A Nice Autumn Motorcycle, Camping, Saturday Outing
With an invitation in hand (or at least in mind), via the Michiana BMW Club (MOL South Bend area), to the 4th annual Summit City BMW club (Ft Wayne area) Fall Outing. A little bit, SE of Silver Lake, IN early on Saturday afternoon (October 7th). It was a beautiful autumn day for the 42 mile ride over to the gathering site.
The site is at one of the SC members small family farm. And it is pretty neat. A nice, grassy area surrounding, a little pond with trees for camping. An operating windmill. A pavilion with fire place. And an outhouse.
A good chili and ham and beans lunch with deserts and some appropriate liquid refreshment was ready upon arrival. Followed by the usual tent space location and construction activities.
As evening neared a delicious Chili and Ham & Beans dinner with desert and appropriate liquid refreshment was ready (did it remind of us lunch?). As the beautiful fall harvest moon rose in a clear sky, the campfires came alive. And of course there was much stimulating discussion `kicking lies and telling tires' of motorcycle journey's and stories as well as solving world and national political, immigration, and religious issues. Followed by crawling into our tents as temperatures dropped into the 40's.
Along with the normal night sounds and a bunch of coyotes barking and howling and a distance train was the sound effects of the digesting ham & beans and chili. Unfortunately I had to get up before dawn to empty some of them in the outhouse. Very unusual for me. However with the bright light from the moon it worked out OK.
Later the sun started coming up on a crisp Sunday morning. The activities of breaking down, packing, good-bye's, see you around, thankyou's and heading out was under way.
I was planning on stopping for Biscuits and Gravy somewhere on the way home. I had vaguely recalled that their might be a place at the junction of IN114 and IN15. Since I came in via IN14 and IN15 I decided to head south and pick up IN114. It turned out that Ruth Ann's was there, at IN114 and IN15 and open and serving delicious B&G and coffee. Well fortified, I headed west toward Winamac, planning on riding straight home.
But then, it was such a nice road and nice morning and the coffee and B&G had me feeling good I decided to ride the rolling hills and take the "Rochester South By-pass" - IN19, IN16, IN17. A familiar route taken many times. Had I thought about it earlier I probably would have headed on south, from Ruth Ann's on IN15 and gone through the covered bridge in Roann on IN16.
It was about as perfect as you can get. Not much traffic, nice roads, sunny sky's, crisp temps but not cold. This route goes through the small towns of Akron, Gilead, turning west on IN16 before getting to Chili, Denver, Twelve Mile, Lucerne, and Royal Center.. Just west of Denver there are some 15 MPH and 25 MPH caution curves (watch for loose gravel). For a minute or so you think you might be in North Carolina. Since gas stations are sort of limited along this route I decided to head to US35 at Royal Center. This took me into Winamac from the South, a stop for gas, onto IN14 and east, a couple miles, to home. A nice 66 mile ride home. Temperature increasing about 15 degrees to about 70 by the time I got home at 11:30AM.
A nice Autumn MC ride, MC rider socializing and camping trip.
The site is at one of the SC members small family farm. And it is pretty neat. A nice, grassy area surrounding, a little pond with trees for camping. An operating windmill. A pavilion with fire place. And an outhouse.
A good chili and ham and beans lunch with deserts and some appropriate liquid refreshment was ready upon arrival. Followed by the usual tent space location and construction activities.
As evening neared a delicious Chili and Ham & Beans dinner with desert and appropriate liquid refreshment was ready (did it remind of us lunch?). As the beautiful fall harvest moon rose in a clear sky, the campfires came alive. And of course there was much stimulating discussion `kicking lies and telling tires' of motorcycle journey's and stories as well as solving world and national political, immigration, and religious issues. Followed by crawling into our tents as temperatures dropped into the 40's.
Along with the normal night sounds and a bunch of coyotes barking and howling and a distance train was the sound effects of the digesting ham & beans and chili. Unfortunately I had to get up before dawn to empty some of them in the outhouse. Very unusual for me. However with the bright light from the moon it worked out OK.
Later the sun started coming up on a crisp Sunday morning. The activities of breaking down, packing, good-bye's, see you around, thankyou's and heading out was under way.
I was planning on stopping for Biscuits and Gravy somewhere on the way home. I had vaguely recalled that their might be a place at the junction of IN114 and IN15. Since I came in via IN14 and IN15 I decided to head south and pick up IN114. It turned out that Ruth Ann's was there, at IN114 and IN15 and open and serving delicious B&G and coffee. Well fortified, I headed west toward Winamac, planning on riding straight home.
But then, it was such a nice road and nice morning and the coffee and B&G had me feeling good I decided to ride the rolling hills and take the "Rochester South By-pass" - IN19, IN16, IN17. A familiar route taken many times. Had I thought about it earlier I probably would have headed on south, from Ruth Ann's on IN15 and gone through the covered bridge in Roann on IN16.
It was about as perfect as you can get. Not much traffic, nice roads, sunny sky's, crisp temps but not cold. This route goes through the small towns of Akron, Gilead, turning west on IN16 before getting to Chili, Denver, Twelve Mile, Lucerne, and Royal Center.. Just west of Denver there are some 15 MPH and 25 MPH caution curves (watch for loose gravel). For a minute or so you think you might be in North Carolina. Since gas stations are sort of limited along this route I decided to head to US35 at Royal Center. This took me into Winamac from the South, a stop for gas, onto IN14 and east, a couple miles, to home. A nice 66 mile ride home. Temperature increasing about 15 degrees to about 70 by the time I got home at 11:30AM.
A nice Autumn MC ride, MC rider socializing and camping trip.
posted by IN Tom at 2:02 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home