Day 2: Flat 4 Tour - Preston, MN

Outside our window this morning there was a lot of fog and my headache was still not all the way gone, but getting there. We delayed our departure, knowing that if we left later the fog would be gone plus it was only a two hour ride to the lunch spot utilizing more short cuts to the original F4T route.

Country Trails Inn rooms are kind of overpriced, doubles start at $92 before tax, than they tack on $6 for each person staying in the room. So I expected a lot of food at the free breakfast. It was pretty good and there was a lot of variety. Although the coffee was horrible, coffee always seems to be bad at motels and they usually give you powder creamer and not the real stuff. No worries, since Mike and I brought some Red Bulls, mine was chilling on the bike in my hard side cases all night. My free breakfast consisted of Trix yogurt, orange juice, raisin bran and two mini blue berry muffins.

At 10AM we were on our way, the fog all the way gone, some morning chill still in the air and clouds scattered overhead. 16 from Preston to Rushford has a few tight turns and then all sweepers and really nice views since the road travels next to a river. At times I though I was in the mountains.



Really nice sweepers and some tighter stuff on 16 in MN

After crossing the Mississippi in to Wisconsin, the plan was to take 14 to 33 east, but 33 was detoured and the detour signs instructed us to take 14 to 162 North to 33. 14 had a lot of traffic and was kind of straight but 162 was curvy with smooth sparkling black pavement, a few elevation changes, just a nice road to ride.



162 in WI, between Coon Valley and Middle Ridge, was a really nice road

Mike and I arrived in Rockton, WI at the BBQ joint, Stephen was behind us, but Leanore was nowhere to be found. We were not worried since she was having problems passing cars this whole trip, he bike just doesn’t accelerate like ours, so she was sometimes a bit behind. Stephen watched from the corner and Mike and I parked the bikes and joined the rest of the group for lunch. The others had finished their lunch and still no Stephen and Leanore, as we thought what might had happened to them, Stephen showed up and told us that Leanore hadn’t showed up so he went back to find her. She had crashed and an ambulance had taken her 20 miles to the nearest Hospital.



Lunch in Rockton, WI at the BBQ Bar and Grill

Mike and I rode with Stephen to the hospital, Stephen was pretty shook up over his mom’s crash. Leanore was OK, and would be discharged later that day with cuts and scrapes, her gear saved her for sure. The bike was totaled when it hit the guardrail. Stephen stayed behind at the hospital and Mike and I continued home arriving just before sunset. We did about 750 miles this weekend and he really likes the Tiger.