We got up a bit earlier this morning in order to be at the Steel Toe Tour on time. We were to meet at the H-D Museum and from there a shuttle would take us to Menomonie to the H-D plant. We looked out the window first thing and HALLEUJAH NO RAIN…it was still cloudy, but not the first sprinkle. We happily walked down to the Library where they serve breakfast at the Iron Horse. Tom ordered an omelet and, by the time the waitress got through the laundry list of everything that was coming with it, it was quickly decided this could be a shared adventure. The food here is EXCELLENT. We’ve pretty well sampled a variety of items and they’ve all been very satisfying.
We walked out into the morning air, sans rain, and got on the bike to ride over to the H-D museum. A few minutes later we were on the shuttle in transit to the plant. Our guide gave us pre-tour information and then handed us a pair of steel toes connected to a bungee cord thing and had us slip them on. When we walked, we sounded like a bunch of horses. Add to this the adornment of a big pair of safety goggles and an earpiece attached to a small radio and you have our “look”…words can’t quite describe our grand looks…LOL.
We toured over a mile of factory floor and saw every piece of the engine construction from unmilled pieces of steel to meticulously milled parts. There were several ginormous robots that were incredibly fascinating to watch. If you ever happen to the H-D Museum, I’d strongly suggest you buy a ticket for this tour.
After the tour we returned our steel toes, our goggles, and our headsets. We boarded the bus and it took us back to the Museum.
We had a bit of lunch at Motor, the cool gigantic bar at the museum. From there we journeyed back to the Hotel and regrouped for a little afternoon ride…and STILL SUN!
Tom got the Zumo set up and we found some Frank Lloyd Wright sites including the Greek Orthodox Church…amazing. (http://www.annunciationwi.com/) His creations never cease to amaze us. We also found a house that, given the time and inclination, Tom and I would say it was “the one”…fantastic little house…definitely a “scale down” size, but a work of art nonetheless.
It’s always interesting to see the various neighborhoods any city has; Milwaukee is definitely rich in the old-style neighborhoods of different ethnic groups. Cool to see the various stores, shops, restaurants, and even signage.
We returned from our sunshiny ride…yippee! We headed to the Yard to have a beer and while there Tom asked about a good local place to eat. The bartenders sent us across the street to a little Mexican place that had really good food…all served on paper plates. A nice change from our fare of the past few days.
We settled in for the evening, got our plans set for tomorrow’s ride, packed our bags, and just reeelaxed. Tom said he heard thumps—we figured out after the fact that we probably could’ve been watching fireworks from Miller Park. Oh well, maybe next time.
Tomorrow, we’re hoping for sunny skies and we’re heading a bit south and then a bit west to Iowa. And guess what? There’s about a half dozen H-D dealerships between here and there…gotta love it! Ttyl
Photostream: http://picasaweb.google.com/weisman.asai/DaySevenMilwaukeeAndAbout?authkey=Gv1sRgCOnksqqj1cqe3AE&feat=directlink
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