Our rough plan was to go to Milwuakee HD, the only one that's actually in the city limits of Milwaukee, to grab a few shirts and see the scene and then maybe go out to Little Switzerland to see the Hill Climbs. We rode in a drizzle to the dealership. Inside the store they had live action of the Hill Climbs. While it looked like a fun muddy mess, it was determined as spectators it would be better from the comforts of a dry location than from out in it. While being holed up in the dealership we contemplated the idea of bailing out of Milwaukee a day early. Weather reports were all calling for 80% chance of rain for Sunday and Monday. By the time we were done shopping and scoping out then vendors it was really coming down. We took cover at a restaurant in the parking lot called Rock Country. While we were there we had lunch in hopes that the rain shower would pass by while we ate.
After lunch the rains had stopped. All the bikes were on the move while there was a break in the rain. We made our dash for Hal's/Iron Town HD as there was some merch there two days ago that we haven't seen since in our travels. Upon arrival we learned that all the items we wanted were sold out. Should have bought it when we saw it! Given the amount of rain forecasted for the rest of the time in Milwaukee and the ride home, I decided to get my rear tire replaced as it was low (ish) on tread. It was a 5 hour wait in line to get the work done, but we had decided there was no sense in staying and paying for a place that we have to spend the whole day inside. We can do that at home for free. So in order to have the bike ready to go in the morning, we left it there to get new tires, now front and rear.
The afternoon rains were still at bay so we opted to hit Wisconsin HD in Oconomowoc, WI which is about 20 miles west of Milwaukee. We were hopeful they may still have in stock some of the items that were now sold out. The further west we went the drier and clearer it got. This dealership was just as busy as House of Harley was yesterday. Bikes parked down the lanes all around the dealership. With the dry clear pavement, demo riding has re-commenced after being temporarily suspended at all dealerships due to wet roads. While the group went to look for merchandise, I decided to try out some of the new models of Harley Davidsons. I tried the Sport Glide, the Softail Heritage, the Road King and the Fat Bob. Cami tried the Sport Glide. There's a big difference between the 2019's and the 2003 and 2009 models we're riding.
It was time to head downtown for the concert. We made a quick stop at the hotel to grab tickets and switch out gear on our way toward the Lakefront. After parking we did a little more exploring of the vendors on the grounds at Summerfest and then Storks and Whitskis decided to get some steps in by walking over to Veterans Park to get the Official swag of the 115th Anniversary. It was still a muddy mess over there and the dampness gave it a less than pleasant swampy odor. We still didn't find the hat Torrey was looking for, but we snagged a few shirts and headed back to Summerfest.
Back at the concert venue, we snagged a burger and treats and headed for the seats. Cami and Rudy had found Sandi Long as well as Kristi and Greg who drove down to join us for the evening. Darius Rucker and Lady Antebellum put on a great show. We enjoyed the cool night air and the lightning from the storm coming in behind us. Luckily the evening rains that were predicted never developed.
On the way home from the concert, we stopped by Hal's/Iron Town to pick up my bike. The service department there has been phenomenal. Even at 11pm last night they were willing to help Rick get a screw he needed to re-fasten the line that hold his trunk open. Out of the 5 bikes on the trip, 4 of them received some type of service from these guys. They were incredible.
We all went to our rooms to start packing and to get some sleep before we head out in the morning. I re-calculated a plan to get us home in hopefully drier weather than we've seen thus far. While somewhat counter intuitive, the drier warmer weather seems to be to the northwest. Initially I looked south, but we'd have to go as far as Missouri and Oklahoma to find drier warmer riding. Interestingly the same is offered through the Dakotas and Wyoming. It looks like the first day we'll be wet, at least intermittently, but after that we should be out of the rain gear for the rest of the trip. Here's hoping!
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