Waterford Pilgrimmage: Worth It? (Dorky Schwinn Content Within)
 

Good evening.

So after some deliberation, the family vacation is taking place in Heyward, Wisconsin. How the family planning board decided this is beyond me, since Minneapolis, MN was close in the running and I was already plotting and planning bike and beer adventures...but anyway I'm not the decider so I go where they tell me to.

It would be a serious trip from Heyward to Waterford. And I'm the only one in the family that has more than a slightly passing interest in bikes.

Here's the other thing: I'm obviously into the Schwinn "thing", in fact I got so obsessed with their story a few years back I decided I wanted to write a fictional account of some of what I thought were important parts of the history. So much of the lore has been swirling around my brain pretty much non-stop since this project started, and I figured I kind of owe it to myself to see where the story that started with Ignaz so many years ago and weaved so interestingly through history is currently in this decidedly different time.

I'm sort of realistic here, all of this stuff is going to bore my family to tears, and from the looks of it, its basically an oversized garage. I like the Waterford bikes, obviously, but I'm in no way shape or form able to purchase one. I see they offer bike fitting services. Anyway I plan on getting ahead of them way ahead of time to see if its even reasonable. Just soliciting your opinions and experiences.

To quantify how I feel about the subject, this is my bedroom:
http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot..._5170076_n.jpg

I have nothing to add except that I have a Gunnar and it is the beez kneez. My favorite bike. Maybe that will persuade you to go :P

Since you'll have to cut right through Madison to get to Waterford anyway... There are a few of us around here and it might be great fun to set up a little ride(Madison has a very extensive paved bike path system, lots of it through nature, not along a road) and stop off at The Great Dane (literally 2 blocks off of one of my favorite nature-y bike paths) for a local microbrew. I suppose it's probably not really do-able in your time schedule, but if it is definitely let us know! I'm sure someone has a Varsity you could ride :P, and I'd be happy to buy you a beer.

I drove an indirect route to Madison, from Chicago via Milwaukee, on my last vacation back there. Our ultimate destination was Minneapolis (the next day), but I wanted to at least see Milwaukee as we were so close. I was sorely tempted to take the turn off for Waterford, but it was about 7 PM on a Saturday night. I also wanted to go through Kenosha, but I would have wanted to see the old AMC plant that had previously been demolished.

Anyway, I just kept driving, I didn't think I would get much of a thrill just staring at the building.

3speed, I would absolutely love that if that's the way the cards end up falling. This will be in mid-August. I used to be a huge beer-geek too, posting on BeerAdvocate and all that and Madison, WI was a dream beer destination. I'm hoping to definitely get a nice mix of things to enjoy while there. I also like the idea of consuming a sizable quantity of New Glarus beer while there.

Obviously somewhere in all of this is riding a Schwinn bike in Wisconsin and having some eureka moment, and I was sort of planning on asking/begging/pleading for a bike from someone anyway so thanks for that ;)

It's Hayward. Bring a Mt bike as there are awesome trails near by. And it is WI so there is plenty of beer too.

http://www.haywardareachamber.com/biking_hiking.html

I'm craving a jalepano burger and onion rings from "great dane" right now :-( too bad it's 450 miles away from me. That place rocks.

Oh we'll get you something better than a New Glarus if you make it through Madison. Something brewed right there where you can stare at the big metal tank it just came from. Where you would want to go probably depends on what kind of beer you like.
I love the Dane. I happen to live, literally, about a mile from the Fitchburg Dane. It's awesome, but I end up spending more than I really "should" because of it. What can you do... Definitely good burgers too. I go with the bacon burger with pepper jack cheese and fried onion.

Just so happens there's also an awesome paved nature ridden bike path right between the Dane and my house. It's a pretty sweet location.

I don't know anything about the area, but here's what I ask myself when I'm considering whether to visit someplace out of my orbit: what is the likelihood that I'll ever pass this way again? Mind you, I'm middle-aged, and I'm keenly aware I'm not getting any younger, so I'm ever-mindful that my time here is short.

You doing the driving? Then they can't stop from going, now can they?

Your real decision is wheather the stopover is worth the hell the clan can put you through afterwards . . . .