All Charged Up (volts that is - not CC)

[tom42n]

-Camped under the high voltage line
-Shirtless visitor leaned back against my metal canopy pole
-Received shock
-Took out my trusy voltmeter
-Measured 230volts from metal pole to ground
-Would go to 0 when pole was grabbed.
-Some people could hear the continual high voltage discharge crackling (I could not . . . . natural ear filters)
Came home ALL CHARGED UP
---- All of us camped under the high voltage lines . . . were super charged as a result of the Rally . . . thanks Sue et. al.

Great Rally
-Best portalets I have ever seen. . . . even a shelf for your . . . . cup, and a bar to help you up.
-Great shower trailers
-Great morning coffee.... even if the line was a little long later in the morning
-wx was good, plus a little exciting wind rain on Friday night or was it Thursday?
-and to many other good things to numerous to mention....
-great entertainment . . especially like the harmonica player

even the necessity to change from the 'advertized' 'buck a beer' to 'a buck and a half a beer' was not a detrement. And the great micro brews . .

And just for the record..... getting around the SW corner of Chicago was not all that bad. here is my note:

Being just a country boy, I wanted to ride back home (Indiana) through the big city and get a glimpse of the big city from the Istate.

People at the rally strongly advised me NOT to go through Chicago on I 94. So I decided not to . . . so country boy misses the big city. And would follow I294/I80.

As I approached the I94 I294 split. . . I decided to take my lumps and take I94. I wanted to see the city. After the I 94 split, I exited at the 1st exit for gas. The attendant strongly advised me to get back to I294 and not take I94.... . She very strongly advised, with maps and everything.

A customer came in and overheard, he STRONGLY advised not to take I94 . . he was a rider.

All said it would be STOP & GO

So I changed my mind (again) and hunted, with their advice, a route to get back on I294. Actually the construction and delays on these local roads plus the toll booth delays . . . gave me enough of stop and go, the temps were now about 80 degrees plus a little. This added about 1/2 hour to the return, but not much mileage.

Except for the tool booths. . . the traffic was moving sprightly on I294 I80. There was about a mile backup at the I65 South exit. . . fortunately this was not my exit . . .I went on to IN49 . . . it was fine.

The BIG welcome to Indiana Crossroads of America sign on I80 is nice. I assume the back side (or is it the front) says Welcome to Illiniois.

Up Winamac IN - West Bend OFF the slab all the way
local, IN14, IN110, IN10, IL114, IL17, US45, IL102, IL113, IL47, WI120, WI36,WI164, WI60, local.

745AM (EDT), 7hr 45min, 285 mi, avg 36.8 mph

Back West Bend - Winamac ON the slab
local, WI60, I43, I94 (plus some local in Chicago getting back to--) I294, I80, IN49, US30, US35, IN14, local.
10AM (EDT) 6hr 246mi, avg 41 mph

Both directions I stopped about the same amount of times, and was riding about moderate, was not riding agressivley.....I was passed a few times by returning rally BMW's on the way back.

There were about 9 toll boths (as I recall), a total toll cost of about 5 1/3 beer garden beers (not the good stuff)

-----------
thanks for a lot of fun and a great time at the rally.
Tom Anspach Winamac, IN tom42n x kconline.com

[lazygoodan]

I had also heard the horror stories about riding through Chicago, so I booked passage on the Lake Express both ways. Unfortunately, the ferry was unable to leave Muskegon Sat. a.m. due to 8' waves, so when I arrived at the Port of Milwaukee, there was not ferry to ride.

So, I gassed up, bought a map of Chicago, and hit I-94 south. It rode straight through on 94. Two toll boothes -- total of $2.50 (not even enough for one Spaten Oktoberfest at the Bier tent). Rode the slab home. 470 miles. 7 hours, 20 minutes. I was accompanied by lots of other BMW riders on the way through Chicago.

BTW- the view of the city was great from I-94. The traffic wasn't all that bad -- no worse than Detroit at rush hour. I'd ride through again without a doubt.

[tom42n]

I had also heard the horror stories about riding through Chicago, snippity the view of the city was great from I-94. The traffic wasn't all that bad -- no worse than Detroit at rush hour. I'd ride through again without a doubt.

Geeze looks like I should have stuck to my original plan . . . oh well. . . . next time.



TomEA

[BUBBAZANETTI]

I had also heard the horror stories about riding through Chicago, so I booked passage on the Lake Express both ways. Unfortunately, the ferry was unable to leave Muskegon Sat. a.m. due to 8' waves, so when I arrived at the Port of Milwaukee, there was not ferry to ride.

So, I gassed up, bought a map of Chicago, and hit I-94 south. It rode straight through on 94. Two toll boothes -- total of $2.50 (not even enough for one Spaten Oktoberfest at the Bier tent). Rode the slab home. 470 miles. 7 hours, 20 minutes. I was accompanied by lots of other BMW riders on the way through Chicago.

BTW- the view of the city was great from I-94. The traffic wasn't all that bad -- no worse than Detroit at rush hour. I'd ride through again without a doubt.

coming through the Dan Ryan on Wed was rough, about an hour and a half of stop and go. i stayed at my brother's place right near wrigley field saturday night, then hopped on lake shore drive, rode that through the city, then on to 90, no traffic at all, gotta love sundays.