Albany, WI

After consideration of various destinations in Northern Illinois and Southern Wisconsin, we chose Albany, WI for a Labor Day weekend trip with the Triumph Sprint ST. Albany is an out of the way place, but close to other interesting towns like New Glarus, WI. Our route quickly entered Wisconsin from Chicago and crossed the Southern part of the state.

To avoid the problems we had encountered previously with AT&T service in Wisconsin, we downloaded a Google Map of the area we planned to see. That way if we lost cell service, Google Maps would still function. At least according to the instructions provided by Google.

Leaving Chicago after work, we rode until loosing daylight and decided to overnight at the Hilton Garden Inn, in Hoffman Estates, IL.Rather than going out again for dinner, we had delivery from Sweet Caroline's Barbecue. Was an excellent choice! Our route mostly avoided expressways, truckers, and Labor Day traffic.

So the next day we headed out, weather great, not much traffic, and farmlands. Then the unexpected happened, in the Wisconsin countryside, we saw the sign for a Triumph dealership, Team Power Center, Janesville, WI. As unexpected as the location was the fact it was only a Triumph dealership, no other multi-model manufacturer. Motus does not count. It was like the shrine to Triumph. After making our purchases of Triumph wear, we learned the dealership sponsored an annual rally, the Annual Midwest Triumph Ride-In in New Glarus, WI. Taking a flyer, we considered attending the event IN TWO WEEKS!

Our accommodations for the remainder of the trip were at the Albany House Bed & Breakfast. The house has great architecture with stone walls and almost all original interior. Breakfast was tasty and the innkeeper was very friendly without being intrusive. Overall, the house is a value with a very reasonable rate and close proximity to other sites. The only downside might be the limited dining in walking distance as compared to a place like Galena.

We did have a nice prime rib meal at Gabriella's Restaurant, which was in walking distance of the house. The next day we rode to New Glarus and sampled the Swiss cuisine having Rosti at the New Glarus Hotel Restaurant. Rosti is like cheesy hash browns.

After checking out the Chalet Landhaus Inn, we decided to return for the Triumph Ride-In in two weeks and made a reservation at the Chalet. While at Landhaus I hooked up with a local hottie and Chris was none too happy.

The traffic was not that bad for Labor Day as we returned to Chicago. Our iPhone/Google Maps navigation did cause some concern as the iPhone power connection seemed to be faulty. That will require further investigation.