12RPilot says:
Two alternatives that may be of interest: As you cross into Illinois, head west out of Warren on Stagecoach Trail for less traffic than Route 20 and more twisties. You still end up in Galena, which is a town worth spending time in. Or, on the outskirts of Elizabeth, Illinois, take Elizabeth Scales Mound Road north to Stagecoach Trail. Again, this is for the twisty fans. It still leads you to Galena when you turn west on Stagecoach. I used to lead sportbike enthusiasts on these routes back in the day. I should add, however, that both of these alternatives will bypass a "lookout tower" viewing place along Route 20, just before Galena, that some may wish to climb.
Fri Jan 11, 2013 at 9:10 AM
havlo says:
great route! trip for my journey was 754 miles. i started from wausau, wi. north of madison. bypassed madison to rural route to mt. horeb. go check out Tyrol Basin snowboard/ski area. great fun, lots of twisties. stay out of the pickers there tho! in all great planned trip. in debuque ia. have some food at the doghouse. mmm, go to all state parks mentioned in wisco. fantastic new roads and cornering fun. central/upper iowa was surprisingly great, illinois run was a bit boring although the hwy 20 section is very pretty view for 30 miles to both sides. in La Crosse drive up grandads bluff off of losey ave. fun and the view of the whole city and river valley is great. don't forget to stop at a driving range along the way...did the trip in three days, about all you want to fit in each day on a sport bike. would do it again and may this summer. Save extra time for La Crosse and go downtown for amazing nightlife and bars. good times!
Fri Jan 11, 2013 at 9:09 AM