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First (relatively) long-distance cruise of '08

Started off running south on I-55 to get the heck outta dodge. Turned off at Lorenzo Road. Turned right at Will Road, which includes a quarter-mile metal-covered bridge over Goose Lake (a cooling pond for a power plant). OK, I beeped several times to hear the echo. Sue me.

I spent two wonderful hours exploring the backroads in this area, where the Kankakee, Des Plaines and Illinois rivers meet. Lots of sweepers, a few precious Illinois twisties.

Lunch at the Polka Dot Drive-In on old Route 66 (now Rt. 53) in Braidwood. Opened in 1956, tons of 50s memorabilia. Be sure to hit the little boy biker’s room if you’re a fan of Marilyn Monroe, or even if you’re not; took me 20 minutes to take a leak. Ahem. A pretty good hamburger/onion ring/Diet Coke combo for under $5, too.

Back home on Rt. 113, to Rt. 47, to Platteville Road (just past the grain elevator, nice curves into the village of Platteville, be courteous and don’t speed however tempting that might be. Check out the homemade 55-gallon-drum windmill in the center of "town."). Left on Grove Rd. (I think) with a sweeping L to R curve, to Rt. 126. East on 126 into Plainfield, and home.

A fine afternoon ... call it about 125 miles. Lots of waves to fellow bikers, and the first of what I hope are many more cruises into the countryside.

Man, I wish we had the weather for a nice ride like that! I'm jealous, even if it is in Illinois!

The only thing that would have made today's ride better: my wife riding with me. Unfortunately, she's been sick for a couple of weeks now. Nasty, lingering virus.

So, is it still too cold to ride in the Czech Republic? This was the first good-weather weekend here.

Nice ride!
This weekend was one of the first rideable in Lithuania too.
Cool weather and a lot of sand in roads, still FUN after another long winter

ahh good ol sand. all over the corners. The rain the past couple days has pretty much washed the sand off the road for now. Sounds like a fun ride though. I havent gone more than 50 miles in a single ride yet. Hope to someday change that but I think I want a more comfortable bike before I start going any great distances. Almost tempted to ride the 490 miles to my cousins wedding instead of driving. just leave the wife and kids at home all weekend .

last sunday was very nice me and the wife and a few others did about 120 miles to the south of us into ski country kind of strange riding in nice sunny weather and seeing the snow still on the hills saw lots of bikes on the way great to be able to ride again after such a long winter