This is the fifth post in a series of images from my travels for the Wheels on Walls motorcycle scavenger hunt sponsored by Team Strange Airheads. For it, I need to collect photos of my motorcycle and rally flag taken in front of outdoor murals. The primary goal is to get photos of murals featuring wheeled vehicles. I can also collect up to ten that don’t feature wheels in them. The winner of this year’s grand tour will get a lovely plaque and bragging rights for the year, and everyone who finishes will get an enameled pin.
Last week I rode up north to the Twin Cities to see my dad and siblings as well as go to the Minnesota State Fair. A wiser person than I would have taken a vehicle with air conditioning, given that the high for the day was slated to be close to 100 degrees Fahrenheit. But I was not smart. I took my motorcycle and managed to survive: I drank a lot of water and Propel from my Camelbak, and managed to collect another four Wheels on Walls murals on the round trip.
My frequent riding partner Mike went with me for half the day last Wednesday. Given the forecast, we headed out at 6:30 a.m. with a stop at Central City, NE’s Waffles and More cafe for breakfast. It was there I discovered my insulin pump had decided it didn’t want to talk to my continuous glucose monitor (CGM) via Bluetooth anymore, so I had make a call to pump support services to get things up and running again. From there it was on to Clarks, NE. Clarks is a town of just a few hundred people, but still has two murals and Clarks Trikes & Bikes – a Gold Wing and trike-conversion shop.
August 22 – Clarks, Nebraska. Mural with map of Nebraska and a roadster.
August 22 – Clarks, Nebraska, mural 2. This one is a traditional pioneer scene with an ox-driven covered wagon.
The ride home on Saturday was much nicer. The weather had changed to be almost 40 degrees cooler. I had planned for the Clarks murals, and I had been looking for another one on the way north that I didn’t find; but coming home I found several grayscale murals in Le Mars, Iowa portraying first responder and military scenes. Le Mars was also where I stopped for lunch each way.
August 26 – Le Mars, Iowa. The first of several grayscale murals in town that I discovered on the way home when I had to take a detour into the central part of downtown.
August 26 – Le Mars, Iowa. This one, featuring the War on Terror, was somewhat hidden down an alley. There were also several small panels on nearby buildings, but since I can only have two murals per town, I haven’t included them. This one was somber, featuring a funeral scene, airplanes and helicopters.
I mentioned up above that I went to the Minnesota State Fair while I was in the Twin Cities. While there with my older brother, I got to see my old college friend Jane McClure at the Hamline Church Food Hall where they were serving the wonderful Holey Hamloaf Breakfast Sandwich. I also got to meet up with my motorcycling buddy and dear friend Bishop Matt Riegel, who was in town delivering home goods to his daughter, who now lives in the area.
Always fun to see the great local journalist Jane McClure at the Minnesota State Fair.
Myself (in my Team Strange tee shirt!), my brother, Bruce, and Bishop Matt. Matt felt compelled to the try the crispy lutefisk steamed lotus bun at the fair. My brother and I did not…
You can view all of my Wheels on Walls Grand Tour posts here.