Chili Ride
In 2003, my wife and I wanted to greet the many riders coming to Milwaukee for the 100th in La Crosse, WI. These riders were part of the NW Tour that had left days earlier from Washington. A route was planned from Watertown, WI to La Crosse via the Great River Road (along the Mississippi River). If you have never had a chance to ride any of the Great River Roads (Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota or Wisconsin) then take the time! Along the way you will travel through many towns of yesteryear. These towns along the Mississippi River seem to have a much slower paced life style.
To get started on the trek, we sent out invitations to our Harley friends. Our 1st Overnight HOG Ride was going to be special and we wanted the destination to be a surprise. After planning the route, we needed a theme. The theme chosen for this Ride was the “Chili Ride” (Cool Harley Riders La Crosse Ride). Every couple was asked to bring their favorite Salsa, either homemade or store bought. We pulled a trailer that had the snacks and extra clothing for those who didn’t have saddle bags.
We decided at the very beginning of our Annual HOG Overnight Rides that the route and destination would always be a surprise for our friends. As we have done each year since, riders we receive a sealed envelope with the route, destination, hotel and all emergency telephone numbers. It is up to each couple as to whether or not to open the envelope. I can honestly say, in the 4 years we have been hosting such a ride only one person has chosen to open it. Since this was our very first year, Cathy made transparent vinyl decals for the motorcycle windshields. These vinyl decals had a picture of a chili pepper and the “Chili” logo artwork. Each rider also received a colorful chili bandanna.
We left Watertown around 9:30 AM on a Saturday (like most of our overnight rides) and traveled west to Sauk City Harley-Davidson. A stop was made for lunch in Mazomanie, WI at “The Old Feed Mill.” This historic feed mill dates back to 1857! At that time, it was a flouring mill. For many years it remained empty until 1992 when the new owners had plans of a historic restaurant.
After leaving The Old Feed Mill we continued on our venture to La Crosse. The route we took led us along the Wisconsin River west to Prairie du Shien. From here, we continued north along STH 35 or The Great River Road. Many articles have been written about the Great River Road of Wisconsin and Minnesota. The latest one I read was in HOG Tales magazine from 2006. If ever you want a venture of a life time, hit the Great River Road. Don’t be surprised if you see a bald eagle or two! There are many lookouts that need to be experienced. If you are in a hurry, then what the hell are you on a motorcycle for? We feel clocks no longer exist when you are on 2-wheels. Riding is all about being free. Free to enjoy what life has to offer, whether it be by yourself, your spouse or a group. Prior to heading for home we made a stop in Marquette, Iowa to try our hand at gambling at Isle of Capri Casio on a paddle boat! Since we all lost our money within ten minutes, the least we could do is enjoy the buffet lunch. The ride east into Wisconsin was hot and tiresome since we road I-151 most of the way. A final stop was made at Capital-City Harley-Davidson in Madison. Many of us decided to dip our chili bandannas in the ice water which was in a cooler on the trailer. This was the best relief there was!
Please come back to this site to read about our other Annual HOG Overnight rides.
In 2003, my wife and I wanted to greet the many riders coming to Milwaukee for the 100th in La Crosse, WI. These riders were part of the NW Tour that had left days earlier from Washington. A route was planned from Watertown, WI to La Crosse via the Great River Road (along the Mississippi River). If you have never had a chance to ride any of the Great River Roads (Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota or Wisconsin) then take the time! Along the way you will travel through many towns of yesteryear. These towns along the Mississippi River seem to have a much slower paced life style.
To get started on the trek, we sent out invitations to our Harley friends. Our 1st Overnight HOG Ride was going to be special and we wanted the destination to be a surprise. After planning the route, we needed a theme. The theme chosen for this Ride was the “Chili Ride” (Cool Harley Riders La Crosse Ride). Every couple was asked to bring their favorite Salsa, either homemade or store bought. We pulled a trailer that had the snacks and extra clothing for those who didn’t have saddle bags.
We decided at the very beginning of our Annual HOG Overnight Rides that the route and destination would always be a surprise for our friends. As we have done each year since, riders we receive a sealed envelope with the route, destination, hotel and all emergency telephone numbers. It is up to each couple as to whether or not to open the envelope. I can honestly say, in the 4 years we have been hosting such a ride only one person has chosen to open it. Since this was our very first year, Cathy made transparent vinyl decals for the motorcycle windshields. These vinyl decals had a picture of a chili pepper and the “Chili” logo artwork. Each rider also received a colorful chili bandanna.
We left Watertown around 9:30 AM on a Saturday (like most of our overnight rides) and traveled west to Sauk City Harley-Davidson. A stop was made for lunch in Mazomanie, WI at “The Old Feed Mill.” This historic feed mill dates back to 1857! At that time, it was a flouring mill. For many years it remained empty until 1992 when the new owners had plans of a historic restaurant.
After leaving The Old Feed Mill we continued on our venture to La Crosse. The route we took led us along the Wisconsin River west to Prairie du Shien. From here, we continued north along STH 35 or The Great River Road. Many articles have been written about the Great River Road of Wisconsin and Minnesota. The latest one I read was in HOG Tales magazine from 2006. If ever you want a venture of a life time, hit the Great River Road. Don’t be surprised if you see a bald eagle or two! There are many lookouts that need to be experienced. If you are in a hurry, then what the hell are you on a motorcycle for? We feel clocks no longer exist when you are on 2-wheels. Riding is all about being free. Free to enjoy what life has to offer, whether it be by yourself, your spouse or a group. Prior to heading for home we made a stop in Marquette, Iowa to try our hand at gambling at Isle of Capri Casio on a paddle boat! Since we all lost our money within ten minutes, the least we could do is enjoy the buffet lunch. The ride east into Wisconsin was hot and tiresome since we road I-151 most of the way. A final stop was made at Capital-City Harley-Davidson in Madison. Many of us decided to dip our chili bandannas in the ice water which was in a cooler on the trailer. This was the best relief there was!
Please come back to this site to read about our other Annual HOG Overnight rides.
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