First Ride 2011 Davenport, IA to Savanna, IL

Go figure.  It's Saturday, March 19 2011 and I was only on the road for a few miles and already killed my first flying insect of the year.  Little bugger landed splat dead center of my Harley's windshield.  An official rite of spring for us bikers I guess.................

After finishing a few errands following breakfast and my weekly call to my Dad I aired up the tires and adjusted the pressure in the rear shock to the appropriate pressures. The tires weren't extremely low from sitting all winter but I felt a bit vindicated in my decision not to ride my Ultra to work two days before when I hadn't yet done my safety checks.

After suiting up and kissing my wife goodbye I headed out on my first ride of the year to where I still wasn't sure.  When I reached the exit to our neighborhood it became clear that I needed a ride up the river somewhere so I headed north on Utica Ridge road and motored out of town.

Everything felt great and any cares I might have had quickly melted away as it seemed like my bike felt, once again, a part of me as I twisted the throttle.  I'm always in awe of the view as I clear the last rolling hill on the way into the little town of McCausland and this time was no different.  At the bottom of the hill is the entrance to the Cody Homestead  where Buffalo Bill Cody was born in 1846.

On the way out of McCausland I noticed a few more remaining snow banks that had not yet totally melted, reminding me to watch for sandy spots, especially at intersections and on curves, that might remain from the winter snow removal efforts.   At the little town of Follets just 5 miles east I had another decision.  head back down the river or on into Clinton and across the river.  On to Clinton it was where I was pleasantly surprise by the improvement they'd made on the highway 67 route to downtown where I planned to cross the Lincoln highway bridge.  the roadway is much improved, although the sweet oder from the ADM corn processing plan nearby is still the same!
Seeing barges being moved on the mighty Mississippi as I crossed the bridge over to Illinois were yet another reminder that spring was imminent.   The river was high and rising with the promise of another potential major flood on the way.  With a quick check of the clock at the the four-way stop at the intersection of Illinois 84 I decided there was still time to head on up to Savanna and cross over the big iron bridge before heading back down the Iowa side with time remaining before dinner.  Illinois 84 is a fairly flat road with just enough curves and tree-lined areas to keep in interesting and the ridge, once the shoreline of the river, running about a mile East was a reminder that the glacial melt at one time ran right where I was.

 Just before Savanna, as I rounded the curve I noticed the railroad crossing arms coming down for one of the many local freight trains to pass through.  I've been past hear many times but this is the first I had to stop for one.
Down the road there were a few bikes at Poopy's  but nothing like there will be in the coming weekends as the temps warm and other riders take to the road.

Before crossing the bridge in Savanna I made a quick stop at the boat landing and noticed a few empty fishing boat trailers in the lot and took the opportunity to get  a picture of the bridge that crosses over to Sabula, Iowa.  as of 2005 it carried an average of 2500
 vehicles per day.

It's a little strange crossing the bridge since its constructed with steel truss through deck design that allows you to see through it to the water and also causes the front tire to wiggle a bit.  Best advice is to hang on lightly and go with it.....and go slow.

once you enter the bridge its almost 6 miles of bridge or causeway and island before you pass through the island town of Sabula, Ia and make it completely through all the Mississippi channels and backwaters and back on to solid land again.  An interesting and scenic ride you won't forget.  

As I mentioned, Sabula is basically an island town on the river and the aerial photo (above) I found  provides a good perspective of how it sits in the middle of the causeway.  The one on the left is one I took from the small rest stop on the causeway.

Taking highway 67 another mile West I headed back down to Clinton and took the bypass around town, past the Wild Rose Casino and back down to Follets and on through Princeton, IA to Le Claire, home of Antique Archaeology where Mike and Frank are famous for their American Pickers TV show.  Le Claire is one of the many river towns that have a lot of tourism and recently upgraded their down area to further support and encourage more of it.

 In Le Claire you can visit antique shops, a distillery, a Bier Stube,  an historic steamboat, craft shops and a very old tavern named Sneaky Pet's that still has bullet holes in it's old tin ceiling left over from the late 1800's.

I finished my ride on an old road running along the bluff above lock and dam #14 and at pleasant Vally headed back home via forest grove road and past the old Forest Grove one room school house.

115 miles later I was home and my first ride of 2011 was completed safely.  

For a map of the ride leaving from Wiebler's Harley Davidson, click HERE