Gophers and Cheese

So how do you make the best out of a bad situation?  For starters, I was able to check out the new 2014 Indian Motorcycle lineup on display there in the Polaris parking lot. 2014 Indian Chief Classic: 2014 Indian Chief Vintage: 2014 Indian Chieftan: They weren't offering demo rides, but you could sit on them.  The seats were very comfortable and so was the handlebar position.  The bikes seems to be well-balanced with a low center of gravity.  They seemed like they were set up very well for touring.  Compared to the pictures I had seen, I thought the bikes looked better in person.  I really don't like the light brown leather on the vintage but to each their own. I'll still happily keep my Sporty and Road King. I was glad I wore one of my Gophers and Cheese t-shirts to this event as I met up with Jeff, who I have known mostly through the Internet.  We had only met briefly in person before.  He saw my shirt and introduced himself...

After my adventures on gravel just north of Taylors Falls last Sunday, I crossed into Wisconsin, headed south and stopped in Osceola, WI.  I walked down to Cascade Falls and also followed the trail all the way out to the river.  It was nice, except for the large number of mosquitoes that chewed me up. After the long climb back up the stairs, I stopped in PY's Saloon & Grill for a refreshment.  Then I headed south and stopped at the St. Croix Hilltop Drive-In for some pictures.

I took an evening ride along the Mississippi River from Broadway Ave down to Minnehaha Falls today.  The sun had already set and it was getting dark. This was my first time at Minnehaha Falls at night and I was surprised that they weren't lit up.  I had to play with the exposure settings on the camera to get a decent pic.

It was very cloudy today but the rain seemed to be staying south.  I met up with a friend and headed north on I-35 to US-8 and then east to Taylors Falls, MN.  We stopped for coffee at Coffee Talk, which is a great little coffee shop. Here's a pic looking down at my bike.  I had the bubble shield attached in case of rain. We crossed into Wisconsin and headed south on WI-35.  We stopped in Osceola, WI.  We headed down these wooden stairs to Cascade Falls (there were a lot of stairs).  It was the first time I had seen these falls and it was cool because you could walk right up to them and even walk behind them, which I did. We headed south and crossed back into Minnesota in Stillwater, stopped at PD Pappy's and headed our separate ways.  Here's an action shot somewhere in Wisconsin.

It was very warm and humid today.  After a good day of riding yesterday, I decided not to venture too far today.  I've been wanting to explore more of the Grand Rounds and I've never been to Minnehaha Falls so today was the day.  If you're not familiar with Grand Rounds, it's a 50+ mile scenic byway found within Minneapolis and the only scenic byway in the country contained completely in a major urban area.  I took the W Broadway Ave exit off I-94 and headed for the Mississippi River.  I followed West River Road N south.  It's a real nice ride and you pass and go under many bridges. Here you can see the Weisman Art Museum on the University of Minnesota campus on the east side of the Mississippi.  The Weisman building was designed by the architect Frank Gehry.  If you're not familiar with him, Google him - his buildings are highly unusual. Here are a few shots of the bridge near Locks and Dam No. 1 (I think the road on that bridge is Ford P...

Today was a beautiful day in the Twin Cities (70s and clear) and I headed to Welch, MN for the first time.  I had heard that there were some good twisty roads near that town and the rumors were true. From the Twin Cities, I headed down through Hastings, MN.  Here's a shot of the bridge you cross into Hastings on US-61S. I took US-61 to MN-20 to Cannon Falls, MN.  Here is an abandoned gas station. I stopped in Cannon Falls to take some pictures.  I don't know if these are the Cannon Falls but they are waterfalls in Cannon Falls, MN. Near the falls was a little fenced in area with fish (trout I think), ducks, and a pair of swans.  One of the swans was sitting on a nest. From Cannon Falls, I headed west on MN-19 to Sunset Trail.  Sunset Trail looked like an interesting road on the map.  What I didn't know until I got there was that it wasn't paved.  If this road was in Wisconsin, I would think it would be an official "Rustic Road".  I...