Brats and Beer for Breakfast

I took a rest day on Saturday in anticipation for a big ride on Sunday to Wisconsin.  Kenosha is only 35 miles aways from Northbrook and that like my beach ride, only here there is no climbing.  I left my Aunt's house before 5:30 AM and took a circuitous rate to Highland Park where I planned to take Sheridan Road north. At this time in the morning I could have ridden Lake Cook Road because there was no one on it.

I got to Lake Michigan right as the sun was supposed to be rising but due to the overcast I didn't see it rise.

I rode through what used to be Ft Sheridan or at least the remnants of it.  

The housing areas looked like Army housing and perhaps they still were for the Active Duty Reserve and Guard guys in the area.

I stayed off the rail trail as long as possible but the road paralleling my route diverged towards the lake and I wanted to stay closer to it.

It was paved up to Lake Forest and I was able to maintain a good pace

I finally got a glimpse of the sun at the Great Lakes Naval Air Station

On the outskirts of Waukegan the bike trail turned to crushed stone

I couldn't believe they have turkeys running around here!

I just on the other side of Waukegan when I felt something fall off my bike. Stopping and turning around I saw that my seat pack had come off.  The rough surface must have rattled the bolt out of the holder. I rode further back but couldn't find the holder and wrote it off.  I shoved the pack in my back pocket and continued riding.

The closer I got to Wisconsin the more rural the trail became.

I was expecting more fanfare (signage) when entering Wisconsin but this was it.

I grabbed this energy drink from my Aunt's refrigerator and since there was a nearby garbage can decided to drink it. It was basically a weak version of a Monster Energy drink.

Wisconsin looks the same as rural Illinois - wide roads and lots of corn

Looks like 88th Street in Kenosha didn't go through after all.  There was a para triathlon taking place at the nearby park and they had no issue with me riding down the road in the middle of it.  

It was really impressive to see these people riding hand bikes, recumbents, and tandems. My son is doing something similar in Connecticut in September.

The visually impaired kids were riding tandems but the guys with the hand bikes were the most impressive

Here is the first cheese sign I saw in Wisconsin

Upon the recommendation of my Dermatologist, whom I saw the week before I went to Chicago, he told me to go to the Brat Stop and here it was!

I ordered a Cheddarwurst, German potato salad and a PBR!

This was heaven!

When I left the Brat Stop and started riding south I got hit with a steady headwind but it wasn't blowing so hard that I thought it was going to really be a problem. It did force me to ride more in the drops than I am used to. Still I was able to maintain 16 to 17 mph.

I was surprised to not see a lot of cyclists. I figured out here everyone would be escaping the city. I got on this guy's wheel for a mile but he was going to slow for my tastes and I pulled until he turned around to head back to Wisconsin.

This clearly establishes that Illinois has a three foot law

But two abreast?

Technically, you can ride two abreast in Connecticut, according to the law but there is a stipulation that says in certain conditions, meaning there are no other cars on the roads.  Most police around where I live don't even know the law.

Nearing 12 o'clock it really started to get hot but I was only 2 miles from my Aunt's house

And this is what was waiting for me when I got back!