This will be a relatively short update as i am trying to get to bed a bit earlier than last night when I was fiddling with the blog, my GPS’s and software to show my trip route to all. That should be up and running in the next few days.

Today was hard riding. 250 miles across the breadth of Wisconsin. From the shores of Lake Michigan to the banks of the mighty Mississippi. Hot. Very hot. Over 90 degrees F all the way with humidity. A strong quartering cross wind to make it a real grind. Harold, like that day you and I rode the 1000 km’s from Ficksburg to Oudtshoorn via Aberdeen and Willowmore, The bike leaning at an angle and every time you pass a big rig, you have make the instant adjustment as the wind stops and then returns to try and blow you off the road. Today was reminder that the trip will not be easy all the way.

Made a detour to Madison for lunch. This was for two of my friends, The first being the De Villiers family as their eldest daughter is named Madison. The second is Cary Wilson. As he went to undergrad school at the University of Wisconsin in Madison and always talked about it. It is an Ann Arbor on steroids situated on a huge lake. The university is enormous physically occupying about four times the area of Wits or Cambridge. Another reminder of why America is what it is

After a welcome lunch at a cool Whole Foods it was back on the road to La Crosse and Winona (Yes this is where the actress gets her name from. On the Mississippi, it has three universities and is home to Fast n All, a billion $ fastner business). Wisconsin is also the home of dairy farming in the US and cows and corn are everywhere. As is the delightful smell of farm fresh manure. Jean you would have been at home here as you would have been with bottle of water on the back of the bike when I stopped. Frozen when I bought it, It had been boiled just for you. So I have two new tricks. The first is to air dry my washing which was till wet when I left this morning and I tied it to one of the retaining straps. Bone dry in minutes, The second is to heat water, Just slip the bottle under one of the straps to defrost. 20 Mins later the 95 degree air had it cooking.

On the way I went past the Frank Lloyd Wright memorial. Born and raised in the middle of Wisconsin, one of the US’s greatest architects. another tribute to the benefits of a great education system. Wisconsin roads are in great shape and the last part of the trip was through magnificent hilly countryside leading up to the river.

Last night it was a five star bikers hotel in Milwaukee. Tonight it is the real bike road trip deal. The Fountain City Motel in Fountain City WI. Spotlessly clean it is a better $50 than the $250 of last night. The owners could not have been friendlier or more helpful. Drove me into town to a diner so that I could have a beer with dinner rather than taking my bike in. Called and they fetched me.

I am going to end off now as sleep is needed. Have not yet decided where to tomorrow. I have to change my strategy as I may have mentioned. Riding across America on the secondary roads is just too slow. Average speed limit is 50 mph and through the towns this drops down to 25 mph in places plus traffic. I have to have a few days of 300 miles plus. A win today was that Randy Norris, who I will be staying with in Oregon, has asked me not to get tot hem before 29 June which gives me a few extra days.