2002 GRABAAWR – Day -1

Today was the big bus ride from Prairie du Chien to Eagle River. We first registered, and got our race packets, that contain all our maps and the rider number assigned to us to attach to our bike and to our luggage. We then loaded our bikes on the moving van’s where they were packed with movers blankets. (See picture 1)

We then loaded our luggage in the bus and got on the bus for the 6 hour ride to Eagle River. See pictures:
2. John and Ingrid Jensen, Terry and Ginni Hackney
3. Dick and JoAnn Burkley
4. Ken Switzer and Bob Boylan

Robin and Patti Guilford and Nick and Martha Shuck drove our Sag wagon, and didn’t have to ride on the bus.

Some of us had a picnic on the bus. We stopped at Stevens Point for a 45 minute rest stop/lunch.We got to Eagle River about 3:30pm and checked in to the Day’s Inn which is very near the School where we start the ride tomorrow. We met up with Herb and Ruth Lauritzen and so now our group is complete.

We went to a very nice restaurant for dinner, and everyone started out very refined.
We were seated at 2 tables (see pictures 5 – 6), but after while things disintegrated (see pictures 7 – 8)

Tomorrow we start day 1 of the ride!

kws

2002 GRABAAWR – Day -2

After a good night’s sleep at the Super 8 motel in Blair, we drove downtown to the Maple Restaurant on Main street and joined Mick and Gail, and Betsy and Bill for a great Blair Breakfast. After picking up my camera, we were off to I-80 to continue our trek towards Prairie du Chien. We have a caravan of 4 vehicles all carrying bicycles. We have CB radios for communication with FRS radios as backup. We use the radios extensively to coordinate stops for gas, rest stops, and general navigation.

We had lunch in Waterloo IA, at a deli decorated to look like the 50’s. There was a band playing in the city center park when we parked and it just finished playing when we were ready to go on. This was the same deli we had eaten in last year. We had planned to take a group picture in front of a large strawberry we remembered being in a town called Strawberry Point. Unfortunately we couldn’t find the sign. We are now checked into the motel in Prairie du Chien. We were joined by Nick and Martha Shuck today. Tomorrow we will join Herb and Ruth Lauritzen and our group will be complete. Tomorrow we will checkin to the GRABAAWR and ride the bus to Eagle River, where we will stay overnight and the start the ride on Sunday morning. Tonight we ate dinner at the Barn north? of Prairie du Chien. The picture is outside the restaurant after dinner. John and Dick Burkley were inside the restaurant still admiring a marble light dimmer.

kws

2002 GRABAAWR – Day -3

All,
This is Ken Switzer’s email and photo journal of the 2002 GRABAAWR ride across Wisconsin. I had planned to attach a picture of the lineup at the start of the day in Boulder, but I left my camera at the house of John Jensen’s. brother in Blair Nebraska and will have to send it tomorrow.

Addition: {{popup bike1sm.jpg bike1sm 560×336}}Click here for group photo

We had a good weather day, (partly cloudy) and an uneventful trip from Boulder to Blair, Nebraska. We stopped for lunch at a restaurant in Paxton, NE, called Ole’s. The restaurant serves great food and has lot’s of stuffed big game animals on display. We stopped at Mick and Gail Jensen’s house for appetizers, and then went to the Driftwood restaurant right on the bank of the Missouri for dinner.

We – refers to the Colorado contingent. It includes John and Ingrid Jensen, Dick and JoAnn Burkley, Robin and Patti Guilford, Terry and Ginny Hackney, Bob Boylan from Aspen, and me Ken Switzer.

We are staying in the Blair Super 8 motel tonight and will get up early, have breakfast in Blair, and head out for Prairie du Chien, where we will be tomorrow night. We will meet up with Nick and Martha Shuck, and Herb and Ruth Lauritzen tomorrow night So altogether we will have 14 people doing the ride (across Wisconsin) together.

More tomorrow.
Ken Switzer