Galena Trip 2012

"Ready to Roll"...school's out for summer!

Stagecoach Trail, part of the XXX Tour of Galena road race course, is definitely worth riding . The roads are in excellent shape. We took Stagecoach Trail (County Road 3) out past Apple River to North Walker Road. This took us into Wisconsin and West on County Highway W through Hazel Green where we decided to stop for a late lunch at the Wigwam Pub.

Must have gone out too fast! He should have laid off the beer and donuts....nutrition...nutrition...

As soon as we sat down, the bartender answered the phone and said "no Doug ain't here today." The back of bartender's shirt read...Would you like to buy a vowel...F*CK *FF? No Bob, I didn't have a beer...it was too late in the afternoon.

Reed was happy throwing down his 1/2 pound burger and slaw! After lunch, we then took Highway 11 West to 35 and decided not to take it into Iowa. Therefore, we headed back East on 11 to County Road Z. We hung a right on County Highway ZZ that turns into County Road 12 back in Illinois. From there, we took North Menominee Road to W. Chetalain which has a nice little climb that those of you doing the Tour of Galena TT will see.

Downtown Galena in the morning...quiet.

Rendezvous in downtown Galena is the place to go if your looking for good coffee and cappuccinos.

Yard Darts anyone? Reed has two sets of these in his basement that he's been saving for that "special occasion." FYI...don't go to Reed's 4th of July BBQ if you're faster than him! Mr. Speed, you've officially been warned.

The second day, we took Blackjack Road (County Road 8) down to Hanover. Out of Hanover, we proceeded down Highway 84 all the way to Savanna.

Reed's keeping the sponsors happy. Didn't Barb grow up in a town about this size?

The railroad crew looks a lot better this morning at 10 a.m. than they did last night at 10 p.m.. How's those pop-top fingers working now?

Dougie D, I know you are superstitious about these little copper things being face down, so I had to pick this one up. I'll get it to you at the Harvard TT on Sunday.

This sign didn't do justice to the road that lead to the top of Lookout Point in the Mississippi Palisades State Park's North entrance. It had to be some of the steepest gradient I had ever ridden. Reed, with his techno weenie gadget, had it coming in around 18 to 20 % depending on where you were. You gotta love being out of the saddle pushing a 39x28 combo with at a speed of 5 mph. Jayson, you would have loved this climb. After all, you tip the scales at a hefty 140 pounds soaking wet after eating. I think Reed and  I were each carrying an extra 40 pounds...we're definitely not mountain goats!

The Mississippi Palisades from Lookout Point. The owner of the coffee shop said this was something we needed to see...I absolutely agree with him...the view was magnificent.

Am I happy? You better believe it because it won't require one pedal stroke on the descent! However, I might be on the brakes a bit...we don't need another Mt. Scott in Louisville incident now do we Reed?

Marky Mark, where do you think the bakers went, and what the heck is he drinking...antifreeze?

After two hours in the saddle, this was the sign I was looking for. Doug and Mark, Reed and I made sure that we ate more than enough baked goods for the four of us.

Reed, I don't think this is River Road! Yes, we got a bit lost between road closures, dead ends and using the hotel map, so we spent some time riding on an old gravel road down next to the Mississippi. At first it was okay, then we turned the corner and realized that we had one massive climb ahead. Too late to turn around now, so we road the sandy, gravel, dirt path to the top. Little did we know we were riding up the West side of Chestnut Mountain on a road with no name. The gradient on this kicked up over 18% in a couple sections. We had no chance of getting out of the saddle because the rear wheel would have spun out on us.

Flying down this stretch of Blackjack Road back toward Galena at 50mph+ was a blast. I can't imagine what it would be like doing this for 20 minutes or more. However, the ascent of Chestnut Mountain earlier that morning was about 45mph slower. The trucks going down this stretch of road were releasing more smoke than Snoop and Wiz combined before their last concert. Only problem, I don't remember their concert.

If you get the chance, you definitely have to eat at Cannova's Pizzeria and Fine Italian Cuisine in Galena. The food's awesome! Don't forget to say hi to Cannova's "little lightning bolt" Jessica (aka Podium Girl).

What would ever lead you to believe this guy was drinking?

BA