Boscobel Wisconsin to Topeka Kansas

By 7:15, we were up and checking the room one last time to be  sure that we had not forgotten anything. After saying goodbye to a few people who were in the parking lot including Big Dave and Beth, we headed out. We fueled at the BP before heading south on Wisconsin 61.

The highway south of Fennimore was unusually rough but improved by the time we got past Lancaster. The church crowd was out heavily in Dickeyville. We crossed the Mississippi River into Iowa at Dubuque.

Old Man River

Good motto

Dubuque County Courthouse

Our only planned stop for the day was the National Motorcycle Museum in Alamosa, Iowa. Founded in 1989, the museum houses over 400 motorcycles. We visited here ten years ago with Normie and Biker on the way back from Grand Lake. It was located downtown then but it has since relocated to a large empty retail building where exhibits were laid out in a pleasing and effective manner.

Lots of parking space

The entryway

One of Evel Knievel's HD XR750 jump bikes

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it's Sherm Knievel

Always loved Big Daddy and Rat Fink

Easy Rider replica

Someone familiar

I remember these

The Gelbke Roadog

So that's how it worked

There were area after area of themed displays

I thought this was gaudy...

...until I saw this

A Vetter Terraplane like Terry's

1906 (Glenn) Curtis Twin - early belt drive

The famous Flying Merkel board racers

Racing on the boards

Who knew Husqvarna made motorcycles

Early stacked Indians

A 500cc Ariel Square Four

Not your every day mannequin at the Shell station

1929 Morgan Aero - an early Slingshot

Eye catching drag bike

Hill climb bike

Hill climb

Streamliners

Vesco's twin Yamaha 650 power plant

Record setting engine

They even had bicycles

This was a Monster, all right

Motorcycles were everywhere

Suzuki 500 Titan - one of the best value motorcycles ever

1974 CB450 Honda - I had a 1972

1972 R5 350 Yamaha - I had a 1970

They pulled some special bikes together for this

Right side

Left side

All in all, the museum was well worth visiting. We only spent a couple of hours and could have stayed for days. We recommend it to anyone near the area.

We followed US 151 to US 30 and then dodged and weaved to I-80 West, where we encountered a strong headwind. I saw a sign for a Sudbury Marine and RV Park near Meringo, Iowa. There was nothing on their website to indicate where the name came from.

We stopped for fuel at a Flying J in Altoona, Iowa and then followed US 65 South. This is the same highway that goes from Springfield, Missouri to Branson. Eventually, we joined I-35 South. As we drove along, we came to the conclusion that we have never seen this many dead raccoons in a single day.

We fueled again in Cameron and then headed west on US 36 to St. Joseph, Missouri, the eastern terminus of the Pony Express. Then we continued southwest on US 59 and crossed the Missouri River into Kansas at Atchison, home of an upcoming festival honouring Amelia Earhart. Then it was on to Topeka. We will be heading for Santa Fe the day after tomorrow, completing the AT&SF Railroad tour.

Using the Wyndham Rewards app, we booked a room at the Topeka Wanamaker Super 8 and then stopped for a Mongolian Grill supper. HuHot Mongolian Grill had good food and friendly service and many locals were dining there, but the price at $14.29 each was a bit steep. Then again, we could have made it worthwhile if we had been really hungry.

HuHot Mongolian Grill - Topeka Kansas

First Bowls

Waiting for the grill

This grill guru got right into his job

The Super 8 had seen better days. It was a walk-up and we were on the third floor. The room was small and the beds were doubles, not the advertised queens, but we have seen a lot worse. On the plus side, the WiFi was blindingly fast. I had time to sort and post the photos but that was it. The blog was now two days behind.

Today's Route (505 Equinox miles):

Interactive map