Father and son mcy trip to SW WI

ShowMeMo · Aug 20, 2012

Nice report wheatie! Got a 10 year old I hope to do the same thing with one day. Hoping you have many more!

wheatonFJR · Aug 20, 2012

blrfjr said:
Good for you Mark (and David) The best RR I've read!! So far I've not allowed my son to get a bike but I think its about that time. He is 18 now and at the moment is on my sh-t list for backing into my car in my driveway but I'd still love to take a journey like this with him. Just finished up a weekender with my co-pilot and I loved it and so did she.

Good on ya for doin that trip with him. :yahoo:

You know...I set conditions some for him last summer and it didn't happen. I realized that this ride was more important than teaching responsibility. The window might be closing on this riding with dad thing...so I just decided we were going to do it. It was worth it to me...even if he got nothing out of the experience. But I may be foolish (well I know I am foolish), but I think we both got something out of it. The experience on the road, the conversations. In any event, it was a good weekend, and the money spent was peanuts compared to it's worth.

ShowMeMo said:
Nice report wheatie! Got a 10 year old I hope to do the same thing with one day. Hoping you have many more!

Thanks Scott. I hope to see you in MO/AR this fall.

SwollenRaccoon · Aug 21, 2012

Darn it, Mark! I would have met you for a partial day, and shown you around that area! I would have taken you to a better place to eat than Hansen's (although the view is superb from up there.....you should see it when the leaves change). And that was Alligator Slide Road you were on. Glad to see you were smart enough to hit P down near **** Valley. And that ski jump is just outside Westby, on County P. My dad took old 8 mm black and white film of Olympic trials there in the very early 60s. Pretty cool, and we had it copied on to video cassette about 25 years ago.

I know this was a trip with your son, and it was awesome to hear that you guys connected well. But next time, let some of us know, and we can spend part of the day with you, if at least to show you where to eat lunch. :derisive:

wheatonFJR · Aug 21, 2012

SwollenRaccoon said:
Darn it, Mark! I would have met you for a partial day, and shown you around that area! I would have taken you to a better place to eat than Hansen's (although the view is superb from up there.....you should see it when the leaves change). And that was Alligator Slide Road you were on. Glad to see you were smart enough to hit P down near **** Valley. And that ski jump is just outside Westby, on County P. My dad took old 8 mm black and white film of Olympic trials there in the very early 60s. Pretty cool, and we had it copied on to video cassette about 25 years ago.

I know this was a trip with your son, and it was awesome to hear that you guys connected well. But next time, let some of us know, and we can spend part of the day with you, if at least to show you where to eat lunch. :derisive:

Yep...next time it is.

You win the prize...thanks for letting us in on the history. I wanna see those movies.

FastJoyRide · Aug 21, 2012

The "Cat's in the Cradle" song has always resonated with both me and Sylvia too, Mark. When I was one of four kids growing up, my dad had to work his *** off just to keep a roof over our heads and and to feed all those hungry mouths, so I didn't get to spend the kind of time with him that I wish I had. And then he was gone - way too young.

I have three boys, all grown and gone now, but when they were young Sylvia and I worked hard to support them in all of the things that they loved to do: sports, scouting, clubs etc. As my work took us to BC, and as my parents were still in Ontario, we trekked back and forth across southern Canada/Northern USA every other summer for their whole childhoods. Cash was usually tight so we drove older vehicles and we camped, but we planned stops to see cool things that didn't cost too much money like national parks etc. Then those boys all wanted to learn to ride motorcycles (as I was an instructor) so I had my instructor friends teach them properly (who would ever listen to their dad at that hormonal age?). Then we found starter bikes for them which were in need of much TLC (just like you and your son) and those turned into great father/son bonding times.

I still feel way too much like Cat's dad in that song at times, but those boys do have wonderful memories and they still love to spend time with us (and vice versa!) You're doing a wonderful thing there my friend, and building amazing memories for both of you - good on ya mate!