Mike Murphy wrote:

A few of the guys I have done Ragbrai with are thinking about doing a ride in Wisconsin. Our plans are to be based out of a town and stay at a hotel and do five loops from the town. Each day would be between 50-75 miles. Onalaska WI is the town of choice so far. We are hoping things are better in regards to COVID-19 by August and hope to do it then. Most of us are from Illinois and looking forward to a little different look. We have all done several Ragbrai’s, ten for me. All of us would rather do Ragbrai but this might be fun.

I have a route out of La Crosse’s Myrick park loosely based on the LAX Wheelmen’s Killer Hill route. Climb’s up past Grand-dad bluff on County F to FO to OA into Barre Mill. Then a loop that includes West Salem and Bangor and points north. I can post the details if you want or track down the map and my old laption

Thanks Mootsman.
Right now everything is sort of dependent on when my 91 year old father’s nursing home comes out of quarantine and how he does. He has been suffering emotionally and physically. I’ll be making plans in the short term and hope to do something a little more planned and longer in the fall after school starts and hopefully things have calmed down. Since our youngest child graduated this year, we can go places in the less crowded seasons.

Larry Klaaren – you and I appear to have parallel lives at the moment. Both of my in-laws are (were in one case) in their 90’s and in locked-down nursing homes. Sadly, my wife’s dad passed 2 weeks ago today at age 96. The lock-down is necessary, but really painful for these seniors who really depend on family. In my father-in-law’s case, the decline was rapid. I truly hope your dad fares better. And we have 2 sons finishing up college, one junior and one senior. Between all this, plus my recent slightly unplanned (but welcome) retirement, my wife and I are on the cusp of having some freedom we have never really had. Obviously, cycling adventures will be playing a huge role in what the next 15 or 20 years look like for me.

Thanks, a member of our groups lives near there and has our routes planned out. Also not sure I want to do a “Killer Hill” route. LOL

It sounds like many of us are of the same mind. Our gang of three (maybe four) are planning to ride counter-clockwise around the bottom half of Lake Michigan.

We’ll start in the north suburbs of Chicago and work our way south through Indiana and north through Michigan to the Ludington Ferry. Once we’ve crossed the lake, we’ll head south from Manitowoc and back home.

It should work out to be about 500 miles over 7 days – pretty close to RAGBRAI numbers – but hauling our own gear and less elevation, so it should (hopefully) balance out.

Looks like we’ll be doing this virtually as well!

All the gals on my team are renting a house at Okoboji. We will ride different routes every day and come back to the house. No tents, no support driver needed. If the area stays open…

A number of my team are camping in the middle of MN and biking the Willard Munger trail and some in the Twin Cities

I second the trip to New Glarus. Visit the brewery. Great place and great beer.

tjdale57: All hail the Spotted Cow from New Glarus Brewery. My son-in-law gets a case delivered to his business about every six months and he shares with us. A good beer drinking son is appreciated.
Good bicycling in Wisconsin, road or trail and no rumble strips that I can remember.

RIDE RIGHT

A group of fellow RAGBRAI riders are going to do the Mesabi Trail in Northern Minnesota. Probably 4 days – Grand Rapids to Hibbing, day 1; Hibbing to McKinley, day 2; and then return.

If you are going to Minnesota then Walker would be a good spot. Two long rail trails intersect near Walker. You could make Walker the home base and have a long ride in each of the 4 directions. To Cass Lake and the Migizi trail around the lake then back to Walker is about 50 miles. To Bemidji and back is about 70 miles. To Park Rapids and back is about 60 miles. And then going South you could go to Brainerd or realistically about as far as you can handle. Walker to Brainerd would be about 70 miles one way.

“Yes” to virtual touring. I just completed a virtual GOBA including a century day.
Now I’m resting up for the 14-day “Iowa Double Cross” which will include all my miles for the virtual Pan Ohio Hope Ride. Rock on riders.

yes

I try to stop in Wisconsin on my way out or back from RAGBRAI and buy several cases.