Wisconsin Bicycle Trip, Day 15, Sunday July 28,2013

Day 15, Sunday, July 28,2013

52 kms in 3hrs 10 min. Wisconsin Dells to County Rd. Z| a few miles before Hwy 21 at Bob Daniels

I stayed in the motel and did two journals on Microsoft Word Processor. I left at 9 am. It was still cool and I had to put on all my rain gear to go through drizzle. Highway 13 leaving here is like heaven compared to HWY 16 yesterday. Now there is brand new pavement and a nice edge. I stopped at a railing to stretch. Later \I stopped at an outdoor flea market to ask about Hwy 13 and County Rd. Z. I always say Z and everyone corrects me to say Z. She suggested Z. At Hwy 13 and Hwy 82 , I had to decide so I asked in the gas station and they suggested Z also. Away I went. At the corner of Z and 82 was a bridge over the river so I took some photos and was happy to see the Wisconsin River again. Last night , I wrote down all the camping places along 13 and Z and I didn't want too long a day so I thought I could get to Adam’s if not a little more. Hwy z has no shoulder here but all the traffic was on the other side going south so I enjoyed it. I still felt good at Adam’s County Park on Castle Rock Lake so I had a snack there and decided to go on to look for Dell Aire Marina and Campground but even though I went down a side road once, I never did find it and started thinking about either stealth camping (but I didn’t have enough water) or making it to Hwy 21 and veering right toward Hwy 13 to a State Park. I pulled in one driveway but the man just left, then I saw a For Sale house that looked empty and thought about the back yard AND THEN NEXT DOOR, I SAW Wally working in the front yard. I pulled in. He is a friend and guest from Chicago but he got Bob outside and I told Bob I was going to camp but needed water and he invited me to camp in his back yard where the there was a grasy area and a picnic table. Perfect for me! I accepted and set up my tent. Bobis from Chicago where he used to work as a carpenter overseer for Jewish people. It was a very lucrative job but he has been through 2 marriages and has raised his 3 daughters and is just looking for a peaceful life. He got this property in a trade for a vehicle he had. . It is about 3 acres and used to have a 16 by 20 hunting building and he has expanded and insulated and really fixed it up. It is very nive and he has done a lot of cleaning up shrubbery and trees in the yard. He is a spiritualist (grew up Catholic in abusive situations from church and parents) and we had a few conversations about my beliefs. He is very well read and loves music. He has over 1000 feet of record albums and on one wall has a collection of Rolling Stones albums He doesn’t drink or smoke and doesn’t dabble much in politics. He has long hair tied back and reddish in colour. He is still friendly with his former wives and families. His first wife had a drug problem. He does some work for the Polish people that live around here. His place is very neat and clean  and plain. He has no computer but does have a big TV screen. He really likes statistics.He  has had one other bicyclist and 2 cars in the last 5 years asking to camp here. Wally is his life long friend. They grew up together and he brings Bob plants from his gardening job in Ch

icago. He comes up for some weekends and stays in the trailer that Bob originally stayed in. I borrowed a county book from here to check my route for the next couple of days. I had no phone service here. I went to bed when the mosquitoes came out.

Wisconsin Bicycle Trip, Day 14, Saturday, July 27, 2013

Day 14, Saturday, July 27,2013

75 and ½ km in 5=hrs. from Prairie du Sac to Wisconsin Dells
I was awake at 5 am but it was too dark so I relaxed until 5:30. It was COLD this morning-I had on leg warmers and rain pants , arm warmers and my rain coat. I was now following Hwy 78 which curves all over but is less busy than 12 and follows the winding of the river. There was a strong wind from the north and west. It turned out to  be hilly and I did not see any of the river until Merrimac. It was farming country and at one point, I photographed some interesting furry brown cows. Also a photo of a building that said “Have a little faith” . Nature’s flower beds by the highway are always pretty and in one field in the hilly part the farmer had made a smile face. My map showed 78 going under the major highway and joining 16 but that was not the case and I was in a dilemna

 as to what to do. Michelle , in the gas station store remembered taking a county road when the weather was bad on the freeway. I would have to be on thee freeway for about a mile and then take County U. It was very scary as the traffic was crazy and there was lots of dirt on the edges and |I had to cross 2 busy feeder lanes. Finally, I found the first turnoff but it didn’t say U and with the help of a local farmer driving by, I headed I finally went in the right direction and made it to Portage where with the help of my GPS, I shortcutted through the town and to highway 16 headed north to Wisconsin Dells. I had a chocolate milk and a couple of pastries and continued on. Well Highway 16 is the worst road so far on the trip. Although it started fairly flat, It had cracks all over and the edge was rotten and the traffic was heavy and the wind was in my face. I needed to stop twice to stretch ,especially my neck and take a breather from the concentration level required. FINALLY , I made it to Wisconsin Dells-the waterpark capitol of the country. The little motels that I had picked out on the internet were full with student and worker housing. I tried another and it was full. This was not the best day to arrive. She suggested one owned by her friend and I was able to get a room although I had to take a double bed room to be on the ground floor to fit Silver in. I unpacked, showered, picked up brochures and asked about a TV control at the Spring Hill Motel. Then I headed on my bike to the post office , bank and grocery store. The post office closed 3 minutes before I got there. The bank was closed . I decided o walk down main street a little and there were a million people milling about because it was too cool for the outdoor parks. I needed to lock the bicycle at the store but there was no good place and I didn’t trust it out of my  sight so I returned to the motel room and then walked down. I decided that I had time to do one thing-a river cruise down the Upper Dells on the Wisconsin River. It was very good although more expensive than the one I did in LaCrosse. . The pilot was Cory and the tour guide was Danah and they did a great job. We stopped twice and went into Witches Gultch and Stand Rock--very amazing places and fantastic shapes of the limestone rocks. I really enjoyed it and finished about7 pm, did my groceries and went back to the motel in the spitting rain. I typed up 2 journals and then headed for bed. I call Caroline every day and let her know where I am.