What an adventure from start to finish and were grateful to all those who made that possible.

Thanks to ‘No freeways Normie’ we managed to ride all the last day in NOT on freeways until we were 50kms out and then not for long so we just enjoyed the corn and bean crops and wound our way through country towns soaking it all up for future reference.

We have had the absolute best time and have handed the keys in to the bike shop and will make a decision in the near future if we will come back again or move on. Was surreal giving the guys at the shop a hug and hoping we will see them again but not being sure. They have been awesome and made so much possible for these two Aussies.

We have packed up all our gear to come home, as well as leaving a bit behind which will hopefully go to good homes, so if we don’t return it doesn’t matter, and if we do we bring everything we need. But now we have had a shower and are rearranging the luggage in cases before we head down for dinner and then fly out tomorrow. And will be hugging our Aussie family very soon. We are grateful for the safe travelling and the incredible experiences we have had. Too much to take in, but we will try.

While we went to bed in the daylight, this is what the bridge outside out\r hotel window looked like in the dark.

And heading out of Peoria this morning we spotted the double steeples and swung by for a quick photo.

And to after all the lovely tidy barn shots we’ve taken; this will balance it out with one quickly being overtaken with time.

And another two.

And a bit of a view of the passage of time on the land .... and that spec is me disappearing down the road.

Almost back to Chicago and passed this. Too good not to stop for a pic. We have seen heaps so recorded this for posterity.

And some equipment we thankfully don’t need but were grateful through the trip that others do, especially on the Beartooth Pass.

And finally, the keys on the desk at the bike shop and no longer on my key chain or in Norms pocket when we are off the bikes. Felt weird.

Last nights' accommodation:

Mark Twain Hotel, Peoria.

An old and somewhat tired little hotel trying hard to make the quirky look appealing and managing that to a degree. Room was comfortable and facilities good and another walk-in shower which I love. There is a delightful little sitting area and library downstairs though very dark, and the on-site restaurant is permanently closed so a good hike to get to dinner through a lot of road construction and in a reasonably dodgy part of town. No pics.

Well today has been somewhat bittersweet. It was our last full day on the road and tonight is the last night’s accommodation on the road before we head into Chicago tomorrow to return the bikes, pack up all our bits and pieces and head to an Airport Hotel ready to fly out the following day. We have had an absolutely brilliant time and loved every minute of it. We have loved getting out and on the bikes day in and day out riding and exploring what this lovely country has to offer and meeting all sorts of characters along the way. We, as always have found the American people to be extremely courteous and their drivers largely much more generous and courteous than we do at home, and the roads!!! Have been bewdifull!!! It really shows us how our roads in Victoria especially but in a lot of Rural and Regional Australia all over have diminished to something resembling a third world country standard and that’s not likely to improve anytime soon as our governments are hell bent on propping up renewable energy projects and throwing every last cent at that and other projects for ribbon cutting by politicians. Truly disgraceful.

Some interesting facts: Elevation above sea level. 

Peoria USA – 153m

Mount Kosciusko Australia –2,228m

Traralgon Australia (hometown) – 60m

Highest elevation on our travel’s today – 287m

Noblesville, like many other rural towns is madly trying to reboot their downtown and it was a very attractive little town. This is a street view.

And another with Norm patiently waiting for me to take photos.

And the town hall as well.

Just when I thought I'd only see fields of corn and beans and out of the blue a few longhorns. Man, their necks must be strong!

And literally in the middle of cornfields, a farmer must have decided to diversify his business plan. There was a heap of machinery.

And a quaint little barn along the way. one of many and Norm was disappointed he missed a shot just past here of a collapsing ancient timber barn with an old wagon minus the canvas cover protruding from the end. Nowhere to park. Ah well you get that.

And a sizeable bridge from our hotel window. We didn't agree with the reception staff that it was a short walk across it and then over a hill to dinner! We got a cab during the rain to an Irish Pub this side of the river and walked home.

Last nights' accommodation:

A very comfortable space to check into and a restaurant / pub on site so very convenient anytime but would be even more so if the weather was unfriendly. Staff helpful and friendly. Room comfortable and spacious. Another walk-in shower yay!  It was lovely to hear they are also an on-site training center for people with disabilities and are committed to having a staff with 20% who do have a disability. It was a lovely feel. They are doing it well. Have included lots of photos.

We had a lovely day of riding and Norm as is his habit managed to avoid almost all the interstates  which is a challenge with the GPS because it keeps sending us to them, so we wound our way through lush farmland and forest and quirky little towns on winding roads following the terrain and it was just lovely and best bonus was a comfortable temperature to ride in and no rain..Yay!!

Some interesting facts: Elevation above sea level. 

Canton USA – 285m

Mount Kosciusko Australia –2,228m

Traralgon Australia (hometown) – 60m

Highest elevation on our travel’s today – 482m

Picturesque farm buildings early in the day. 

Specie building on the way.

Mt Hope, obviously an Amish community with lots of cabinetry, wagons and horse poo on roads.

And then another specie public building on our trip. This was in an area / town called farmland...no kidding.

Beautiful sculpture dedicated to the demise of the bison in Muncie.

And another angle.

The Horizon Convention Centre attached to the Hotel. The Hotel is also a training hotel which is good to see.

And beside the Convention Centre is The Children's Museum, the title of this sculpture is 'wait for me'. So typical!

Some interesting buildings around the square.

Last nights' accommodation:

Doubletree Hilton, Canton Downtown.

A lovely hotel and room and YAY!! A restaurant on site so we didn’t have to go and try and find one. Did the blog in the restaurant and had a drink in Happy Hour as well so win win. Comfortable room and a walk-in shower, oh how I have missed that, only the the second or third for the whole trip! The rest of our previous group would have loved it as we have. No pic.

Thunderstorms and hot weather were forecast so we headed off at 8.30am to try and get ahead of what we could and managed well until 60kms from our destination and down came the rain. At least there was no lightening and the rain stopped about 10minutes out and the road was dry, more or less, so we weren’t thoroughly saturated to check in. Canton is a much larger place than we were expecting and there are lots of major roadworks going on which wasn’t a lot of fun in the rain, but we got through without too much stress or delay and checked in a bit before 4pm. We had a lot of ground to cover today so limited photo opportunities and nothing worth capturing at most of our stops.

Some interesting facts: Elevation above sea level. 

Canton USA – 295m

Mount Kosciusko Australia –2,228m

Traralgon Australia (hometown) – 60m

Highest elevation on our travel’s today – 897m and I expect this will be the highest elevation we will experience until we are flying home, but we will see.

One exception and yes that is me dribbling along in the distance.

And a stretch and hydration spot in a private yard as it turns out, ah well no one chased us away.

Then across the road from our hotel. A First Lady’s House (Library) and we may have been directed here to park so long as we are gone by 9am which won’t be a problem as a reasonably big day again tomorrow.

And from our hotel. There are many sport centers here in town and somewhere a Hall of Fame for Po Football ... we didn't see it.

Last 3 nights' accommodation:

Comfort Suites, near Gettysburg Battlefield Visitor Center.

Comfortable room with parking and breakfast include. No guest Laundry Nooooo! Snacks and microwave stuff to buy but no restaurant and most a good hike away so a challenge for old creaky codgers, lucky we had access to a car for 2 nights. Handy to all things Gettysburg and worked for us catching up with family. No pic sorry.

After a good sleep was had by the four of us, we headed off for a comprehensive 2-hour tour of the Gettysburg Battlefields then had some lunch at the Centre and explored the Museum. We were about historied out by then and came back to the hotel for a bit of a break before dinner.

The first photo below was taken as we headed to our car after dinner last night. There were lots of walking tours happening with the summer holidays starting. The next couple were in Steinwehr Avenue and then it's onto the Battlefield. So much to see, so difficult to decide what photos to take but after hearing there were over 1,300 monuments, cairns and markers I didn’t bother taking too many photos of them! Gettysburg was a brutal 3-day conflict, but it saw the beginning of the end of the Civil War. Confronting. Bloody. Determined. Sobering. Heart breaking.

The Lutheran Seminary on Seminary Ridge It was from the Cupola that both civilians and military looked as the first battle unfolded.

Local home involved and still standing.

General Lee's base in Gettysburg.

A private home in the park but the forest to the right clear underneath is an example of how the forest in the area was at the time, as in clear under the trees so there was no shelter until over a ridge or behind a stone wall.

And an original barn and house still here, currently accommodation for park workers and some of the memorials.

And more fun things. Ashley's car and our bikes.

Ashey and Norm. Grandson and grandfather, former apprentice and boss but best of all good mates.

And the four of us with Abraham Lincoln at the Memorial.

I caught up with the blog this morning and Norm cleaned up the bikes and since then we have had a lovely day catching up with our grandson Ashley and his wife Gee and exploring a little of Gettysburg including the Museum and Cyclorama and will go back tomorrow for the bus tour of the battlefields and perhaps some walking of the sites ourselves. It has been lovely to be in the company of such lovely young people and kicking back like we are on holidays. The weather has been a little friendlier today and the temperature is expected to be a little cooler tomorrow.

Hotel Gettysburg where we had a lazy lunch under umbrellas followed by random shots in the street.

Norm and Nola.

Then at the Museum, Ashley and Gee.

And then the four of us.

June 23^rd, always a tough day for us and this year it is the 30^th Anniversary of the death of our eldest son. We see you in your grandbabies / grandchildren, so we know you are here, but we miss you greatly.

We started expecting a dry day and got wet early, donned the wet weather gear and headed off again. The day soon warmed up, really warmed up and we were uncomfortably hot and sweaty for the rest of the day, but we had an awesome ride through forests and farmland, small villages, larger towns and incredibly beautiful curving roads with eagles overhead and just enjoying each other's company. Was a big but good day with plenty of lovely green surrounds and space for reflection.

So much evidence of Civil War activity on our travels and we are so grateful our family and country hasn't experienced that. A sobering experience in many ways especially given our own situation today. The pictures can largely speak for themselves.

Some interesting facts: Elevation above sea level. 

Gettysburg USA – 945m

Mount Kosciusko Australia –2,228m

Traralgon Australia (hometown) – 60m

Highest elevation on our travel’s today – 981m

Heading to the Blackwater Falls at Davis and this great shelf of rock was typical of the structure along the river.

The Falls, I've seen a photo of it from side to side so small now compared to then.

And again.

The plaque is self-explanatory...but I wonder if this is where the name comes from.

We had a coffee at Oakland where we found a cute little station.

And there is also a historic train out front.

A rail bridge on the mason Dixon HWY and yes, it is still in use we assumed it was abandoned given all the rust but when we climbed above it there were 2 sets of shiny well used tracks.

Into Gettysburg. History of war everywhere and I'd like to think Peace moving forward.

Last nights' accommodation:

The Billy Motel and Bar, Davis.

To quote a reliable source ‘there’s not a whole lot happening in lil’ol Davis’ and she was right, but the Motel while an interesting choice suited us well. Ground floor and parking outside. No breakfast included but a bar and restaurant on site and last night was one of the night's dinners were served so worked for us. Basic furnishings but quirky and practical and room to spread out. It worked for us.

Lewisburg WV via HWY 219 to Davis WV 258kms (Total 17,961kms)

We left our motel and headed out to find a covered bridge we had read about and encountered just so many beautiful vistas, substantial as well as cute little houses and barns of all description and windy country roads to delight and that was just in the first few miles but, it set the tone for the day. We saw lots more of the same as well as adding winding mountain roads and prolific growth wrapping around the mountains and us as we rode. I think I’ve decided West Virginia is one of my favorite places and to be amongst such beauty was a consolation for this Australian who has not experienced the brutality of family fighting against family in a brutal war as the residents of this area and so many others did in the civil war. There were memorials and plaques all over the place. We read some and deliberately didn’t read others. We were just grateful our family has not had to experience that and pray it never will. I can understand the hatred and resentment and pain that could be handed down from generation to generation like an ugly and unwanted inheritance at best or perhaps as a reason to harbor those dregs of memory to corrupt younger generations. I don’t know how a country can heal from that and my sincere congratulations to all those who have and condolences to all. Such pain, loss, grief and absences from so many families. Truly heart wrenching.

But enough of that. The beauty we rode through was solace for the soul and gave us time to quietly reflect on how fortunate our own life has been as we approach the 30th Anniversary of our eldest child's death. A bit of a crazy mixed-up bowl of emotions. The pics below will talk more about our day.

Some interesting facts: Elevation above sea level. 

Davis USA – 945m

Mount Kosciusko Australia –2,228m

Traralgon Australia (hometown) – 60m

Highest elevation on our travel’s today – 1,082m (helped to keep the temperature down for a good part of the trip)

A cute house across fields on our way to find a covered bridge,

And then WOW, another beautiful but more substantial house on the way.

And the barns that went with it.

And a little house just down the hill and there goes Norm after stopping to get the previous 2 photos.

And almost down to the Herns Mill covered bridge built in 1884 and rehabilitated in 2000. Was getting a little concerned if there was something coming the other way as there was nowhere to go but all good.

And Herns Mill Bridge. All kinds of cute.

Valley View Farm another beautifully kept property.

And what looks like a refurbished Mill at Mill Point.

A huge bridge / fly over under construction to continue IS 219 4 lane

.

The Courthouse precinct buildings at Parsons. There was a historical case here in 1892, I'll let the plaque tell the story but bear in mind this wasn't all that long after the Civil War.

And the plaque.

And a great mural beside a community garden recently awarded a prize. There was a live band tuning up and all sorts of tents there so community still active even though the town seems depleted.

And an old bridge and Church in the distance across the street.

Still on HWY 219 and we came across an Overlook where we could see across some of the Allegheny Mountains we were travelling through.

And again.

Last nights' accommodation:

Super 8 by Wyndham, Lewisburg.

A budget choice so limited facilities but reasonable space and a hot shower. Staff very friendly and bikes secure. Breakfast included and walking distance to dinner.

We left Pikeville later than planned as we wanted to explore the ‘Pikeville Cut’ Overlook we had read about last night. There is more to come with the photos, incredible! then it was a bit of a mission to find some breakfast and get on our way. Norm again found winding country roads, some of them 4 lane highways with sweeping corners and lush growth sometimes towering over the road. More to come with photos of that also. Then a chance glance at a sign identified that ‘The Back of the Dragon’ an awesome tight winding motorbike ride was in the vicinity, and we had already ridden ‘The Tail of the Dragon’ on another trip so it was too good an opportunity to pass up and we weren’t disappointed. Just beautiful…and I have the patch to prove it. There was a combination of country and 4 lanes and even the ‘Big Walker Mountain Tunnel from one side of a mountain to another after that but still awesome roads, all of them, so a few more kilometers than we had planned, and we don’t regret any of them. We also spotted 5 deer on our travels, thankfully beside the road and not on it as there was quite a bit of evidence about of others encounters.

Some interesting facts: Elevation above sea level. 

Lewisburg USA – 630m

Mount Kosciusko Australia –2,228m

Traralgon Australia (hometown) – 60m

Highest elevation on our travel’s today – 1,005m (on the Back of the Dragon)

The Pikeville Cut was an epic engineering and construction project between 1973 and 1987 second in the world only to the construction of the Panama Canal in the amount of material moved. The details are on the plaque, but Google it, you will be amazed as we were.

And this is the view from an Events Centre above the Overlook down across the new 4 lane highway and town on newly established land with a small view to the right to some of the old town around the bend. The cage below is the official viewing platform. The railway is at the bottom of this hill between the cliff face and the river. Just incredible.

And an example of the cut but most of it has tree growth so it is difficult to pick now.

And some of rail activity associated with the coal mining still active.

The lush growth through this area was incredible and as you can see from this, creepers are covering anything standing still. We saw examples of many things being covered entirely. Easy to see how quickly evidence of man can be erased.

Norm went to check where the Back of the Dragon was and came across this.

And then the sign that told us we were on the right track to the Back of the Dragon.

We found the restaurant / brewery before we set out on the ride. An impressive enterprise and a lift to the small town of Tazewell I would think.

And we weren't the only ones there or on the ride. Prior to discovering this we had come across three lots of sportscar groups and realize now that they were likely on their way to or from the ride. We met a couple ourselves on our ride.

And that is me on the ride but might see if we can find the professional ones, we saw being snapped of us both as we rode. Apart from a beautiful road to ride the scenery was incredibly picturesque with what often resembled green leafy tunnels. Pleasant temperature on a hot day as well. All round beautiful.

More picturesque farmland as we wound our way back to civilization. Absolutely awesome from start to finish.

Last nights' accommodation:

The Landmark Hotel, Pikeville.

A very nice hotel with welcoming staff. Rooms spacious and comfortable and Restaurant on site for which we were grateful given the hot sticky weather. Reasonable rate and parking included. Impressively disabled friendly with lifts and access into and out of the swimming pool.

We left at 7.30am this morning because it was supposed to get silly hot and sticky really quickly which it did, but we did pretty well. We had to stop for breakfast, to fuel up twice, for a coffee and lunch and got to our hotel in Pikeville at 2.15pm and even better news, they had a room we could check into straight away. We had an awesome ride barely getting onto any 4 lane highways and wound our way through lovely country leafy roads up hill and down sticking pretty much to the terrain, so it was awesome. We particularly loved the countryside after Paris where we encountered incredibly picturesque and beautifully maintained Kentucky horse racing country. Would have, should have had lots of incredible photos here and in the leafy glades we traversed but no verge off the edge so couldn’t safely stop. It was too hot to consider a ride through the town here when we got in so will likely do a drive by in the morning depending on the weather.

Some interesting facts: Elevation above sea level. 

Pikeville USA – 241m

Mount Kosciusko Australia –2,228m

Traralgon Australia (hometown) – 60m

Leaving Cincinnati this morning we pulled up to get a shot of an awesome bridge only to find the only spot we could park all we could see was a tree but Norm did manage a shot of these two paddle steamers, we assume Casino’s (don’t know if that’s true or not).

Paris Kentucky main street. A funny grubby sort of little town in beautiful countryside. Perhaps we didn’t see the best part of town but were redirected al over the place with one-way roads, hence the view we had.

And of course, there had to be an Eifel Tower or two with that name. We saw two.

Some big cuttings on some of the 4 lane roads and an interesting sign here as well.

A lot of the cuttings were reminiscent of those around Newcastle NSW but with more tree growth and the layers of rock were quite different as well.

Last 2 nights' accommodation:

Hilton Cincinnati Netherlands Plaza Hotel.

A lovely period hotel with a modern feel. Bing Crosby was a favorite here and the Restaurant is called '1931' which was the year the hotel opened. Gracious public spaces and our room was spacious, comfortable and nice and quiet, Parking available and attached to the building. Restaurant on site and food was lovely though the noise from the bar at the other end of the room was loud which was surprising given the size of the area. The second night it was much better so likely a very noisy crowd the first night. Price was up there but was a lovely spot to drop for a good break which we felt like we needed.

We started the day off slowly sleeping in until 10.30am, how decadent! Following a leisurely breakfast, we kicked back for the remainder of the day, Norm planning routes for upcoming days of riding and me exploring and appreciating the grand old lady of the hotel here at the Hilton which occupies the whole block with shops, offices and associated businesses incorporated in it. Built in 1931 it is 20 years older than me and is just beautiful…and I’m happy to say the loud crowd who were filling up the place last night have disappeared today. The weather outside is hot and steamy and the hotel being in downtown Cincinnati there is much construction in and around the streets and buildings in the area, as we have found in other cities and towns we have visited. Much restoration and reviving works taking place, so we were happy to be comfortable.

We are used to travelling alone on our bikes, so it has been quite a different experience for us to have others accompanying us. We have had a lot of fun and lots of laughs together as we have shown them sights, we have previously enjoyed and discovered and new ones as well and it sort of feels a bit weird to be by ourselves again, now that they have headed for home today, but we are looking forward to what the rest of our trip has to offer.

The pics are from some of my exploring.

Some interesting facts: Elevation above sea level. 

Cincinnati USA – 226m

Mount Kosciusko Australia –2,228m

Traralgon Australia (hometown) – 60m

The front entry where we booked in.

Yep it takes up a whole block.

Decorative touches at the top of the1931 Restaurant and Bar.

Restaurant and bar from above,

Above the restaurant area and on the way to other great places.

The coat check. How cute. Check out the detail on the ceiling.

The foyer looking towards the entry stairs. The reception is to the right.

The lobby with someone in an Aussie hat .... I wonder ..

From the upper ballroom space heading down.

Lifts to important places.

A very specie light fitting suspended over the entry area.

A visit to the shopping level revealed many empty shops compliments of COVID a couple of shopkeepers told me and they are hopeful now these areas are being refurbished along with a lot of the downtown area that things will improve but they are concerned about the amount of empty office space there is all around them in the city and this is the same elsewhere they told me. Sounds familiar and makes sense again of a lot of the construction activity we have witnessed right across the country. Note the detail arched over the end wall. That is beautiful individual tiles specifically designed to make this arch. Incredible work. Hope all the effort pays off. We saw a concert in a square today with only a dozen or so people present and not many more people than that walking around the streets. Don't know who businesses are selling to.

The stairway up to the ballroom.

The foyer area before entry to the ballroom called the hall of mirrors. Okay the ceiling needs some work but still awesome.

Lifts to rooms from the foyer.

And the ballroom itself which was breathtaking.

A big sacrifice for this pic, I had to stay up until dark to get the Hotel lights lit up and in spite of best efforts not on. Aaahh well.

It has been a big day. We started dry, then got wet, then dry, then wet, then dry again and ended up on a freeway to come in with the wet gear on and very hot and sweaty. We were pleased to get in. Norm plotted our course to avoid large towns and we stuck to regional roads and scenic byways and wound our way through beautiful winding roads and lush forest areas. So pretty as well as lots of lovely farmland. We headed out of Lafayette to Crawfordsville on HWY 231 then to Bloomington for lunch. From there we headed down State Road 446, a Scenic Byway to Madison where we were grateful for a large chocolate milk shake. A pretty town but sad also. Lots of shops filled with clutter along Main Street and not many open but the buildings have been largely looked after. A little bizarre. From Madison we headed across the Ohio River into Kentucky because we could and then back and headed alongside the Ohio River on the Scenic Byway HWY 75 into Cincinnati.

Some interesting facts: Elevation above sea level. 

Cincinnati USA – 226m

Mount Kosciusko Australia –2,228m

Traralgon Australia (hometown) – 60m

A cute little Standard Oil Building on the opposite corner to our hotel last night.

The County Building at Lafayette.

City Offices Lafayette, across from our hotel.

A sad little building (The Gentry Building) on Gentry Street, the only original building in the street in Bloomington.

Another street scene in Bloomington.

Lots of lovely roads on the way sticking to the contour of the land so lots of ups and downs. This was on the way from Bloomington to Madison.

A quirky street sign in Madison. I didn't look for the shop.

Street view in Madison.

And another.

And another.

And another.

And full on with an interesting car of some sort.

And the bridge from Madison across the Ohio River to Kentucky.

Made it to the hotel. Grateful it is 2 nights. Will do some exploring tomorrow after a sleep in.

Last nights' accommodation:

Holiday Inn Lafayette City Centre.

A lovely comfortable hotel and spacious room and bathroom. A guest laundry, yay, washed everything!! Restaurant on site so convenient for dinner as well. Breakfast and parking included. The shots show a view of the entry and foyer area as well as front on with a couple of specie bikes parked up at the front.

We left with hot sticky weather which got more so as the day went on. We headed down HWY 47 then headed east for Lafayette. Saw lots of corn, silos, trucks, rail carriages, well-kept farm properties and a number of little country towns gradually dying. A bit sad really. Managed to sit out a thunderstorm over lunch which worked for us.

Some interesting facts: Elevation above sea level. 

Lafayette USA – 202m

Mount Kosciusko Australia –2,228m

Traralgon Australia (hometown) – 60m

The Sundog Cafe in Fowler had an Open flag hung outside when I pulled up buy by the time I had my helmet off it was closed. Doh! 

Some more shops in Fowler.

A little Art Deco theater in Fowler.

And exploring how far the original road went. Not far as it turns out.

Last nights accommodation:

Hotel Baker, Saint Charles.

Another lovely period hotel beautifully maintained and cared for and where we have stayed a number of times before. Love all the Art Deco original pieces like the brass mail chutes and boxes, sculpture, ballroom and so much more. A step back in time but beautifully maintained. Impossible not to feel spoilt when we stay here and have added a whole lot of pics here. Haven't included the ballroom this time but it is in previous post.

Hotel from the front.

The lift doors in the foyer.

The mailbox where guest mail collected to be posted.

And the mail chute beside the elevator on each of the floors.

Hotel from the end on the Fox river.

And more of the river looking towards the Municipal Buildings.

Hotel front entry.

And from the opposite direction.

And the restaurant area.

Since yesterday was officially our last day together, we elected Dan ride leader and no surprise to any of us he took us to a Starbucks for breakfast since it wasn’t included with our room last night. The weather looked quite threatening, so we were in the midst of donning the wet weather gear after breakfast when the sky really opened up and we got very wet getting it on and later riding as well but were able to remove it later when we fueled up and the temperature was higher. We shared lunch at Saint Charles and then the others headed off. Seems weird without them!

Some interesting facts: Elevation above sea level. 

Saint Charles USA – 229m

Mount Kosciusko Australia –2,228m

Traralgon Australia (hometown) – 60m

Breakfast at Starbucks with all of us present.

Finally, into Saint Charles and lots of eclectic architecture A small example with our hotel in the distance,

Our departing members getting ready to depart.

And the last pic of the whole group, compliments of a passerby.

1 gone.

2 gone.

And a lovely Art Deco sculpture at our hotel. 

Last nights' accommodation:

Knickerbocker on the Lake, Milwaukee.

A lovely period hotel beautifully maintained and cared for. Staff friendly and helpful. Restaurant on site and the food was delicious. Comes complete with stove and fridge and all the implements to self-cater but that wasn’t our choice. Secure parking for a small fee.

A collection.

We headed off at a comfortable pace and drove on HWY 9 then HWY 23 / 18 so saw lots of lovely countryside, some very specie real estate and even some Amish farmers doing some harvesting then drove right through the guts of Milwaukee to the Theater district to find the statue of ‘The Fonz AKA Arthur Fonzarelli’ from ‘Happy Days’.

This was our last dinner together as we separate tomorrow, and Lyn & Graham and Mal & Danny will be heading home in a day or so and we will be heading east to catch up with Ashley & Gee before our departure. The hotel was a nice spot for our farewell dinner. It will be very different travelling by ourselves again.

Some interesting facts: Elevation above sea level. 

Milwaukee USA – 188m

Mount Kosciusko Australia –2,228m

Traralgon Australia (hometown) – 60m

We headed into the little town of Jefferson for coffee, and they had the main street closed off for an art and craft day so got a few clear shots of some of the architecture.

Yay seats for the bikers to have their coffee.

What was once a boarding school across the bridge is now apartments.

A couple of old school burglar alarms caught my eye. One above a jewelry store. Wonder if they still work.

 We drove by a number of waterways and lakes and cute little houses on the way. A couple of examples below.

Then into Milwaukee and found a parking spot to explore and find the Fonz statue. Some very specie buildings and this is one of them.

And of course, The Fonz.

Last nights' accommodation:

Best Western West Towne Suites. Madison.

A comfortable space again. Hot cooked breakfast and parking included. Walking distance to restaurants. No pic.

We headed off in pursuit of some hills and winding roads instead of just cornfields and did pretty well for ourselves, even found some dairy and potato growing areas on our way as well as some nice sweeping corners compliments of HWY 9 to 73 then 18.

Some interesting facts: Elevation above sea level. 

Madison USA – 266m

Mount Kosciusko Australia –2,228m

Traralgon Australia (hometown) – 60m

Four street view pics in Osage. There were some lovely and quirky buildings.

And we crossed the mighty Mississippi River again as we headed for lunch.

And the quirky sights continued. This car was parked beside our diner. No way would it fit in any parking spot at home, apart from the width all the boot would be out in the traffic lane.

And as we headed into Madison we found this sitting on the shoulder of the driver of a Mustang.

And it may be true that I led the group along a 'recreational track' to avoid another closed road as we looked for a lunch spot yesterday.

Last nights' accommodation:

AmericInn by Wyndham Austin.

A nice spot to stop for the night. Comfortable room and comes with hot breakfast and parking included. Some of the group made use of the pool as well. Friendly welcoming hosts. No pic.

We had planned a ride around Sioux Falls to get some shots of some of the awesome work that has been done in the downtown area bringing new life to it but after a late phone call to the Indian Factory the push was to get to Spirit Lake which we managed … just and the boys did the factory tour and the girls sat in comfortable chairs and watched it on the TV screen.

We travelled through sweeping farmland with grassland and cattle, crops of corn and others I couldn’t identify, a number of feed lots and increasing and more prolific tree growth. The farms have been largely well kept and like at home the activity, farm and machinery size has increased to an industrial scale.

Very few photos today unless the pillions can supply me some.

Some interesting facts: Elevation above sea level. 

Austin USA – 369m

Mount Kosciusko Australia –2,228m

Traralgon Australia (hometown) – 60m

A couple from our walk last night.

A view of the river behind our hotel on last night's walk.

Can't a guy make a phone call??

A tribute to the Bert Munro ride at the Indian Factory. No photos were allowed on the tour in the factory, but this was in the public space out front.

And this describes the thinking behind the piece.

And lunch time at Estherville, and yet more bikes amongst old buildings.

The library.

And our lunch spot at City Perk.

Last nights' accommodation:

Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Sioux Falls.

A lovely comfortable spot to just drop, have a hot shower and head for a walk then dinner, and even better an on-site restaurant which wasn’t here when we booked, yay what a bonus for these weary travelers! Extra bonus for us was a very spacious suite with separate bedroom and sitting room. Felt like we were being spoilt and a little later start in the morning with a couple of hundred less kilometers to travel. Aaahhh. This is a view from behind on the river.

Another big day of riding and awesome sights. Lots of plains and grass and a few cattle but we so miss the hills. Check out the pics below…. not many because we rarely stopped.

Some interesting facts: Elevation above sea level. 

Sioux Falls USA – 446m

Mount Kosciusko Australia –2,228m

Traralgon Australia (hometown) – 60m

Highest elevation on our travels today – 1,023m

An awesome sculpture in Chamberlain in stainless steel, and the old codgers in front to give a bit of perspective only.

And the description of exactly what it is and represents.

And a view of the mighty Missouri River behind the statue. Such a huge body of water.

And an interesting footbridge and sculpture behind our hotel in daylight.

And in darkness.

Last 2 nights' accommodation:

Comfort Inn & Suites Rapid City.

Comfortable spacious suite with everything we need. Breakfast and parking included. A pool on site, there have been many but only one prior to this which anyone used. Must have been the wet ride in. Comfortable public spaces. Also, gym and laundry on site. Bed comfortable and a couch to relax on, that’s a first for the trip. No pic.

Another day of awesome riding and sights. Check out the pics below.

Some interesting facts: Elevation above sea level. 

Rapid City USA – 1,023m

Mount Kosciusko Australia –2,228m

Traralgon Australia (hometown) – 60m

Highest elevation on our travels today – 1,932m on the Needles Highway.

A couple of views of the Mount Rushmore National Monument.

Then on through the Custer State Park and to Custer for lunch at a quirky little cafe. We pulled up opposite Calamity Janes Coffee Shop and in the distance, you can see a sign spelling out the CUSTER name as one young kid commented in passing 'look it's like the Hollywood sign', I think the locals would have been impressed. It was a lovely Main Street, larger than we remember but it hasn't lost its character like we think Deadwood has.

Then onto the Crazy Horse Monument which has progressed since our last visit and the humanitarian aspect has also progressed as well. It was good to see that the Museum was larger than the gift shop and beautifully done though sobering to visit.

And then the celebration of riding the Needles Highway with pigtail bridges, tunnels and chasms with single lane sections. All just wonderful. Had to ride it then turn around and come back as well.

Another day of awesome riding a number of Scenic Byways rather than 4 lane intestates, and awesome scenery and in spite of the last bit of the trip being wet and Rapid City being awash when we got in the day was terrific. The pictures can tell the story again.

Some interesting facts: Elevation above sea level. 

Rapid City USA – 1,023m

Mount Kosciusko Australia –2,228m

Traralgon Australia (hometown) – 60m

Highest elevation on our travels today – 1,761m

The Devils Tower. WOW!

And all the bikes parked up and exploring about to begin.

Departing and a hint of some of the other rockwork we would travel past.

Deadwood seems to have been taken over by Casinos and Saloons of all descriptions. Such a shame, not as we remember.

Parked up at the old Railway Station. The arched entrance to Main Street can be seen in the distance.

As we headed off it literally looked like there was rain spiraling down over the top of conifers and we pulled into an old servo to don the wet gear. Turns out it was pollen from the trees and dust and the sky became really dark. We headed off along another Scenic Byway and outran the rain until almost into Rapid City.

Last nights' accommodation:

La Quinta Inn Suites by Wyndham Gillette.

A Lovely comfortable suite which looks new and / or well maintained. Staff welcoming.  Roomy and well set out. Yet another way to turn the shower tap on, never ceases to amaze me how many ways are possible! Good distance out of town but dining options available nearby. Includes parking and breakfast. A pleasant stay.