Savannah, Illinois May 2009

While visiting our good friends Jim & Jill in Maquoketa, Iowa we toured Iowa and Illinois. Lots of great scenery and terrific riding. Some of the highlights was our visit to Savanah, Illinois where we were introduced to Poopy's, a fabulous biker bar located on a portion of the Illinois river. We also visited JP Cycles which was located in Animosa, Iowa, a big supplier of after market accesories.

Savanah, Illinois as seen from the state park.

Here we are at the state park with a view of the river in the back ground.

Here we are at the Wedding Chapel in the Iron Horse Saloon.

Decah with serveral vintage Indians at the Iron Horse Saloon.

Darryl with one of the vintage bikes at the Iron Horse Saloon.

If you look real close at the bottom of the picture you can see Darryl and I underneath the Poopy's sign.

Jim & Jill

Historic Nauvoo, Illinois - July 2008

We had an opportunity in July of 2008 to meet up with some of our frieds that come down to the valley in Nauvoo, which is located in Western Illinois, bordered on three sides by a bend of the mighty Mississippi River. The restored homes, mercantile establishments and community buildings maintain the charm of what once was a beautiful, industrious city. Today, Nauvoo provides an opportunity to experience the people and times of the past. We spent the afternoon together touring the various sites such as the Mormon Temple, school building, blacksmith shop and brick making shop. It is a beautiful area that takes one back in time.

I couldn't pass up the opportunity to have our picture taken with these beautiful flowers that were just across the street from the temple.

Darryl and Jim are relaxing on the front porch of the historic Hotel Nauvoo. We all filed in and enjoyed one of the best buffet style meals we have ever had.

Eleven foot tall statue of Joseph & Hyrum Smith on their way to Carthage, Illinois.

This is the Nauvoo Temple that was rebuilt after the original temple built in 1846 was destroyed paritally by arson and later by a tornado. In April 1999, Gordon B. Hinckley, President of the Morman Church, announced that the Nauvoo Temple would be rebuilt as a memorial to the Prophet Joseph Smith and the early Saints who sacrificed so much to construct the original. Ground was broken in October of that year, and on June 27, 2002, the reconstructed Nauvoo Temple was dedicated.

Traveling around in Nauvoo can be done by horse pulled trolley or on foot.

Friends gathered at Nauvoo, Illinois

Tom & Jutta Parker, Don McGauhey, Decah & Darryl, Chrissy & Jim Brackett some of our biker friends that met up with us in Nauvoo.

Crossing the Rio Grande River

Getting the bikes on the ferry sometimes can be a challenge. This ferry is said to be the last hand drawn ferry in the U.S. It is a short trip across the Rio Grande and then another four miles on our bikes into town for lunch.

Lunch in Mexico

Our favorite thing to get here is shrimp. The can fix it any way you want it and it is terrific, well worth the trip.