Yesterday, October 19th, was our second annual bike ride to Starved Rock, Illinois. Starved Rock is near Ottawa, about 100 miles from my home and is the second oldest state park in Illinois. It is located on the Illinois river with a very attractive lodge, hotel, and restaurant. The fall colors were very nice and the view of the river from "Starved Rock" is great. There is a lock and dam on the river that is fun to watch from the vantage point of the overlook. There is also a nice museum containing the history of the location.
My riding partners are Frank (on the left) and Jerry. I am in the middle. We left at 10:00 A.M. and had beautiful clear skies about 1/2 way. Clouds rolled in and the temperature dropped and we had to stop and grab a cup of hot coffee. We were tempted to turn back but pressed on and I am glad we did. The sun eventually returned and we had a delicious lunch at the park restaurant. The worst part of the trip were the Chinese beetles - they look like lady bugs on steroids. They were not a problem on the ride, although the occasional smash against the helmet is startling. At the overlook at Starved Rock there were thousands and thousands of them. People were literally running from them. It looked like the plague.
Another exciting event happened when we were riding the twisties up to the park. It is a narrow road and a young couple had decided to park to take some photos or just enjoy the view. The problem was that their vehicle was 1/2 into the narrow road. One of the motorcycles backfires when you let off of the throttle. That person was in front of me and just as he got by that vehicle his bike let out a loud "BANG"! I almost wrecked laughing so hard at the reaction of the young couple in the parked jeep. They were so busy looking at the leaves (and endangering every one's lives) they never noticed the motorcycle till the explosion from the tailpipe.
I enjoy the two men I was riding with, although they are hard riders. They never met a speed limit they liked. They are full of great stories and can be hilarious. Neither are shy - 8 Illinois State Troopers were at the restaurant on their motorcycles. It was like a magnet to the two men who waltzed right over and starting talking to them. When we were exiting the restaurant there were two dear ladies outside smoking. One of the men said: "Don't you know that smoking is bad for your health?" The ladies were startled, but did admit that they knew that. Then the man said, "Well, you are so old it probably does not matter any way". I kept walking, perhaps a little faster.
It is good for men to spend time with other men. To encourage one another, challenge one another, bless one another, and enjoy one another. It was a small adventure in the middle of the month. A nice little vacation spent with two dear brothers. And, I was very thankful by the end of the trip to have survived unscathed, but with a bit more insight into life and a few more stories to tell.
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