Michigan - Not a world tour, but at least a couple borders crossed this year. |
|
As everyone knows, 2020 was not a good year for traveling of any kind. Especially international travel. I had a couple things planned for the year which had to be canceled. Fortunately, most of the vendors where I had reservations or made purchases, were willing to refund my money. There were a few however, who did not. It could have been a lot worse. When this all started in 2020, there was a lot of uncertainty in terms of how long this would last. I had some hope for a while, but things kept getting extended further and further out, and any 2020 international travel plans were pretty much gone by the middle of the year. In early 2020 I started doing some major work on my motorcycle. It kept me busy and was fun and interesting. Once I got it back together, I decided to try a European road trip in Wisconsin. I found a lot of towns and cities in Wisconsin that had European names. I mapped them out, and was going to drive my motorcycle and get a picture of the welcome sign with the motorcycle. However, I soon found out many of the towns were so small they did not have welcome signs. So, that was a bit of a bust. Long story short, I still drove the motorcycle a lot in Wisconsin and had a little bit of a side trip into the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. I still drove through many of the European named towns, but there really was nothing of significance to even take photos of, and as I mentioned, not even a welcome sign. Throughout the spring, summer, and fall of 2020 I drove on numerous trips. Most of these were day trips, with several longer excursions over this timeframe to get to further reaches of the state. I didn't do a lot of planning, I tried to stay off the main roads and drive more scenic back roads. With that, I'll let you take a look at some of the random Michigan and Wisconsin photographs I took while out and about on my motorcycle. It was the ride, not the destination anyway... Total for this trip throughout the entire 2020 spring, summer, and fall season was 5,760 miles (9,125 kilometres).
|
|---|
Michigan - Not a world tour, but at least a couple borders crossed this year. |
Iron River, Michigan - Named after the Iron River. That's all, now to get something to eat. |
Iron River, Michigan - The Pasty Corner (pronounced 'pass-tee'), pasties originated in the U.K, and are a real treat to eat. |
Crystal Falls, Michigan - The town, formed in 1881, still has the functioning 1885 post office and the 1890 City Hall. |
dirt road, Michigan - It was bound to happen sooner or later. Gravel... |
Ottawa National Forest, Michigan - Established in 1931, the forest covers 993,010 acres (401,860 ha). |
Wakefield, Michigan - I came. I conquered. |
Ironwood, Michigan - Named in honor of mining captain James 'Iron' Wood. Good thing his last name wasn't Rusts. |
Ironwood, Michigan - The not so pretty side of motorcycle riding. |
Wisconsin - Crossed this border many times this year. |
Beaver Dam, Wisconsin - Might as well start the trip with a stop at one of the BMW motorcycle dealers in Wisconsin. |
Waterford, Wisconsin - Main Street has several historical buildings and plenty of parking. |
New Glarus, Wisconsin - Often called Little Switzerland, it has some European charm. |
Rhinelander, Wisconsin - A city park along the Wisconsin River, which also flows through the center of town. |
Rhinelander, Wisconsin - Home of the Hodag. It is said it stalks the local woods, but it came out to admire my motorcycle. |
Eagle River, Wisconsin - Known as the 'Snowmobile Capital of the World', there's even an International Snowmobile Hall of Fame. |
Park Falls, Wisconsin - Who knew the Ruffed Grouse Capital of the World was so close? Who knew there even was one? |
Ashland, Wisconsin - Taking a break along the shores of Lake Superior. |
Mercer, Wisconsin - Known as the 'Loon Capital of the World'. Mercer gives you the bird, a 16-foot (4.9 meter), 2,000-pound (910 kg) statue named 'Claire de Loon'. |
Mercer, Wisconsin - The Mercer webcam at the Chamber of Commerce, always exciting to see Mercer live on the web. |
Lac du Flambeau, Wisconsin - A peaceful setting on Lac du Flambeau (Lake of the Torches). Pitchforks optional. Is that a Hodag behind that tree? |
Conover, Wisconsin - The town name Comeonover was already taken. |
Woodruff, Wisconsin - Home of the World's Largest Penny, it weighs in at 17,452 pounds (7,916 kg). That's my .02 cents of knowledge. |
Minocqua, Wisconsin - Paul Bunyan's Cook Shanty, a great place to stop and eat. And that's no bull. It's actually an ox. |
Poniatowski, Wisconsin - The exact point half-way between the Equator and the North Pole and half-way between Greenwich Meridian and the International Date Line. Now I'm getting somewhere... |
Neillsville, Wisconsin - Home of the The Wisconsin Pavilion building from the 1964 New York World's Fair. |
Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin - Lots of touristy things to do here, but known as 'The Waterpark Capital of the World!'. This picture clearly shows that. |
Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin - The Polski Talerz (Polish Plate) at Edytka's Polish Restaurant is clearly my favorite to eat when I'm in the area. Yum! |
Mount Horeb, Wisconsin - The town has Norwegian roots, so this is 'The Troll Capital of the World!'. Of course it is. |
Edgerton, Wisconsin - This town is, well, it's some place to stop and take a picture. |
Stockbridge, Wisconsin - I saw the sign and had to stop. This town is 'The Sturgeon Center of the World'. Not just 'the capital of', but 'the center of' the sturgeon world. |
De Pere, Wisconsin - The (almost in) Green Bay BMW motorcycle dealer. |
Green Bay, Wisconsin - A statue of French explorer Jean Nicolet, who helped settle this area in 1634. |
Door County, Wisconsin - Sometimes I should just let the picture speak for itself. |
Brussels, Wisconsin - No Grand Place (Grand Square), but they do have a Belgian Heritage Center. |
Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin - Nice town center, Bayview Park at the end of the street has a nice walking trail along the water. |
Cave Point County Park, Wisconsin - Established in 1943, the Park features underwater caves, hiking trails and limestone cliffs along scenic Lake Michigan. |
Sister Bay, Wisconsin - A little touristy, but it has the necessary amenities. |
Sister Bay, Wisconsin - Lunch! A Po'Boy at the Boathouse on the Bay restaurant. |
Sister Bay, Wisconsin - What I get to look at mile after mile. |
Northport, Wisconsin - The end of the road in Door County. |
Northport, Wisconsin - They actually call this The Curvy Road. Take that Tail of the Dragon! (motorcycle riders will get that reference) |
Ephraim, Wisconsin - A view of the town from the highest point, about 788 feet (240 meters) above sea level. |
Algoma, Wisconsin - A scenic view while approaching the town along Water Street. |
Two Rivers, Wisconsin - At the confluence of the East Twin River and West Twin River, they then flow into Lake Michigan. |
Port Washington, Wisconsin - All roads in the town center lead to the scenic harbor area. |
Johnson Creek, Wisconsin - Delicious stop for a sweet treat at the Pine Cone Restaurant. |
Burlington, Wisconsin - Colorful leaves, marking the end of the riding season. |
Racine, Wisconsin - Even a parking lot is scenic if you have something beautiful to look at.... |
top