Sweet Home Chicago – 31 August 2008

Well it’s home for tonight after leaving Milwaukee this morning.

I must also note a correction to yesterday’s blog, there were over 7,500 bikes in the parade of flags, not 75,000, but that is still more than most of us can comprehend.

Today we also drop off the rental bikes here in Chicago and the Eaglerider shop is adjacent to the local Illinois Harley Davidson dealer.

You should note the “Historic Route 66″ signage in the Eaglerider picture.

Harlem Avenue where both the Eaglerider and Harley dealership are is also part of the original “Route 66″.

The Eaglerider shop was extremely busy with rentals being returned following the Harley celebrations in Milwaukee and new rentals being taken to tour Route 66.

Despite being busy, the guys at Eaglerider were handling the affair with a minimum of fuss and were getting both the returns and the new rentals underway in very reasonable time.

A quick check of the odometer showed that I had travelled 5,840 miles (miles, not kilometres) on this marvellous journey.

Across the parking lot at the Illinois dealership it was more of the treatment we had received at all the dealerships we called into, eager to ask questions and spend time listening to stories about our trip. 

Harley Davidson is now deeply entrenched into the American culture and anniversary celebrations like the 105th anniversary are embraced throughout the country, especially around their Milwaukee home and nearby Chicago.

Harley Davidson hold anniversary celebrations every 5 years and they get bigger each year – I’d better start saving for the 110th Anniversary in 2013.

Tomorrow I fly home, it has been a long and at times exhausting trip.

Before I sign off completely from this blog, I would like to thank my wife and family for being so understanding about me selfishly indulging myself with 5 weeks of  Harley riding around the USA.