West Central MN

Not much action on this blog but I'll keep adding in case anybody finds an interest in riding out here.

Last week we (Our BOB's group) took a 150 mile round trip ride starting in Spicer, MN and heading west. We rode around Lac qui Parle Lake and down to Hwy. 212 south of Montevideo where we had supper at Duffy's, a bar/restaurant that caters to bikers.

So, heading south on Hwy. 23 from Spicer, we headed west on County road 127 which then turned into Hwy. 27 at the next intersection. We continued west many miles (just a few curves) until we got to the "T" in the road (Cty. Rd. 1) where we headed south for about a mile till you see a country church on the left. That is where you turn right/west (on cty. rd. 13 which turns into cty. rd. 6). You follow this until you get to Kerkhoven where the road will take you into town and the stop sign will be Hwy. 12. You go right/west on Hwy. 12 just a couple of blocks and then turn left on Hwy. 35 which takes you over the RR tracks. Immediately take a right (across the tracks) on Co. Rd. 6 and take this for quite a ways west. This is kind of a long straight road but there is a small jog south on Hwy. 29 (for less than a block) and then you'll continue west on Cty. Rd. 6. until you get to Co. Rd. 17 where you'll take a left and head south. This area is what my hubby calls "God's country" as it's where he grew up and where we used to live for 6 years when we were first married. Cty. Rd. 17 takes you through the "twin cities" of Big Bend and Hagen, taking you across the Chippewa River. Several miles south of Big Bend City you'll come to a stop sign which is Hwy. 40. Turn right/west on this and it will take you to Milan, a quaint Scandinavian town which is rich in history and artisans. If you get a chance stop in for a cool one at the Milan Legion (2 blocks north on Hwy. 7 ). On Friday nights in the fall they serve the BEST steaks (during goose hunting season). If you continue west on Hwy. 40, it takes you to Lac qui Parle Lake. As you drive across the bridge, just past the bridge take a left (south) on the lake road and follow it as it follows the lake and takes you across the dam and eventually back to Hwy. 7, just north of Watson. As you're going through Watson, you could also stop for a cold one at the Goose Bar. Follow Hwy. 7 south into Montevideo. At the stop sign you take a right on Hwy 212. and go to the stop light. Continue south on Hwy. 212 and several miles later (4 or 5 miles?) you'll see Duffy's on your right. There is concrete for bikes to park in front but it's fairly narrow and small. Unfortunately the parking lot is gravel.

It was Italian night on Thursday nights but you can order from the menu. Go hungry as the food is good and the portions are huge! On Saturdays, if you ride you bike (motorized or nonmotorized) to Duffy's between 11 am and 4 pm, all your food is half price!! What a deal!

When we left, we headed back north on Hwy. 212 to Hwy. 7 and turned into the town of Watson on the road just north of the Goose Bar. You go about 1/2 block and take a left on main street and follow the road out of town to the north into what is called the Watson Sag. At the bottom of the Sag, be careful as there is a railroad track without crossarms and you have to look to your right and slightly behind to check for trains. At the stop sign, you take a right/east on Co. Rd. 13 and follow that many miles till you get to a "t" in the road where you'll head south for less than a mile and then follow Cty. Rd. 13 into Raymond. At the stop sign, you'll see our favorite motorcycle dealer, Apol's Harley Davidson, on the right. Go right one block to the stop sign and that is Hwy. 23 that will take you into Willmar.

Phew--a long but fun ride. And fun destinations, which is what we're always looking for.

Tomorrow night we hope to ride to Terrace but the weather is sounding kind of threatening. I hope it holds out as I love those roads up to Terrace. Ta, ta for now!

My New Blog

Hey, there, all you motorcycle maniacs. Welcome to my new (and first ever!) blog! I enjoy riding w/ my friends and am always looking for new routes and new, fun destinations. Since I live in West Central Minnesota, I'll start this blog by writing about destinations in my area. Please add any routes/destinations that you have visited and/or heard about. I enjoy curvy, scenic routes and good old-fashioned food and places that attract bikers.

Yesterday was supposed to be "sunny" but when my hubby, Joe, and I started out, it was pretty cool and cloudy. Joe thought I was nuts to wear a mesh jacket with a hoodie under it. I was nuts as I should have worn my leathers!

Anyway, we decided to take a direct route from Willmar (our home) to Paynesville via Hwy. 23. On the south end of Paynesville, just off Hwy. 23 is a motorcycle store called "Zap's Leather and Cycles". They have lots of leather apparrel and boots and gloves as well as vintage cycles. Everything there is reasonably priced. I invested in a pair of padded half-gloves and a mesh skullcap (to wear when it's warmer). The owners, Tish and ?, are very helpful and informative. We needed some lunch and they suggested we head up Hwy. 55 to Hwy. 4 and that would take us to Greenwald, a tiny town w/ a couple of bars/grills in it.

THE RIDE: Hwy. 55 is a straightaway but Hwy. 4 has lush farmland scenery w/ a few gentle curves. It would be a great ride for beginning riders/groups. Leaving Greenwald, we took County Road 13 which also had some gentle curves and led us right into Elrosa. From there we took Hwy. 71 south to Willmar (not real scenic until you get closer to Willmar but speed limit is 60 so you can make good time. As you get to Willmar, it's got a few more lakes/trees and the divided highway into Willmar is 4-lane so you can cruise at 65 mph.)

THE DESTINATION: Woody's Bar and Grill in Greenwald. It's an old-fashioned bar/grill where the bartender treats you like he's known you all his life. The burgers and fries (no "fancy food" here) are to die for and so much of them that I had to take half my meal home w/ me. Hubby had a beer and we got all that (2 burgers w/ fries and a beer) for a little over $15. Can't go wrong! A sign said that on Fridays they serve barbequed ribs, walleye and a shrimp special. That would be good too, I'm thinking.

So, for an inaugural blog, I hope this gives you an idea of the info I'm looking for. I hope to post some pics as I get more proficient w/ this site. Future blogs I hope to include info about the Montevideo/Granite Falls area and Duffy's by Montevideo. Another couple of favs of ours is the Lakeside Ballroom in Glenwood and Cactus Jack's in Stewart (which I've heard has recently changed names/owners.).

So please share your fun rides on this site!

TTFN (ta,ta for now).

BB