May 12, 2017
Stoughton, Wi. to outside of Pearl City, Il
Too Easy
After a too quick, slapdash bit of packing and loading the night before, I was off and running ... err, riding. With a reasonable bit of mileage to cover I didn't need to leave until about 9:30 AM. Very civilized, even allowing a little bit of sleeping in. The weather forecast was for sunny skies and even a helpful northerly tailwind so there was very little to complain about. The route was going to be largely on bike paths today .... The Badger State Trail which runs all the way to the state line, where you immediately hop on the Jane Adams Trail, which takes you another 18 miles or so south into Illinois. I had done some internet searching for a place to camp and came up with a private campground named "Emerald Acres Campground II." I'm not sure what became of the Beta version of Emerald Acres, but this spot met all the criteria for the end of Day One's journey, so I set course for it's verdantly titled location.
It was a sweet and mellow start to the day. Birdsong and gentle tailwinds, light or non-existant traffic because everyone was at work (I'm telling you, retirement gives you access to an entirely different world at mid-day). I navigated using my ancient and well worn map of southern Wisconsin and slipped into my usual meditation that happens on long, solo bike rides.
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Outside of Monticello, Wisconsin I hooked on to the Badger State Bike Trail. OK, I will keep myself on a tight editorial leash here: The Good: It is wonderful to have a state with bike trails, and Wisconsin was a pioneer in creating rail/trail bike routes. So, that is an excellent thing. The Bad: Wisconsin's current Governor and legislature could give a rat's ass about bike trails. Frankly, they would prefer not to spend any tax money on paving roads, so why would they want to upkeep the bike trail system in the state? So, much of the state bike trail system is a neglected, eroding shadow of itself. But, yeah, I held my nose and rode on it anyway. The surroundings are beautiful, and honestly, what more can you ask for?
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Near the state line I came upon a fairyland kind of scene ... whatever kind of tree or plant produces those big "puffballs" (sorry ... such a city boy. My Grandpa would have been able to identify what sheds those things) left a carpet of them on the trail. On tour I seldom stop to gape at such things but this was wonderous. It helped get me over my bitchy mood about the state of Wisconsin Bike Trails.
The Badger State Trail feeds directly into the Illinois Jane Adams Trail in a shockingly great example of interstate cooperation. Who knew that could happen? The trail feeds all the way into the town of Freeport, Illinois. I took that route just for the heck of it to see if there were any places to grab dinner. Not really, although I did find a motel directly on the trail, which would be a crucial bit of "intel" later in the trip. OOHH! Freeport trivia: The High School sports teams in Freeport have the nickname of "The Pretzels" which certainly ranks in my personal Top Ten of weirdly wonderful sport team names. I believe the moniker comes from the old days when the main manufacturing enterprise in town was a pretzel factory. God, I need to see if they have a T-Shirt I can buy.
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2 years ago
The day was going blissfully. After my little reconnaissance of outer Freeport I decided I should beeline for my campground, and a little gee and haw got there easily. It was very early season for them and other than a handful of permanent campers, who had their trailers anchored there, the only out-of-towner was me. I must say that my welcome was far more embracing than I thought it would be. The campground is a little rough around the edges, and when I rolled up to the main "lodge" the handful of crew and the two owners were sitting around a picnic table having a smoke. I thought I'd get a bit of an icy reception what with being a fancy pants bike tourist and all, but nope, these folks were lovely. I sat and shot to breeze with them for about 45 minutes and they fried me up a hamburger and fries in their kitchen. Basically they gave me the keys to the city. It is a fraught world out there these days, but the basic kindness of people seems still to exist. I pitched the tent, stowed the gear and fought to stay awake until the sun went down. Just made it!
Today's ride: 81 miles (130 km)
Total: 81 miles (130 km)
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