June 11, 2019
Manitowoc or Bust
Kaukauna to Manitowoc
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Jackie’s avg speed: 9.3
Scott’s avg speed: 10.8
Weather: 60-75 degrees, easterly wind 15 miles west of Manitowoc
Well, the Warriors pulled it off, but it was a cliffhanger. We were content to read the sports summaries the next day and skip the excitement. If we could have slept in after a late night, it would have been fine. But we had places to go, things to do, and people to see before our dash back to Montana.
By 07:39 we were on the road under a mackerel sky. It gradually cleared as we stair-stepped our way south then east, south then east, until we reached the edge of Manitowoc. At noon an easterly wind kicked up, perhaps coming off Lake Michigan as we got closer. It slowed us down, but we pushed on, focused on completing the 46 miles by early afternoon. The roads were still pretty decent with just one stretch of a couple miles that was cracked and bumpy.
We stopped for coffee (and the restroom) at a crossroads diner and talked about the demise of small dairy farms. We had seen some fallen-in barns and dilapidated houses and asked the diner owner about it. He said the smaller farms could not compete with the industrial dairies that invested in machines to milk hundreds of cows at a time. His diner might also become a casualty of the consolidation as families move away, shrinking his customer base. For the moment, he is still doing okay. The community organizes bicycle tours that pass by and bringing in some business.
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About 11:00 Scott’s stomach was growling, so we turned in at the Collins Firefighters Park to eat the bagels and cream cheese we took at breakfast. It was cool and shady in the small band shelter, a perfect spot to rest up before the last 15 miles. We were supposed to pick up the rental car before 17:00, but we had made good time and arrived at 14:00. The agent said she expected a car to be returned within an hour so we took a break for coffee and Pellegrino at a nearby Panera. We lucked out on the car, a Nissan Sentra that gets 37 miles per gallon. That would save significant dough for the 1,000 mile drive back to Montana.
We stashed our gear in the trunk then rode our bikes a few blocks to Manitowoc Self Storage. Joan gave us a special deal, $25 for a week to keep the bikes in the conference room. Her husband was an avid cyclist before being treated for prostate cancer. Now he’s mulling whether to switch to a recumbent bike, but has some concerns about being visible on the road. Scott said that could be an issue, but people attach small flags to the rear fender so cars will notice them. Scott asked Joan about the overall state of Wisconsin’s economy; were cranes still manufactured in Manitowoc? No, that factory had closed down four or more years ago.
When we told her how beautiful and clean Wisconsin was, she said people had told her that, but she sounded puzzled like she didn't quite understand how they could think that. Scott noted how orderly the farms were in Wisconsin compared to other places we had passed where abandoned cars and equipment were scattered around the farmsteads. She mentioned a TV program on the History Channel where two guys travel the country looking for antiques.
“Pickers,” I said. “We love that program. We binged on it once during a down day and noticed how Danielle’s hairstyle and tattoos changed over time.”
“She’s married to one of those guys, you know, the gray-haired one.”
“Really? It’s not obvious, they don’t look like they have that kind of relationship. When Frank and Mike squabble, is that real, or just for the camera?”
“I don’t know, it could be just for show.” Scott gave me a look. “Okay Joan, we’ll be back on Monday, the 17th. Definitely before your five o’clock closing time.”
“Drive safe, we’ll see you when you get back. Your bikes will be fine.”
We walked the three blocks to the rental car place and then drove 230 miles to Eau Claire. It had become just dark enough to need headlights when we pulled in to the AmericInn, about 21:15. I avoided this chain until now because of that stupid name. Still, it was handy and a good deal, $65 plus tax, a half star more than its Wyndham cousin, the Super 8. Still on schedule.
The 100th birthday celebration comes in the middle of our cross-country adventure. At this point, we have covered 1,600 of the 3,100 miles and six weeks of the twelve week tour which we hope to finish at the end of July. On June 18, we will be on the 14:00 Manitowoc ferry that crosses Lake Michigan to Luddington, MI. That’s the plan.
Today's ride: 46 miles (74 km)
Total: 1,619 miles (2,606 km)
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