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To WI from the southeast

Visian

look out!!!
Here are the routes to the Rally! (mapsource CitySelect) - note: "Final Stretch" route was updated 2/25/07.

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Howdy all - I've been asked to write a story describing a few interesting ways to ride to the rally from the southeast US.

Of course, the southeast is danged big and far away from Wisconsin, so it doesn't make sense to ride backroads the whole way.

Instead, I am thinking about noting a few good State and US highways that provide some interesting alternatives to a pure slab ride from various central locations throughout the SE.

But I think that the slab has to be a part of this journey, especially to work your way around Chicago, to which I plan to recommend I-39... or the ferries from Michigan. (Note, this article will not cover WI or MI riding, those will be in other stories)

I've ridden some of these roads, but not all of them. So, I'd appreciate your suggestions, and feedback on a few roads I've spotted so far:

From Bowlling Green, through central Kentucky and Indiana, alternative to I-65

KY 185 north from Bowling Green to
KY259 north to US 60 west
IN 37 north from Tell City to Bloomington
IN46 to US231 north to I-74 and west to I-39


Coming west on I-40 from the Carolinas, alternative to I-75

From Newport, TN - US25E to KY 11 north
US 421 to I-75

(or continue on 11 and follow it through the Natural Bridge State Resort)


Coming west on I-40 from the Carolinas, North from Asheville, NC

US23 north all the way to Columbus, OH and then I-70 West to I-39


From Richmond VA and surrounds, alternative to I-95 & DC

US33 West/North to US 119 to WV47 to WV18 North
Ohio 800 north to I-70


From Tupelo, MS, end of Natchez Trace, alternative to I-55
US45 & 45E and US51 to I-57 in Cairo, MO

Or... stay on US45... MO-1... US150



Thanks for any info you can provide. My deadline is 12/5.

Ian
 
Last edited:
Well, I already messed up one thing and forgot another, and the two wind up being related. Natchez Trace doesn't end in Tupelo, as stated above.

From the *middle* of the Natchez Trace, north of Tupelo, alternative to I-65 & I-24

TN13 north to KY49 to KY453 (The Trace) through The Land Between the Lakes. Great camping.
 
BradfordBenn said:
Paging Bill Eppley (Be in In) or John Brase they know the routes real well in that neck of Indiana.

>>IN 37 north from Tell City to Bloomington
>>IN46 to US231 north to I-74 and west to I-39

This is a good suggestion, probably the best alternative to the slab through southern Indiana.

Another option would be to enter Indiana through Louisville then:
IN-60 to Salem
IN-135 to Nashville (135 is by "conventional wisdom" the best M/C road in Indiana)
IN-46 from Nashville to US-231

John
 
John Brase said:
IN-135 to Nashville (135 is by "conventional wisdom" the best M/C road in Indiana)

Thanks John... I had spotted that road just to the east of IN37 and thought 37 could possibly be better since it went through more National Forests.

Is the camping any good at Brown County State Park?

I'll add your suggestions to the article.

Ian
 
Visian said:
Howdy all - I've been asked to write a story describing a few interesting ways to ride to the rally from the southeast US.

Of course, the southeast is danged big and far away from Wisconsin, so it doesn't make sense to ride backroads the whole way.

Instead, I am thinking about noting a few good State and US highways that provide some interesting alternatives to a pure slab ride from various central locations throughout the SE.

But I think that the slab has to be a part of this journey, especially to work your way around Chicago, to which I plan to recommend I-39... or the ferries from Michigan. (Note, this article will not cover WI or MI riding, those will be in other stories)



Thanks for any info you can provide. My deadline is 12/5.

Ian


If you want to avoid the slab altogether, instead of going all the way to I-39, get off on Hwy 47 in Mahomet, IL. This runs straight north, but is still to the west of Chicago.

Not to hijack, but once you're north of Chicago the ride gets better. Hwy 47 to Hwy 14.
Hwy 14 becomes Hwy B.
Hwy B to Hwy 67 in Fontana.
Hwy 67 to Hwy O in Ashippun.
Hwy O becomes Holy Hill Rd. (and goes right by Holy Hill).
Holy Hill Rd to Hwy 45(slab) for the last 10 miles.
 
I've made numerous trips on my bike from Asheville, NC to southern Michigan and have traveled both US 23 up to Columbus (it goes all the way to Mackinaw City) and the US 25E to 11 route. I find the 25E to 11 route much more interesting, though it will leave you picking your way through the Cincinnati-Dayton area if you are heading NW.

Here's one of my favorite slab/scenic route mixes through Kentucky into Indiana:
25E to 11
to US 421 north
to I-75 (jump over to I-75 via Berea and you'll have a pleasant college village to stop at for food and/or caffeine. Try Papa Leno's for a slice of pizza).

I-75 north to I-64 West.

Take US 127 North - the second Frankfort exit - to US 421 North. BTW, this will take you past a Starbucks, on your right).

This particular stretch of US 421 is excellent - I discovered it through the "Favorite Ride" column in Rider magazine many moons ago.

421 crosses the Ohio into Madison, IN, another nice stopping place.

From Madison, I have only traveled north, but based on what I know about SW Indiana, I bet there are numerous good routes heading off to the north-west and the Wabash River for the crossover into Illinois. John's tip regarding 135 sound's like a good start.

The Chicago area is to be feared!!! (That's my inner small-town boy talking)

I'm hoping to make it up to Wisconsin and am debating going up to Ludington, MI for the ferry, versus crossing the Mackinaw and dropping into Wisconsin from the Upper Peninsula, versus making an arc way to the west and riding along the Mississippi on the Iowa side.

Comments appreciated.
 
Riding Buddy

My cousin and I are planning to make the trip from Virginia. We'd be glad to have some more company. If anyone is interested in meeting up and riding out send me a message!

P.S. On the way too or maybe on the way back we are thinking about going for the IRON BUTT 1000..i think its the one called saddle sore. :buds
 
Rally from Mid-Tenn

Here is my plan to the rally from the middle TN area, Cookeville, to be exact. I won't list all the route numbers but the towns. I plan to aviod all superslabs and cities. If I have mis-estimated on the cities, please let me know. I traveled to Burlington entirely on state and 2 lane US highways, through no city larger than 25k. Great trip! To West Bend, I will leave TN and travel some of my favorite backroads to Bowling Green, then
Bowling Green to Owensboro via 231
Owensboro to Evansville
Evansville, New Harmony, Crossville, Grayville, Olney
Taking 130 on up to Urbana
Over to Mahomet and pick up 47 to Woodstock
Then to Lake Geneva, taking 120 and 50 over to Waterford
Waterford to Hartford via 83
Take 60 east out of Hartford then up to the fairgrounds.

See you at the rally!!

TennRT
 
Howdy all - I've been asked to write a story describing a few interesting ways to ride to the rally from the southeast US.
Hey...where are the links? You concluded your ON article with "..find a thread called 'To WI from the Southeast'. There you will find links to GPS waypoints and Mapsource routes for all these rides".

So what am I missing? I thought it was a great idea.
 
Rally from Mid-TN

TennRT: PM me about your route/date to the Rally. Are you going up on 07/11?


Here is my plan to the rally from the middle TN area, Cookeville, to be exact. I won't list all the route numbers but the towns. I plan to aviod all superslabs and cities. If I have mis-estimated on the cities, please let me know. I traveled to Burlington entirely on state and 2 lane US highways, through no city larger than 25k. Great trip! To West Bend, I will leave TN and travel some of my favorite backroads to Bowling Green, then
Bowling Green to Owensboro via 231
Owensboro to Evansville
Evansville, New Harmony, Crossville, Grayville, Olney
Taking 130 on up to Urbana
Over to Mahomet and pick up 47 to Woodstock
Then to Lake Geneva, taking 120 and 50 over to Waterford
Waterford to Hartford via 83
Take 60 east out of Hartford then up to the fairgrounds.

See you at the rally!!

TennRT
 
Hey...where are the links? You concluded your ON article with "..find a thread called 'To WI from the Southeast'. There you will find links to GPS waypoints and Mapsource routes for all these rides".

So what am I missing? I thought it was a great idea.


whoops... senior moment. i forgot that i promised these.

i wll post these asap. they will be mapsource .gdb files.

sorry!

ian
 
Request clarification: Your map (Final Strech) shows the Washington County Memorial Park up on Paradise road as the "Rally Location". The ON states the "Rally Location"is the Washington County Fair Park just off of Pleasant Valley road further south. Don't want to miss the beer tent! Thanks for the maps!
 
Unfortunately, I couldn't open your links, Ian. What program opens a .gdb file?

:dunno

Thanks..............
 
Where the Heck is that Rally anyway?

Okay - here goes nothing but I am going to try this Brave New Technology and see if I can give you a link to a nice Google (r) Map of the Rally Site. It is at the Washington County Fair Park on CR-P and Pleasant Valley Rd - not at the Memorial Park on Paradise - though the confusion in understandable.

http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&z=12&ll=43.351147,-88.185539&spn=0.113591,0.153122&om=1


http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&z=12&ll=43.351147,-88.185539&spn=0.113591,0.153122&om=1

In case that doesn't work, the Location off Pleasant Valley Rd is more correct. I would suggest follow HWY 45 Exit on SR60 at Jackson. N from 60 on CR-P to Pleasant Valley Road. You should be able to see the entrance the the Washington County Fair Park from there.

I figure by Rally Time there will be signs sending us all sort of places. I usually figure I can follow someone else on a BMW if I get on a main approach within 50 miles - though I admit that has sometimes gotten me to the wrong state, wrong rally...

If still confused please e-mail me at morgen@wi.rr.com and I'll send you a map.

I'd post it here, but not technically competent enough to get the thing to fit...


Morgen
Hospitality Co-Chair
morgen@wi.rr.com
 
Unfortunately, I couldn't open your links, Ian. What program opens a .gdb file?

:dunno

Thanks..............

mapsource... these are routes that you load into a GPS, but you can open them in mapsource (the software you get with Garmin GPS) and look at the route on the map on your computer.
 
Request clarification: Your map (Final Strech) shows the Washington County Memorial Park up on Paradise road as the "Rally Location". The ON states the "Rally Location"is the Washington County Fair Park just off of Pleasant Valley road further south. Don't want to miss the beer tent! Thanks for the maps!

ARRRGGGHHH! I *hate* Mapsource.

It doesn't show the County Fairgrounds. Well... you'll see them as you ride right by on your way to the Memorial Park. Just take the GS route through the ditch and bust the fence.... Sue won't mind. ;)

Sorry. I have to run downtown and work the MOA booth at the CycleWorld show... I will fix this tomorrow.

Like I said "Always an Adventure!" :burnout

Ian
 
The "Final Stretch" route is updated to that you no longer have to ride through the ditch to get to the Rally. :)
 
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