perfect opportunity to get some tons and bergs along the way. The plan was to ride to Iowa on Friday, go canoeing on Saturday, and ride back on Sunday. The trip didn't exactly go as planned, but it was most certainly an adventure. We met in Beloit, WI and headed west. Our first stop was Darlington. This town was a milestone for me because it is #25. Yeah! I get a shirt for my efforts. Livingston was next, followed by Bloomington. We crossed the Mississippi in Praire Du Chien and got Clayton, Farmersburg, Clayton Center, and finally Guttenberg in Iowa. We made it ... read more

5/23/2010 - I call this route "Around the Lakes" because there are quite a few nice size lakes in this area. I love the Kettle Moraine Area. My grandpa would take me ice fishing on Pewaukee Lake when I was a little and boating in the summer. In high school, I would run on the trails with the cross country team. As an adult, I enjoy the scenary on rides with lots of trees and surprising curves. When I'm in the area, I always hike up Lapham Peak observation tower. A beautiful view of Pewaukee Lake and beyond. On this trip, I travel alone. I passed through New Berlin to stop by Renegade's Classic to check out some motorcycle stuff. Since I got a new bike, I'm looking for a windshield or tank bag. I need ... read more