Do you remember the 1969 romantic comedy — If It’s Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium — with Suzaqnne Pleshette and Ian McShane?
Well, pretend for a moment that I’m Suzanne Pleshette and Len is Ian McShane. We strapped our bicycles on the back of our car and left Crystal Lake, Illinois at 5am and headed for historic Cedarburg, Wisconsin.
After stopping for breakfast in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, we continued on and arrived in Cedarburg at just before 9am. We were on the Ozaukee Interurban Trail by 9:10am, headed for Belgium, Wisconsin — the village with a heart.
On the way, Len was almost hit by a fawn. No, Len didn’t almost hit a fawn; a fawn almost hit Len. The itty-bitty fellow flew out of the bushes on the left side of the trail and came to a dead stop next to Len, eyeing him up-and-down. Then took off at top speed into the bushes on the other side of the trail. We could see his mama grazing about a quarter mile away.
Our first big stop was at Sauk Harbor in Port Washington — this was the 10 mile mark on the ride — where we got caught in a pretty good rain shower. In the photographs, you’ll see the gazebo that we stayed under until things cleared off a bit (the photo was taken on sunny the return journey).
Then we continued on to Belgium. This was the 20 mile mark. However, we did and extra two miles riding around looking for lunch. The search was well worth it. We found Crissy’s Now and Then Pub. The food was beyond delicious!
By the time we finished lunch, the clouds had cleared off and the return journey was hot and beautiful. The lushness of the surrounding farm land was not lost on us. Every now and then we’d be enveloped by a wave of sweet clover scent.
We arrived back in Cedarburg exhausted, having riden a round trip of 41.45 miles. My legs were wobbling so much that I had to hug a tree to remain standing and get some stability back. In so doing, I got sap on my shirt. When we got home I Googled how to get tree sap out of clothes. Peanut butter — it worked like a charm!
According to Len’s bike computer our actual riding time was 4 hours and 36 minutes. We averaged 9 miles per hour, with 18.32 miles per hour being our fastest speed.
I hope you enjoyed the journey — we had fun doing the pedaling for you.
“Whatever you are not changing, you are choosing.”
– Laurie Buchanan
www.HolEssence.com
Copyright © 2010 Laurie Buchanan — All Rights Reserved.
Tuesdays with Laurie 
Wow…someone doing the pedeling for you!!
I feel tired already. Can someone work for me today, I need a nap!
Sounds like a wonderful day for a ride. Amanda had mentioned going to Lake Geneva yeaterday too. She has a favorite -rish Store that she likes!
Have a wonderful day and get those bikes tuned up…or are you riding in to work today.
Kim
Kim – What store in Lake Geneva is Amanda’s favorite — is it the Overland Shearling Co.? Not riding bikes to work today — we already got 16 miles in this morning, and have errands to run at the end of the day (hard to get 50 lbs of dog food home on a bicycle 🙂
You can ride 41 miles, I bet you can carry the food!!
You are unbelievable!!
Not sure about Amanda’s store, she said Irish. I think I will have o take a trip there. Maybe Amanda will go, I know Mike would not.
Take care, I would be nursing sore muscles big time if I was on a bike…..
::hugs::
Kim
You and Len are putting all of us lazy bones to shame. Ha!
What a wonderful trip you have taken, the photos are great, it is good that you waited out the rain and didn’t just call it a day. Good for you, and you to took in the local eateries to share in their wholesomeness!
Jeff
Jeff – I wish the rain photos had shown more rain — it was pretty impressive, and that part wasn’t captured (but you get the idea). It was a blast!
I love egg salad and don’t make it often enough!!
You remind me of my Aunt this weekend. She cut into a watermelon just for us when we visited on Sunday afternoon!
She plopped a plate full of watermelon in front of me and I thought it was for 3 of us, and it was only for me! I ate only half of it and was very content after that!
She spent the visit showing us all the recent pictures of the family, 11 kids, all their spouses, and 23 granchildren!….Needless to say there is ALWAYS something going on every minute…..
Yes they are putting us to shame….I guess I need to get going!
I wonder what they had for lunch!!!!!
Kim
Kim – I had an ENORMOUS egg salad sandwich with thick slices of beefsteak tomato, lettuce, and red onion, and there were juicy watermelon slices on the side. Len had a JUMBO oriental salad (it looked delicious).
I do get the idea! Yes rain photographs are tricky!
Jeff
If you really want to bike in Belgium, just sent me a private mail :).
Maybe my neighbour will lend you his mountainbike !
Elke – I was think, Think, THINKING of you when I decided on the title for this post. YOU, who lives right in Belgium — the one in Europe.
That is one long bike ride Laurie! It is longer than the outside loop road of our whole island! Great slide show!
My daughter still likes to tell how I took pitch and gum out of her hair with peanut butter but that it was always the organic crunchy kind so she would have not only the peanut butter but the bits of peanuts in her hair. It does work like a charm on both pitch and chewing gum.
Terrill – We must have justed passed each other in the hallway. I was over thoroughly enjoying “Just the wedding cake topper,” while you were right here. My mother used scissors to get gum out of my hair. Peanut butter sounds like a much less invasive way to go (even with the chunks) …
Oh, my Word! Y’all must have legs like electric monkey’s or the Energizer Bunnie’s. What a trip! I really enjoyed the scenery, that’s for bring it to me as I will most likely not ever ride a bike to go see it. I especially love the farm and rural scenes. I’ll bet that little faun was a delightful baby to see. I’m sure you had a good laugh once you recovered. Thanks, you’re almost as good as Rick Steves, my favorite TV travelogue host, there are just no photos of you sitting in pubs guzzling tankards of ale. 41 miles, my legs would have been much worse than wobbly, I would be howling for a stretcher.
Sandi – I can tell you my legs were about to give way when I got off my bike at the end of the ride – they were about as strong as cooked spaghetti noodles. Tankards of ale would have been well-received — mighty welcome — poured right over our heads!
Hi Laurie
Looks like a great ride.
I wish we had some flatish land around here.
If I ride 40 miles it would have at least 2,000 ft vertical in it, and possibly up to 8,000ft.
A few years ago 3 of us cycled into Clarence reserve, which took us from sea level up to the 4,500 then down to 1,200 ft at the Clarence river. We had lunch there, then turned around and came back home (long day – late autumn). Half a dozen or so smaller hills along the way. Even the coast road here goes up and down a couple of hundred feet every couple of miles.
I am actually looking forward to it warming up, and getting back out on the bike.
My normal summer pre breakfast ride is about 15 miles and has two 300ft climbs in it, one gentle and one much steeper. That is about as gentle a ride as I can find around here.
Oh Lordy, Ted – I wouldn’t be drawing breath today if we had ridden on your trails — Yowza! We rode 16 miles this morning before heading to HolEssence — but our 16 miles are probably equivalent to one or two of your miles. My hat is off to you!
Sounds wonderful! Maybe when we return from our trip out West we’ll follow your lead.
Nan – You guys would love it!
Hi, Laurie — It sounds absolutely divine. I love bike riding when you can take your time and enjoy the landscape, eat a nice lunch, and then go home exhausted and happy.
Barbara – You hit on the two key words: Exhausted and Happy. I’m glad for your visit, thank you for stopping by today.