Bike Ride Conesville, Iowa

 Bike ride 2022 Iowa to Missouri. First stop CONESVILLE, IOWA

Motorcycle trip for 2022. Time flies- from Bill's memory: Brad and I met in Conesville, Iowa at the Redneck Revival Rally. The rally is centered around a drag strip in the middle of a grassy field. Participants can race any types of vehicles. I’ve seen all types of motorcycles, cars that are drove every day and elaborate classic race cars. One year those 4x4 side by side off road vehicles races, golf carts raced and a picnic table set up with a small engine zoomed down the race track! 

Brad and I have been meeting in Conesville because we’ve bonded with a few people over the years. Daryl, Connie, Fig, Dawn, Kaci, Paul, and several others seem to have been there consistently during the years I’ve been at the rally. It is always nice to catch up and be surrounded by familiar folks when so far from home. I appreciate the conversations around the campfires and watching the concerts and events with our small group. I’ve learned over the years that the motorcycle rallies are always more memorable and exciting when sharing the experience with friends. I’ve been the lone guy watching at many events. Neat but not as exciting as participating by meeting familiar folks and meeting new people. 

The Conesville rally started off with a windstorm as usual. The winds really do roll across the plains like a freight train picking up power and speed. Sometimes tents are blown over and camp chairs are tossed around for the owners to run and catch. I think there have been a few derechos in this area over the past decade.

Our group plans meals. Daryl usually surprises us with a meal on the first night. Then everyone takes turns cooking a dinner each night. We eat dinner then go off to watch the bands and shows. This year Brad’s bride Krista cooked fajitas for us. Those fajitas were really tasty.  I remember because Brad and I ate them for days after the rally. I have to mention it because there were about fifteen of us to eat that first night.  Brad says Krista cooked 82 pounds of fajitas! Not sure if it was 82 pounds but it was a lot and everyone got plenty to eat. I give Krista credit for always providing enough food for everyone.

At the end of the rally, Krista flew home leaving Brad with the rock star RV bus. We put our bikes on the trailer and drove to Hannibal Missouri. Hannibal is known as Mark Twain’s boyhood home. 

2020 Conesville, Iowa & Savanna, Illinois

- Year of Riding in the Rain, cold rain, more rain, and night rain.

2020 was a challenging year for social gatherings. Despite the challenge, Brad and I decided to meet in Conesville, Iowa for the Redneck Revival Rally. I started in Detroit and rode I-94 across Michigan west until it joined I-80 West. Conesville is a small farming community west of the Quad Cities. The Quad Cities are on both sides of the Mississippi River. Illinois has Moline and Rock Island. Davenport and Bettendorf are on the Iowa side of the river. Conesville is about an hour ride westward and slightly south of Davenport.

The Conesville Rally was well attended. We met up with some familiar folks from years past. The rally is centered on an old school no prep concrete drag strip. Cars, trucks, motorcycles, golf carts, and even pic nic tables race down the drag strip. Yes, pic nic tables. Just ask, we’ll tell you all about the pic nic table. The races start early in the morning and ends by the afternoon. This allowed time for special contests such as the naked dash for cash, mud bogs, and various other contests that draw quite the crowds. The contests were very entertaining to say the least.

During the evenings we started out around a campfire for dinner with friends. After dinner we migrated across the drag strip to the entertainment stages to see the live bands, comedians, contests, dance music and people watching. We did a lot of people watching resulting in many smiles and laughs. I witnessed a few policemen patrolling the entertainment area walking thru the crowd. People were drunk but not rowdy. No problems noted. People were having good times. Years past there were aggressive club members who frequent the rally. There is a story of rival gangs fighting and one man was either beat to death or beat close to death. After that incident the owner closed the racetrack to the rally for a number of years. The racetrack was eventually opened to several family friendly events and two adult events per year. The staff enforces the campground rules of no club colors, gangs and activities that could ruin the fun for the majority. The event is a friendly atmosphere with like-minded drag racers, motorcycle riders and campers. Many people show up and car tent just to party!

Our notable motorcycle ride while at Conesville was a ride to Burlington, Iowa. Burlington is city on the Mississippi River. The ride is about an hour south of Conesville. Our friends took us to ride Snake Alley. Snake Alley is in the Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Recognized as the street that is “unbelievably crooked.” It is also the #1 Odd Spot in the Odd Spot Across America Campaign. It looks like a twisted alley paved with red brick. It is incredibly steep for an automobile alleyway. I imagine it is slippery in the rain. Here are some pictures near the bottom of Snake Alley. We enjoyed lunch with outdoor dining overlooking the Mississippi River. The waterfront in Burlington is a neat area for a weekend getaway. 

I retired from the Marine Corps earlier this year. Brad gave me a shadow box with the Iwo Jima Memorial etched in it. The lid will accommodate my medals and awards. I brought a bottle of Don Julio Tequila to celebrate. We took a shot from the bottle each night. We shared the bottle with friends along the way. 

Our next stop was Savanna, Illinois. We heard that there were a few small businesses that were open despite the political environment. Brad has what I call the Rock Star Bus and pulled his bike into Seven Eagles RV Camp. The campground is about a half mile from Poopy’s in Savanna. We made the walk a few times. 

Brad and I visited most of the businesses that were open, which were few. Poopy’s and The Iron Horse Social Club were the two popular places to eat and drink in Savanna. Oh, beside the Iron Horse Social Club is an antique store called Franz and Fritz Finds at the old Pulford Opra House. Brad got pretty excited about the shop. He said it was featured on a show called American Pickers. Neat place. 

The locals told us about a scenic byway that would take us from Savanna to Galena. It rained most days including the day we rode the scenic byway. To get to the scenic road, we had to ride up a pretty steep narrow alley type road. It was pouring down rain and early in the morning. We were being alert and careful. Just as I was getting comfortable with the wet and curvy road, a deer jumps out in front of me. So this near miss put me on alert again. Then a tractor pulls out in front of us from a side road. A few miles later another deer runs across the road ahead of us. Finally we reach a stretch of the road were we are elevated. We could see the farmlands with their fences and fields for miles ahead of us and in three directions. The land was lush and green. At the bottom of the valley we could see a tractor cutting grass on the side of the road. One side of the road was already cut. This was obvious because the road was covered in freshly cut green grass. Did I mention the rain was still coming down drenching everything?  Luckily it was a straight road so we rode thru the freshly mowed grass with no problem. 

We had lunch in Galena, Illinois. Galena is a small town known for some well-preserved 19th Century buildings. We passed by some historical homes and sites. Ulysses S. Grant’s home is preserved there. I believe Galena is home to at least 8 Civil War Generals. It was steamboat hub and now a good place for a weekend getaway. Savanna worked well for our basecamp allowing us to explore the area. We covered some miles in the surround area. Some notable stops were in Fulton, Illinois where the Dutch Windmill museum is located. There are some small cafes in Fulton too. Get a slice a pie if you visit. Don’t worry, just ask the locals were the best pie is…they will show you. On the west side of the river we had coffee and donuts at a bakery in Clinton, Iowa. It was pouring rain as we looked out the window at our bikes parked on the main street. 

After another ride we stopped for brunch at the Sandbar Grill that is across the river west of Savanna but not quite into Iowa. There is an island, causeway or sandbar connected with bridges. To the east, we found some covered bridges in Iowa while looking for the Psycho Silo and visiting the Rock Falls area. 

The most memorable ride during this trip was from Savanna to a small town in Wisconsin to visit with Brad’s niece. We were near Madison. It rained all the way north. We had a great visit and dinner. By the time we departed and headed south to our campground, it was later in the evening. The rain continued to pour all day. The sun had set and the temperatures began to drop. Our rain suits stopped resisting the rain. Our clothes were soaked. We had to continue. It was dark. Not just dark but we were in a rainstorm with dark skies. There were no street lights. We rode faster on the four-lane highway thinking to hurry up and get the ride over faster. I have a theory that our speed combined with the wind had helped the rain penetrate our rain suits. Eventually we turned off the four-lane highway onto the two lane curvy road. I could not see anything. I felt resistance on my tires if I veered too close to the right of the road. The rain was coming down so hard that it was overflowing the ditch beside the road. When an oncoming car passed, the lights blinded me. I had raindrops on the outside and inside my helmet shield. It was so cold that I couldn’t keep the visor open. Plus the rain hurt hitting against my face. Brad was behind me. He said he could barely see my dim red taillight. He followed the red taillight. 

We stopped for fuel in Galena and immediately started shivering. We were miserable. We were riding blind in a rainstorm in the middle of a freezing night. We could have slept at Brad’s nieces warm house. What were we thinking? Later that night, Brad and I arrived back to the shelter of the Rock Star Bus. He cranked up the heater on high. We laid out our wet clothes all over the bus. 

The next morning, Brad puts his rain pants on his head searching for leaks. He finds some pinholes indicated by light shining thru the pants. He has the idea that he has to patch the pinholes. So we rode around town looking for something to patch the rain pants. Of all places, Brad stops at a pharmacy. The clerk gives him a bottle of liquid cement out of her desk drawer. You know the small bottle with the brush attached to the screw cap used for arts and crafts. Back to the Rock Star Bus we went. Brad put the rain pants back on his head and began sniffing the glue. Uh, I mean he patched his rain paints. 

The most memorable meal was a steak dinner on the Rock Star Bus. Cheers until next year!

2018 Ride to the Prairies of the Midwest (Iowa & Illinois)

Stafford to Gatlinburg. Have you ever been on a motorcycle trip wishing it would rain? The ambient temperature gauge on my 2006 Street Glide reads 100 degrees. It is hot and sunny. I could see the dark rain clouds ahead. I can see heavy rain falling in the distance. The cold rain showers me for a few short minutes. I immediately took shelter by stopping under a gas station pump canopy. I check my handy dandy weather radar phone app. The app shows more rain ahead. I put on my rain suit with the idea that the rain is not going to interrupt my ride. I am back on the road. The ambient temperature gauge fell to just below the 90 degree mark. The cold rain feels pretty good cooling my skin as it pelts against my rain suit. In less than ten minutes the sun appears. The clouds are gone. The sky is clear ahead. That ambient temperature gauge on my dash shoots back up to 100 degrees. I still have my rain suit on. I begin to think, that radar app has been accurate in the past. Where is the rest of the rain? I start to feel like a turkey baking in a plastic oven bag. All I see is blue skies ahead. Where is that rain? I’ve only been in the rain suit a short distance. I feel that it took longer to put on the rain suit than the time I spent wearing it in the rain. Should I take it off? Will it rain again as the weather radar app indicated? What if I took off the turkey oven bag...the rain suit? How long will it take me to dry off if it does rain again? I was suited up and ready for more rain. Baking in the rain suit I wanted a downpour so badly. I eventually stopped to get out of the rai suit. 

Great Smoky Mountains. 

My first stop was Gatlinburg Tennessee. During breakfast I did a map study plotting the day's ride. I was to navigate west making my way from Virginia to Iowa. I jotted down a few notes with a numbers direction indicators such as LT (left), RT (right), EAST, WEST in large enough writing for me to reference while navigating the mountains. I began the days ride enjoying the cool morning air as I rode thru the tunnel of trees in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. I had the direction notes wedged to my gas tank for quick reference. I found the road leading to Clingman’s Dome. It is the highest point in Tennessee and the Appalachian Trail crosses it - so I had to go. I enjoy backpacking while not on the motorcycle and could not resist a short hike. So as usual, I deviated from the loosely planned route. I changed out my riding boots for my hiking shoes and walked up to the lookout known as Clingman’s Dome. Awesome site above the trees. 

 

I felt satisfied after the hike. I am back on the bike enjoying the twisty road thru the National Forest. I enjoyed the coolness of the shade and curves so much that I must have missed a turn. I was surprised to read a road sign that stated, “Asheville 10 miles.” I think to myself, how did I end up east of Gatlinburg and almost into North Carolina? Easy fix, I’ll avoid a U-turn and navigate west again. The minor detour was worth it when I recognized that the revised route took me to the “Tail of the Dragon.” It had been a few years since I rode this route. I’ve also taken a motorcycle safety course or two since then. I was stoked to be able use some of the new leaning skills from a sports bike course taken last year. So in my brain I was flying around the turns. Lifting my body off the seat pushing the bike upright more so I could take the curves faster and with more tire traction. I was getting the hang of it, moving off the seat to the left, then immediately to the right and so forth. The curves were coming faster and faster. I was feeling like a pro sports bike racer on my old Harley. Well, that was until I downshifted while leaning in a turn. The rear tire squealed sliding slightly to one side. It felt like I was sliding on a banana peel. Reality set in and now in my mind I was a weekend rider who was riding the curves much to fast on an old Harley. So I counted my blessings for keeping the motorcycle upright. I slowed down the rest of the way into Maryville, Tennessee. 

Brad will tell you that my bike needs service or breaks down during our annual rides. Well....It did. I arrived in the Tennessee town of Franklin. It is near Nashville. I stopped on a not so busy street to check the map. I needed to find a place to sleep. I searched for parks and hotels. Yes, I sleep in parks at times. I got back on the bike and it would not start. The battery was dead. I am in a no parking zone. It is dark. I pushed the bike around the corner to a better parking spot along the street. I am in downtown Franklin. No hotels near. I think that I should have learned to use that Uber App! Instead of calling a taxi to help me find a hotel, I contacted a new friend who I met running the Marine Corps Marathon the year prior. Surprisingly the new friend arrived in minutes. We decided that I’d go to a hotel and tackle the problem together the next morning. The next morning we went to my bike. Removed the battery and took it to the Harley dealership to get a new one. By the time we got back to my motorcycle the temperature was pretty hot. I put the new battery in the bike and it started immediately. Sounds simple - not. In order to access the battery I had to remove my seat. In order to remove the seat I had to take off my chopped tour pack. Lucky I had a tool kit with everything I needed. I need to add a short screw driver so I might not need to take off the tour pack next time. 

My new friend and I went to lunch in Nashville. We both ended up with parking tickets! 

Iowa. The next day, I met Brad near Burlington, Iowa. He was at Conesvilles, Iowa at the RedNeck Revival and Rally. Brad had already parked his camper and was making new friends. I rode the camp grounds observing the temporary residents. There was a paved drag strip with bleacher seating. Tent camping was on one side of the strip and RV type camping was on the other side. This was a motorcycle type rally and it had four wheeled vehicles to race down the track. The race participants are some awesome fearless people! I saw professional cars with nitro, professional motorcycle race bikes, every day riders racing their bikes, golf cart racing, ATVs racing and there was a picnic table that raced down the track. Yes, a picnic table. I got to ride it around the camp ground. It was pretty neat. There is a pole on it for entertainment too. I hear it is pretty popular at Conesville. 

Conesville Drag Strip - you can race your bike against yourself if you like. There is plenty of open track time before the competition begins. 

In addition to the drag strip I witnessed:

· That motorized picnic table was an automatic party where ever it went. 

· Mud bog. I saw a big tired truck get stuck and pulled out. There was a daily driver Ford Explorer that had the doors removed and it was first in the mud. I think the four rednecks inside had removed their clothes too. 

· There was a male and female dash or gash for cash event. It was a foot race thru the mud. The contestants were slipping and sliding to the finish. The prize was a bucket of money that was passed around the crowd for donations. Part of the donations went to a local charity. The runners were pretty smart. They avoided dirty laundry by taking off all their clothes before the mud run. Ha! 

· Zip Line at the main stage area. There was a large ten foot cylinder thingy laying near the end of the zip line. People were falling off the zip line bouncing on the soft cylindrical thingy. I heard a story that some broke their legs the year before so the height of the zip line was lowered. 

· Did I mention there was a drag strip? It was the main attraction! 

Next stop was Savanna, Illinois. 

The ride from Burlington, Iowa to Savanna, Illinois wasn’t far. We had a slight delay to fix the tire on the trailer Brad was using for his bike. We were at one shop to repair the tire but I ended up riding to another shop to get the new tire to be mounted on the rim that was at the other shop. I am scratching my head trying to remember how this happened. Regardless have a cool picture of the spare tire tied to my rear seat. 

In Savanna, we set up camp down the road from a well known place called Poopies Pub. We spend a few days exploring the small town along the Mississippi River. We frequented Poopies and the Iron Horse Saloon. The Iron Horse has a really neat museum in the back of the building. It also has a horse statue up front near the bar. That horse gets rode often with people dancing and having fun around it. Poopies Pub had a live band nearly every night we were there. We ate our meals there since it was close to camp. It rained there every day during our stay. Despite the rain we rode north to Dubuque, Iowa for lunch at Catfish Charlie’s. It rained the whole ride. So from Dubuque we rode west to the J&P Cycle mega store. Well it used to be a mega store. You can still order from the catalog but the brick and mortar (warehouse really) store has down sized. Brad and I both were soaking wet because our rain suits failed. I know my rain suit is about 12 years old with literally hundreds of miles of use. The set has hundreds of hours baking in my saddle bags too. So we were going to get new rain suits from J&P Cycles but there were none on display or in stock. A group of riders coming from Milwaukee had just wiped out their store inventory. So Brad had the idea to go to Walmart and get some water repellent spray - we did and it worked. 

Dutch Windmills at Fulton, Illinois. This Dutch Wind Mill is near the bank of the Mississippi River directly across from Clinton, Iowa. There is a museum to learn about the story of the wind mills and the town. It is worth the short detour if you are riding thru. There are some neat downtown small town shops too. We got some home made pie around the corner. 

Bike Repairs at Rock Falls, Illinois. After sampling all the homemade pies in Fulton, we decided to visit Workman Harley Davidson in Rock Falls Illinois. I lived near the area and the team at Workman’s has done much of the maintenance on my motorcycle. I continue to visit Workman’s during my rides for tires, brakes, and maintenance. This dealership is special because it is family operated and as a result has outstanding customer service - why else would I ride fourteen hours to get maintenance done? So I thought my clutch was failing. I wanted to get a mechanic to take a look at it. On the way, we stopped for gas and Brad’s bike would not start. His battery was dead! I think this was the first breakdown for Brad during our rides together. Brad had the idea that we could connect the pigtails for our battery tenders together to jump the batteries. We connected the wires with no success in starting his bike. We asked a gentleman in a pick up truck for a battery jump. Sounds easy but that seat had to be removed and we were wearing rain suits. Whew what an experience. Check out the pic of Brad. He had fun with the jumper cables! 

We arrived at Workman’s. Brad got a new battery. The mechanic came to talk to me - my clutch was in great condition. When the inspection cover was removed oil exploded out of the clutch side! There is normally four ounces of fluid on that side. The engine seals had blown. The excess fluid had made it difficult to shift into neutral. Luckily the bike warranty was still active. The bike stayed the night at the shop. I have been renewing my warranty since I purchased the motorcycle in 2005. I discovered that I could not renew the warranty for another term. The motor company stated the bike was over 12 years old and they would not issue another warranty for it. Perhaps it was my warranty history. I’ve used it as needed which was frequent. 

Once my bike was repaired Brad and I visited a place called Psycho Silo Saloon. It is located just south of I-80 near Langley, Illinois. It is a grain silo turned into a saloon. This is a unique place to see too if you find yourself traveling I-80 across Illinois. It continued to rain until we arrived in the parking lot at Psycho Silo. We noticed some tents set up for an event. Tables with center pieces and motorcycles on display under the large tents. We saw no people. In the parking lot, Brad was getting out of his rain suit and putting on a dry pair of jeans. He is standing beside his motorcycle in his underwear when two dozen cars pull in one after the other just as if they all convoyed together. The cars were loaded with people. It turns out the tents were set up for a wedding reception. There is Brad getting dressed beside his motorcycle! 

We stayed one more night in Illinois and headed home. I know it rained 100% of the time during the two days it took me to get back to Virginia. 

More photos to view are at:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/tKFeaVb5bgUPtbqZ9