Lapchik's '25 GT

[Frump]

Years ago the State of Iowa owned and operated all the liquer stores. Later you could purchase beer at the grocery store too, then later wine too. The hours and day of the week were controlled - no beer sales on Sunday, then later no beer sales except noon to 6 pm on Sunday, then noon to 10 pm on Sunday, then I think 24 hours. Now the state just owns a distribubution warehosue for spirits. Everything except beer or wine is supposed to go thorugh the state distribution warehouse unless the vendor has a "special license". Apparently some stuff still gets in through using other nefarious methods like UPS labeled as hot sauce and the like.

If the warehouse in Ankeny were to ever get hit by a tornado or burn down there will be a lot of angry zombie like drunks walking around or driving out of state. There may be some exceptions for locally made liquer, but everyone still needs a state control ribbon on their caps as far as I know, not sure how the local distilleries go about doing that. Again beer and wine have exceptions. Its complicated, but basically its setup so the state always collects alcohol taxes in addition to sales taxes and they don't worry so much about the "sins of alcohol" anymore.

[Lapchik]

I should plan a trip to Templeton sometime. It's my favorite whiskey. All they had at the local liquor store the last time I went was some really expensive reserve version of it so I had to pass. Too expensive versus the regular stuff. I think you can still buy it directly from the distillery. Wonder if the barrel pyramid is still out front, I know that was a rally location at some point.

Prohibition did bring us some pretty cool stuff. Pabst got into manufacturing cheese and soft drinks to survive, and later sold the cheese technology and equipment to Kraft foods.

[Lapchik]

Just a short trip after work again due to temperatures sticking to the mid 40s or less for another week. Mistakes were made today.

I jumped on the bike and took off right after work. It was fine, until I got out of town. The wind blowing across the hundreds of acres of lakes works like an air conditioner. Mistake one: wet, cold wind and I was too impatient to dig out my heavy gloves and ride pants. Mistake two: I took the secret back road around town, and learned that trailmax mission tires are of little to no use in mud. I had to go full "barefoot skiing" mode to get through, making me sweat (mistake 3).

I stopped at the Village for a GT picture. I have never eaten here, because every time I stop in the kitchen is closed. I suspect it is much like the ice cream at McDonalds: perpetually broken. First drinks are always mixed strong, followed immediately by ice water lightly tinted with spirits.

The next mistake (#4) was stopping to talk to my kids. Talking to them and giving them a hug was obviously not the mistake. Leaving my jacket and liner on was the mistake. I stood around just long enough to sweat a little more, and then had to drive along the lake and into the wind for several miles. I had been moderately cold, but was now uncomfortably cold and stopped to put on heavy gloves and over pants. While hopping on one leg and hoisting the pants up, I was warned by the DNR to not drive on the lake. I assured them I only look like an idiot, and had no intention of driving on the slush that is now the surface of the lake.

I got my other GT pic at the Lariat, which I have never been inside of. I'm sure Cyrus is usually a perfectly fine little town, but a lot of locals haven't cared to spend much time there since the fatal officer shooting two years ago. His son went to school with my kids.

[Lapchik]

Only one grand tour today, but I also got the twin cities photo tag. Still can't find a sun dial, but I'm keeping an eye out for one. It was supposed to go from 39 up to 45° today but instead the clouds came in and it got damp and dropped down to 34°. I ended up riding 155 miles, stopping four or five times to warm my hands up with the exhaust. My toes were pretty cold by the end of it, but I was otherwise okay. Next winter I am absolutely getting myself a better pair of boots and some heated grips.

Did not go in to eat, so I have no review for you. Had to stop and take a picture of the cows; grammar so bad it made my eye twitch. Inspiration peak was still closed for the season, and I will always detour to see a nearby fiberglass or concrete folk art installation.

[Lapchik]

150 mile loop today. In Morris, MN I met the fire cheif, Matt Solemsaas. Gave him my card and talked about events we had done for a few minutes. Very happy to have had a ride without needing the insulated pants for a change. Haven't been to either of these places, so no food review. The guy inside Route 22 had no idea what the building had been or why there are star of David accents on the exterior. They also didn't have Templeton.

[Lapchik]

What I thought would be a nice ride after work resulted in the one cloud in the sky dampening me twice. I started out by running up the interstate to grab the Twin Cities photo tag in Breckenridge. There was a single grey cloud in the sky, and it got me just damp enough to sap every bit of warmth out of my body. Not enough rain to put gear on, but enough to make it suck for a few minutes.

After the photo tag, I grabbed a GT. I went in and talked to a couple locals while the bartender was "out back havin' a smoke". After about 5 minutes, I walked around the building to ask about a drink and maybe some sort of fried appetizer, but they must have gone home for their smoke break. Either that or the two local yokels inside were messing with me and one was on the wrong side of the bar. Either way, I headed back towards home.

I had to stop and talk my daughter out of a panic attack over the phone, and in the time I was stopped that damned cloud had drifted along with the breeze to moisturize me a second time. I also found the prince from the "Swan Princess" movie in the field drive i was pacing on.

It wasn't really cold enough to warrant extra breaks, but I came across a state WMA that didn't have a well defined driveway or parking area. I dropped in and wandered around a bit. It seemed to have been a former farm site, with (probably literally) tons of old metal cans, glass jars, fencing, and other antique pollution laying around on the banks of a small creek. I'm guessing that it was probably a former farm forfeited to the state in lieu of tax payments or something. It was definitely not a random occurrence trash dump, apparent from the age of the pollution and trees growing around cement footings and an old wood cooking stove. I grabbed a green bottle that was in decent shape, and partial insulator off an old powerline. I also picked up a few cans and some ammo cardboard boxes. I try to leave any WMA or park better than I found it. I wish I could have found an old oil spout or a decent old oil can of some sort, but most of the stuff was rusted to bits. Someone with a metal detector and patience could probably find something interesting out there. For sure a community cleanup opportunity, if anyone wanted to actually occupy that space. Seems like the state could have scraped that bank clear when they took over the area in just a few minutes with large equipment. Keep the waterway clear of trash instead of letting it slowly sink in over the years.

[DownUnder]

What is a WMA ?

[theemightyorbit]

(04-10-2025 05:30 PM)DownUnder Wrote:  What is a WMA ?

Wildlife Management Area.

[Lapchik]

1,728 public wildlife areas covering something like 1.4 million acres just in Minnesota. That doesn't include state parks, off road vehicle parks, snowmobile trails, national park, or most of the lakes. There are 43 of them just in Douglas County (which is 720 square miles, 83 of which is water).

[Lapchik]

I tried to go out for a 150 mile GT loop yesterday after work, but gave up about 30 miles in due to arm pain. Couldn't fight the wind after damaging myself from riding bicycles with the kids and then fixing the car the day before. I had to persuade, fight, and eventually attack with fire the front end of my 18 year old car. I replaced ball joints, brakes, and shocks. I'm trying to keep this on the road for at least another three years so I can be completely debt free, start looking at a new vehicle, and my daughter will need a car to start driving all at the same time.

I have an issue called "office soft". I sit/stand at a desk all day doing computer stuff which I thought was a nice change from the body destroying work I did previously as an Industrial mechanic and machinist/welder. Sure, it's nice to not constantly have cuts and thick callouses and a general constant low level of pain, but wow does it suck now when I have to do some serious work. Maybe I used to hurt like this all the time and just didn't realize it. Either way, I'm glad I can do this stuff myself because I can't afford to pay the shops around here $2100 for what ended up costing me a mere $400, even with needing to buy some specialty tools.

I plan rides all winter, but just finalized my routing for everything this year. Next week will have better weather for my short after work rides, and it's almost time (or weather good enough) for me to start taking day long trips.
457 miles GT-IA (Iowa day trip)
154 miles GT-A (after work rides are A-H)
149 miles GT-B
245 miles GT-C
267 miles GT-D
285 miles GT-E
315 miles GT-F
301 miles GT-G
357 miles GT-H (yes, really, a 7 hour long after work ride)
528 miles GT-I (Wisconsin day trip)

My first multi day trip is with the kids, on Memorial weekend. I don't have a sidecar anymore, so we can't do the Bonzai rally. We're going to see a big twine ball in Kansas. They want to compare it to the one in Darwin, MN. They aren't sure KS is so great because Weird Al didn't write a song about that one.

My first multi day motorcycle trip is early June, around Lake of the Woods (800 miles). Hopefully they let me out of and back into the country. I will go back to work for a single day, then head down to Arkansas for the Pig Trail (2100 miles).

In July, I'm taking the kids through the Loess hills and later on I am going solo moto around Lake Michigan (2700 miles).

For August, I have two trips planned. One is Northern Colorado and Southern Wyoming (2400 miles) and the other is a loop though Missouri with the kids. We're going to see the Ozarks, Bigfoot 4x4 inc., and Hannibal, MO.

A lot of my trip planning revolves around getting to new counties. This year I will collect 188 new counties to add to my current 514. I have been to every single county in ND, SD, NE, MN, IA, and this year I will complete WI. I also made the Colorado route specifically because there were a couple unvisited "islands" on my map that I paint in as I visit places. There's probably something wrong with my brain, but at least it keeps me busy.

[Lapchik]

I had a rare weekend afternoon without the kids, so I went for a ride. I had two routes left for the GT that were under 200 miles, and chose the north route. I routed along a curvy road to and from nowhere in particular, which usually results in a fun road. It turned out to be very sandy, ranging from hard packed and smooth up to 4" deep sifted sugar sand. I know speed is your friend in sand, but it's hard for my brain to disconnect speed from the IMPENDING DANGER warnings. I ended up about 4 miles in at a water crossing, just past a wet spot with ruts big enough to swallow full size trucks. I waded in, checking depth because I couldn't see. It wasn't moving water, but I couldn't tell what the bottom was and I was to the top of my boots. I also learned my waterproof boots are now just water resistant, and got to enjoy that wet treat for the remainder of the ride. I decided to turn around and detour rather than risk it and potentially run into another wet spot around the next corner. The decision was hastened by wolf tracks around the water, and the desire to not have to walk out from a swamped bike, hoping 14 rounds of 9mm would be enough.

I hooked back north to Leader, MN to get the Bear's Den. Another animal prevalent up here is the black bear. My boss sees them on his trail cams frequently, and filled his hunting tag for one last year. I was just far enough north to claim I was in the Northwoods, in the same way that a slam dunk can be claimed by brushing a single finger against the lowest part of the net. I rode the curvy roads along the rivers to Motley for Ten-Hi and Griffs Pizza in Motley. I can't wait for a day when the sun can muster a temperature exceeding the mid 50s. None of these places were open because it was Easter Sunday. If I go back later in the year, I will let you know how the service is.

[Lapchik]

Another quick after work ride. This was the last of my sub 200 mi after work rides, but at least it cracked 60° today. Just in time for the manure and ammonia knifed into the fields to really ripen the wind, and bring out the bugs. I got exactly one ride in decent weather this year before all the bugs came out.

Today I headed across "Amish" country to Little falls. Amish is a bit of a misnomer, as most of them are Mennonite. Most people don't know the difference between Amish, Mennonite, and Hutterite so it just saves time to use the blanket term of Amish. Not that my writing style saves time. Also, eggs are still only two or three dollars per dozen from them. About half what the local grocery store is at. There were several fields today being plowed the old-fashioned way, and one field on the way back was being tilled by the largest horse I have ever seen in my life. These people aren't fond of having their picture taken with the graven images commandment and all, so I don't have a picture for you.

Donna's and this cafe around the corner were both closed, so no food review. It is just down the street from the Minnesota fishing Hall of Fame if you care to visit.



This one in Lastrup, by some amazing feat of technological resistance, chooses not to take cards. So another strikeout on food reviews. I very rarely carry cash (unless I'm on a multi-day trip) because it is so rare to find a place nowadays that doesn't take a card.



The Last GT today was in Genoa, which in my mind sounds like some sort of Michael Jackson noise. Cha-know-ah, Gen-oh-ah. Heehee. I don't know, maybe I have one too many concussions.

[Lapchik]

Correction: It's Genola, not Genoa. Another correction: it was in Pierz, not Genola, so it doesn't count.