The first weekend of May, the time for our annual CHICKEN RIDE, was fast approaching. For an explanation of what the CHICKEN RIDE is all about see the May 2008 Chicken Ride entry on this blog site. The weatherman was predicting storms and wet weather for our usual destination – south into Arkansas. It is not unusual to run into rain on the CHICKEN RIDE but rain was predicted virtually all weekend over a large area in Arkansas. Our wise and intrepid leader, Gary, decided for the first time in the long storied history of the CHICKEN RIDE to head north.
Friday; May 1, 2009
Seventeen riders met in Liberty, MO around 8:00 AM. Rod retained the chicken from the previous year and he displayed it proudly from his leather jacket. We rode north on Hwy 69 to Cameron, MO, where we stopped for breakfast.
While parking our motorcycles in Ma & Pa Kettle Restaurant parking lot Joe dropped his motorcycle, which earned him the chicken. Rod gladly relinquished the dirty bird. After breakfast, as we were preparing to depart, Joe realized that his left foot peg was broken so our trip was delayed briefly while Joe moved a passenger foot peg forward to the driver’s position.
Our trip continued north on 69 to Bethany, MO and after a stop for gas we rode north on I-35. Mel wanted to purchase a new Aluma motorcycle trailer and the plan was to stop at the dealership located just north of Des Moines, IA. We took I-80 east to NE 14th Street and north to Thomas Bus Sales (http://www.thomasamerican.com/trailers.asp). Mel bought his trailer and pulled it the rest of the trip.
From Des Moines we rode east on I-80 to Newton, where we caught Hwy 6 east. After a butt break in Ladora, IA we continued east on 6 to Hwy 151 north to Amana, IA. We had dinner at the Ronneburg Restaurant. After dinner we rode north and east on Hwy 151 to Cedar Rapids, IA, where we spent the night in a Heartland Inn motel.
We rode 370 miles today. It was cloudy, misting off and on, and cool (50’s) until we reached Bethany, where it turned off partly sunny. For the rest of the ride it was mostly sunny with a high of 60 degrees.
Saturday, May 2, 2009
As we were preparing to leave we went in small groups to a nearby gas station to fuel up. Just before riding out of the parking lot Nate dumped his motorcycle earning him the chicken. Fortunately, there was no damage to the HD.
We departed Cedar Rapids at 8:20 AM riding east on Hwy 151. It was sunny and 52 degrees. About 20 miles later we stopped in Anamosa, IA and visited the National Motorcycle Museum. It was a good thing the employees at the museum did not see Carl and Gary making out with one of their mannequins.
From the museum we motored a short distance outside Anamosa to J&P Cycle. Some in our group bought goodies for their machines, including Tom, who got a new seat for his HD.
From J&P Cycle we rode east on Hwy 151. It was a beautiful day on a four lane highway with very little traffic so I decided to take some pictures of the guys riding their motorcycles. I felt for my camera in my jacket pocket and it was not there. I stopped to check the trunk of my Goldwing and it was not there so I guessed I must have left it on a picnic table at J&P. Knowing the chicken would be mine when I returned, I radioed ahead to Gary telling him I had to return to J&P to look for my camera. I rode 20 miles back to J&P while the rest of the group waited at the junction of Hwy 151 and Hwy 136. The camera was not on the picnic tables. I checked with a lady at the front counter inside J&P. She had no cameras turned in but she recommended I check with the guys at another counter in the store. As I was walking to the counter I felt a bulge in my pants pocket . . . . my camera. I returned to 151 and 136 to accept the frickin chicken. It’s a terrible burden to live with a critical (probably terminal) case of rectal-cranial inversion.
We motored north on Hwy 136 until Rod’s motorcycle broke down just north of Dyersvillle, IA. He got it running and then it stopped again. He got it going again and it ran long enough to ride west on Hwy 20 to the HD dealership in Dubuque, IA. After 3 hours and the replacement of a pesky electronic part we were back on the road.
We continued east on Hwy 20, crossed the Mississippi River into Illinois, and picked up Hwy 84 south to Savanna, Illinois where we gassed up at Milo & Beaver’s (really). We stayed with Hwy 84 all the way to I-80 near the Quad Cities. This scenic route paralleled the Mississippi.
We rode I-80 west and I-280 south to bypass the cities and picked up Hwy 61 south. We stopped again for gas at Grandview, IA. While there, a full party bus pulled up and a few young ladies got out. Painting on the bus identified it as the “Farmer’s Bar and Grill.” The bus also displayed the phrase, “RACE IN & GET PLOWED.”
We spent the night at a Fairfield Inn in Burlington, IA. Everybody else in the group rode 308 miles today. I rode 348. The weather was beautiful all day, sunny with a high of 65.
Sunday; May 3, 2009
Another sunny day and 54 degrees! We departed at 8:00 AM riding south on Hwy 61 through Ft. Madison, IA. Just south of Keokuk, IA we crossed into Missouri. We stopped in Palmyra, MO for gas. We continued south on Hwy 61 to Hwy 24 west. We didn’t stop until we reached Carrollton, MO, where we gassed up at a Casey’s. While there Tom dribbled his helmet, which earned him the dirty frickin chicken.
We ate lunch at Elliott’s Restaurant where, despite the appearance, the food was pretty good. We all said our goodbyes and headed for home. Tom ended up with the chicken so he’ll get to start with it next year – lucky guy.
Today we rode 325 miles or thereabouts, depending on where we lived. It was sunny all day and the temperature reached the low 70’s.
Another great CHICKEN RIDE despite the northern route.
Pictures of the ride can be found at: http://picasaweb.google.com/goldwinger.shawnee/ChickenRide2009?authkey=Gv1sRgCNP66IjPp4il2wE&feat=directlink
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