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The Wedding Trip
The Wedding Trip
by Keith Anderson
June 1998 - Fargo to Indy
My little brother [33] lives in Indianapolis and decided to get married. Nothwest Airlines is on strike [the only carrier out of Fargo ND] so my son Jesse and I each jump on our XS11's and head 1000 miles southeast.
Jesse rides a 79SF with windshield and soft saddlebags, and I ride a 80SG with Vetter fairing luggage rack and leather saddlebags.
We left Wednesday morning Sept. 2, riding US10 from Moorhead MN. to St Cloud MN. We pick up Hwy 95 at this point and head east to the Wisconsin border at Taylor Falls. By now Jesse and I have figured out how to ride together, and are working well as a team. We've never ridden together before. Minnesota is a nice state to ride in, but we live here, been here done that.
At the Wisconsin border we get on Hwy 35 head south. This road has got to be one of the most beautiful rides I have ever been on! From Bay City to LaCrosse WI we have high bluffs to our left and the Mississippi river to our right, rolling hills and gentle curves. Time goes quick, and we have big smiles on our faces. We spend the night in LaCrosse.
Thursday we keep going on 35 to Praire du Chen, the scenery only gets better. We stop at lock no. 10 and watch as a barge pushed by a tugboat comes into the lock.We would like to stay and watch it go thru but we figure we better get back on the road. We cross into Northern Illinois, go past U. S. Grant's home, nice hill country, and head south on Hwy 84 to Hwy 30. We go east on 30, as soon as we get away from the river we get into the praire. The rest of the day is 200 miles of straight roads and corn fields. Hwy 30 to Rock Falls and then Hwy 44 south. [Hwy 88 on the map, if this is meant to confuse us it worked.] We catch Hwy 17 east and cross the Illinios river at Lacon, Where we stop at little ice cream shop for dinner. Continue to I39 south on I39 to Hwy 24 east, and stop in Watseka, IL for the night.
Friday we stay on Hwy 24 to Monticello IN. And have breakfast. We've gotten into the habit of riding for an hour or so befor we stop for breakfast. Now it's Hwy 421 south toward Indianapolis. We go past Pittsburg, [is this the home of Jeff Gordon?] and catch Hwy 32 east into Noblesville, where my brother lives.
We made it there, no accidents, no close calls, no mechanical problems, no rain.
The next 3 days are taken up with family and wedding! Kind of wanted to get ahold of some XSives in the area but time was at a premium, sorry.
The morning of the 7th is Labor Day and our 24th anniversary. I would rather be with my wife today but Jesse and I start on our way back to Moorhead, MN. I am going to have to make this up to her next year!!
We decide to take Hwy 38 out of Noblesville, lots of curves and the first mechanical problem, I'm leading and suddenly Jesse isn't following. When I get back to him he is getting off the bike and his rear brake is red hot and locked tight. Water in the brake fluid has steamed up. I bleed the brake down and get it loose, but we can't get it pumped back up. It,s Labor day nothing is open, Jesse's call. We keep going! He uses the engine braking and his front brake and does just fine. We get to Galesburg Il. and find a motel. Jesse is a small engine mechanic, he tears down the rear brake, I buy some brake fluid, 2 hours and his rear brake is working again.
Tuesday We head north from Galesburg into Iowa. We ride Hwy 67 along the river to Hwy 52 [highly recommended motorcycle road] into Dubuque IA, and retrace our steps on Hwy 35 in Wisconsin spending the night in River Falls WI.
Wednesday is Hwy 35 to Taylor Falls MN, Hwy 95 to St Cloud MN, US10 to Moorhead MN.
We are home, 2000 miles and 6 days of riding with my oldest son, an experience I will cherish for the rest of my life. Life is good!!
by Keith Anderson
June 1998 - Fargo to Indy
My little brother [33] lives in Indianapolis and decided to get married. Nothwest Airlines is on strike [the only carrier out of Fargo ND] so my son Jesse and I each jump on our XS11's and head 1000 miles southeast.
Jesse rides a 79SF with windshield and soft saddlebags, and I ride a 80SG with Vetter fairing luggage rack and leather saddlebags.
We left Wednesday morning Sept. 2, riding US10 from Moorhead MN. to St Cloud MN. We pick up Hwy 95 at this point and head east to the Wisconsin border at Taylor Falls. By now Jesse and I have figured out how to ride together, and are working well as a team. We've never ridden together before. Minnesota is a nice state to ride in, but we live here, been here done that.
At the Wisconsin border we get on Hwy 35 head south. This road has got to be one of the most beautiful rides I have ever been on! From Bay City to LaCrosse WI we have high bluffs to our left and the Mississippi river to our right, rolling hills and gentle curves. Time goes quick, and we have big smiles on our faces. We spend the night in LaCrosse.
Thursday we keep going on 35 to Praire du Chen, the scenery only gets better. We stop at lock no. 10 and watch as a barge pushed by a tugboat comes into the lock.We would like to stay and watch it go thru but we figure we better get back on the road. We cross into Northern Illinois, go past U. S. Grant's home, nice hill country, and head south on Hwy 84 to Hwy 30. We go east on 30, as soon as we get away from the river we get into the praire. The rest of the day is 200 miles of straight roads and corn fields. Hwy 30 to Rock Falls and then Hwy 44 south. [Hwy 88 on the map, if this is meant to confuse us it worked.] We catch Hwy 17 east and cross the Illinios river at Lacon, Where we stop at little ice cream shop for dinner. Continue to I39 south on I39 to Hwy 24 east, and stop in Watseka, IL for the night.
Friday we stay on Hwy 24 to Monticello IN. And have breakfast. We've gotten into the habit of riding for an hour or so befor we stop for breakfast. Now it's Hwy 421 south toward Indianapolis. We go past Pittsburg, [is this the home of Jeff Gordon?] and catch Hwy 32 east into Noblesville, where my brother lives.
We made it there, no accidents, no close calls, no mechanical problems, no rain.
The next 3 days are taken up with family and wedding! Kind of wanted to get ahold of some XSives in the area but time was at a premium, sorry.
The morning of the 7th is Labor Day and our 24th anniversary. I would rather be with my wife today but Jesse and I start on our way back to Moorhead, MN. I am going to have to make this up to her next year!!
We decide to take Hwy 38 out of Noblesville, lots of curves and the first mechanical problem, I'm leading and suddenly Jesse isn't following. When I get back to him he is getting off the bike and his rear brake is red hot and locked tight. Water in the brake fluid has steamed up. I bleed the brake down and get it loose, but we can't get it pumped back up. It,s Labor day nothing is open, Jesse's call. We keep going! He uses the engine braking and his front brake and does just fine. We get to Galesburg Il. and find a motel. Jesse is a small engine mechanic, he tears down the rear brake, I buy some brake fluid, 2 hours and his rear brake is working again.
Tuesday We head north from Galesburg into Iowa. We ride Hwy 67 along the river to Hwy 52 [highly recommended motorcycle road] into Dubuque IA, and retrace our steps on Hwy 35 in Wisconsin spending the night in River Falls WI.
Wednesday is Hwy 35 to Taylor Falls MN, Hwy 95 to St Cloud MN, US10 to Moorhead MN.
We are home, 2000 miles and 6 days of riding with my oldest son, an experience I will cherish for the rest of my life. Life is good!!