This past season, I participated in my first AMA Grand Tour. These are reasonably laid back, self guided rides, to destinations having to do with the theme of the tour. I had a three available, Talk Like a Pirate with pirate themed locations, Hall of Fame with motorcycle hall of fame honoree themes, and the one I chose the Grand Tour of Italy, which meant Italian themed destinations. Italian restaurants and pizza parlors were not allowed however, but most anything else was. The goal is to accrue points for each destination. One point per destination in my home state. Two points for each destination in an adjoining state. And three for anything in a state beyond the adjoining states. Italian festivals counted for two points as did the required visit to a Moto Guzzi dealer. Guzzi was the participating sponsor. To document the destinations, I had to take a picture of my bike, with the provided Guzzi banner (a shop rag with the tour logo screen printed on it) in front of something that identified the destination. At the end, I sent the AMA a CD with the pics, and they entered me into a drawing for a new Moto Guzzi Norge sport touring motorcycle. It cost me $20 to enter, and believe me, I had more than $20 worth of fun.
Once I received the tour information packet, I sat down with my maps and started planning out my destinations. I also spent some time on-line at Google looking up Italian sounding names to ensure I actually went to the correct locations. It turned out to be quite a learning experience for me. Living near Clinton IN made a few things simple, as it is known as the Little Italy Festival Town, but not as easy as I had initially expected.
Since the wife does not ride with me on my current bike (she does like to ride) as it is a little small for the two of us to ride comfortably, I try to limit my riding to week days. Not because I have to, I just don’t feel right about riding off without her on the week ends, on our days off together. Solo riding while she is at work seems to work out better. When I get another bike, that is better suited for both of us, we will be riding together on the week ends. Anyway, I’d take a day’s vacation and go out for a loop, hitting as many destinations as possible in one day. However, at the end I did end up riding on a weekend day, just to get things finished up before the weather went completely away.
Leg One
My first attempt at picking up a few destinations came early in the summer. Life and the weather had kept me from getting out much sooner. With map in hand, and a list of destinations, I was off.
The first stop was just down the road at Bono IN. You remember Sonny Bono, the little Italian half of Sonny and Cher?
Then it was Diamond IN. No city limit sign, but I did find a street sign, after I finally found Diamond out there somewhere in Parke county.
Next was Marco IN, which is Italian for Mark
After that it was a futile attempt in the tall and uncut of southern Indiana to locate Buena Vista, near Vincennes. I did find what was left of it, but that was not much. Nothing to get a shot of, so I had to pass on that one.
Then it was another wasted attempt to get a second Bono, east of Bedford. Missed the road to turn on and ended up way out near Salem IN. It was a long ride back to Dana after all of that.
Leg Two
A few weeks later, I received my new Lowrance XOG gps receiver. So in order to test it out, I grabbed a map for backup and headed out again. I knew where I was going this time, but if I had not, the gps would have taken me there without a hitch.
First stop was in nearby Lodi, which translates to “shower so with praise.” OK, I’ll take Google’s word for it.
Next I headed into foreign territory, I went into Illinois! Villa Grove was my destination.
Leg Three
The weather had turned extremely hot, my life got complicated as I have been looking after my elderly aunt, so riding time was limited to going back and forth to work. I did work in a quick ride to nearby Clinton where I picked up a couple of shots.
One shot of the Little Italy Festival, where I was there a little early to miss the crowds and get this photo.
And then over to the Little Italian House on ninth street in Clinton.
Leg Four
Later in the season, a childhood friend passed away unexpectedly. I rode the bike up to my wife’s apartment in Speedway. (she works in Indy and stays there through the week) and we drove her car to the funeral in Pendleton. We came back to the apartment and spent the night there. When I had learned of his death, I was quite shocked. So while preparing to head up to Speedway, I decided that life was too damn short, and I would take the following day off and do some riding in his memory. I grabbed the list of destinations, my GPS, and a map for backup. I packed them along with some “funeral clothes” and headed east. The next morning, I used Speedway as my starting point and headed east again, this time on the bike.
My first stop was another Buena Vista, the one in Randolph County IN. It was a tad better than the previous one, as I found a church with the name on it.
Next up was Como IN. According to Google it means chest of drawers. There is a lake Como near the Guzzi factory in Italy also. But I was in for an interesting detour through the countryside thanks to some bridge construction. The Lowrance saved the day, and a lot of miles!
After that it was on to the crown jewel of the tour for everything Italian, Fiat IN.
From there I headed back southeast to Aroma IN. Another church sign saved the day, as there were no city limit signs again.
Heading east again, I found Arcadia IN, and that town had a nice sign.
While I was leaving Arcadia, I thought the bike steered a little sluggish, but it seemed OK once I was up to speed. Hmmmm??? I left Arcadia heading north to Alto IN, which is on the outskirts of Kokomo. That turned out to be a good thing. When I stopped for the picture, I realized the front tire had a distinct lack of air.
After the pic, I went up the road a very short way to a C store. I looked in their phone book for a MC shop, but did not find anything close. I asked a couple of guys picking up pizza, and they sent me to the nearby Kokomo Honda shop. Why it wasn’t in the book is a mystery to me. A quick shot of $.75 air, and I was on my way.
The folks at Kokomo Honda were great. They got me in as son as the tech finished up the tire repair he already had underway. One new tube and rim strip later, I was on my way. Sixty some dollars lighter, but I was not complaining. They could have bent me over, but they didn’t. Nice folks at Kokomo Honda.
After the tire delay, I was out of time and needed to hurry back home. I missed a couple of destinations within a short distance, but they were in the wrong direction.
Leg Five
A few weeks later, I took a ride clear across Illinois to a Moto Guzzi shop. There used to be one in Terre Haute that also sold BMW’s, but it has long passed away. That left me with South Bend, or Edwardsville IL. I chose the IL shop because I could ride across on old US 40, seeing the more scenic views, and I could stop in Arcola on the way back. Besides, there is little to see in northern IN.
The Edwardsville Guzzi shop is in an old Pizza Hut building, which seemed appropriate for a dealer that has only Italian bikes and scooters. Nice folks over there, they even twisted my arm and “forced” me test ride a used ’07 Norge. WOW!!! What an experience, I think I have found our next touring bike.
After that it was time to head back towards home, with a stop in Arcola. Arcola is closely associated with Amish, but it is named after the Italian town of Arcola. Obviously Italian immigrants were here well ahead of the Amish.
Leg Six
Suddenly the cold weather was upon us, and it was only late October. If I was going to finish this tour, I’d better get my butt in gear. Vacation time was at a premium, so I took a weekend day. All of my remaining locations were a good ways off, or so I thought. I knew of two close to home I had been saving just in case. As it turns out, there was a third just a few miles away. That made the remaining few I needed, close enough to grab in an afternoon.
So after waiting for the weather to clear (that damn Honda still won’t run right in the rain) I was off for the last few. First stop was Alta IN, where there were no signs of any type to document my location. I took a shot of the bike, and then the screen of the gps. There has to be a better way, but for now….
Back to Clinton again, and Bella Lake subdivision. Lots are available!
Through Clinton, over the Wabash and here is Numa. No signs again.
Now for the long haul to Owen County and the little town of Vandalia.
On east to Modesto, and once again no dang signs. I did meet a friendly dog while there.
Then it was time to head northeast and find Amo IN. I knew where it was, more or less, but apparently I took the wrong left (i.e. a right) and missed it. After a fuel stop in Danville and rechecking the gps, I found it.
That was the last of the tour. There were more locations on my list, but I had the minimum required. I did not make it to Milan (rich in Indiana basketball history) as I had hoped, or Rome, or Rome City, or many of the other remaining towns I had as potentials. But I will go to a few later in my travels, just to say I have. I’m always looking for a reason/excuse to ride off anyway.
Summary
All in all I had a blast. My 53 year old body, combined with my 32 year old 750 Hondamatic motorcycle hindered me from any real long distance days, but I did manage to cover some decent distances. That first section I did was a tad over 400 miles, and I felt it for a few days after, but it wasn’t all that bad either. Researching the destinations then going to them was a real hoot, especially after the addition of the gps. I did not have to rely on less than detailed maps to find my way. (No it had nothing to do with my bifocals, it was the fine print) Would/will I do another? You better believe it. I am already looking forward to see what Grand Tours the AMA offers next year. I might even do more than one at a time to mix it up a little. And while I probably won’t win the new Norge, I didn’t expect to anyway, I feel that by just completing the minimum requirements makes me a winner.
