Women in motorcycle groups travel far and wide to find fellowship and adventure outside the flatlands of the Chicago area

By: Jay Jones  Courtesy: The Chicago Tribune

Woodstock, Illinois — On a warm and sunny Sunday morning, a circle of about 40 motorcyclists joined hands in the parking lot of Woodstock’s Harley-Davidson dealership for the annual Blessing of the Bikes.

“We’re united in an offering for safe travels and robust fellowship, our love for riding and our love for adventure,” Nadine Govic, a veterinarian from Island Lake, told the gathering of riders from cycle groups including Chrome Divas, Motor Maids, Stilettos on Steel and Women on Wheels.

“We’re a group of strong, powerful women,” Govic continued. “We’re here together to try to feed off each other’s energy.”

The blessing complete, the motorcyclists headed off on a 60-mile ride through the farmland of McHenry and Boone counties.

“I live in the city of Chicago, so it’s 50 miles to start getting into something that’s interesting, road-wise,” said M.J. Candido, president of the Furies Motorcycle Club and the organizer of this particular trip. “We like to ride out in the country and get some great scenery. We like to get out of the cities, stopping at local restaurants and businesses along the way.”

Candido and many of her riding companions have been enjoying the open air together for 15 years, and longer for some. Over that time, they’ve cataloged an impressive list of favorite destinations, most of them in northwest Illinois and southern Wisconsin — beyond the flat prairies that surround Chicagoland and away from straight, flat and often congested multilane highways.

“On the main roads, you don’t get to smell the fresh-cut grass, the lilacs blooming,” said Lori Stegle, a school bus driver from Sycamore and a member of Women on Wheels. “It’s all about the senses, the experience. I’m one with my bike and there’s nothing like it.”

On the ride west from Woodstock, Stegle was astride her 2022 Indian Chieftain, her fourth motorcycle.

“Any time I plan out a route on Google Maps, I (seek) ‘no highways and no tolls,’” she said. “You can’t find the curves on a highway or a tollway.

“My favorite route is the Rock River route,” she said. It starts in Genoa, then goes west along Illinois Route 72 into Byron. The ride continues along Illinois Route 2, following the Rock River into Dixon. The return takes back roads such as Lost Nation Road and Flagg Road, both to the west of Rochelle.

“It’s just curve after curve. People don’t know about those roads unless they’re on a group ride,” Stegle said.

The ride organizer is responsible for choosing interesting stops along the way, such as the river overlook in Castle Rock State Park and the towering statue of Chief Black Hawk in White Pines Forest State Park. The planner also must pick welcoming spots for lunch, restaurants with menus to suit various tastes.

Stegle’s favorite restaurants along the Rock River ride include Arthur’s Garden Deli, Palmyra Pub & Eatery and Sunrise II Family Restaurant. All have varied menus and inclusive atmospheres.

On the way back to the city and suburbs, the Women on Wheels consider a stop for ice cream an essential part of the trip. Jay’s Drive-In in Oregon and Freeport’s Union Dairy Farms “have the best ice cream,” Stegle said.

“I like the Starved Rock State Park ride,” said Amanda Cantu, a contractor from Yorkville who is treasurer of Organized Chaos, another group for women bikers. “The route that I take is surrounded by all sorts of nature, and it’s just you and the sound of your bike going through the back roads.”

Those back roads include some that parallel the Illinois River, beginning along Southmor Road near Morris.

On one such ride, the women stumbled across B.A.S.H. Burger and Sushi House. “That was really good food and a good atmosphere,” Cantu said.

She described the rides along winding, hilly roads atop two wheels as “wind therapy.”

“It’s like a dopamine response because you get more air in your lungs and more oxygen to the body,” Cantu said.

Katy Cook is a teacher from North Aurora and a fellow Organized Chaos member. “Finding those hole-in-the-wall places is really what we’re out for,” Cook said during a lunch break at western Kane County’s Lodi Tap House. “Being on a bike, you feel empowered. Being around women that care about you, support you and love you feels empowering.”

Candido and her fellow Furies will often head to Wisconsin for the hills, twisting roads and wooded lanes the bikers crave.

From Madison, the women have headed in various directions to seek out fun sights. In suburban Middleton, Wisconsin, they enjoy the quirky National Mustard Museum.

“That’s a very kitschy place,” Candido said. “They’ve got hundreds of different types of mustard. ... It’s quite the spot. I don’t know how to describe it. It’s mustards from all over the world. And it makes for a nice ride.”

The museum has free mustard tastings. But in Wisconsin’s Green County, it’s cheese tastings that are featured, especially in Monroe, the county seat, where at Baumgartner’s Cheese Store and Tavern, the Limburger cheese sandwich is an acquired taste.

“We love to go to Baumgartner’s. Monroe is a great place,” Candido said. “They’re very welcoming to motorcyclists. You’ll see on any Saturday or Sunday just a ton of people on their bikes.”

She said that RoadsideAmerica.com, which describes itself as “an online guide to offbeat tourist attractions,” can be a good resource for funky places to visit. That’s how the group discovered Dr. Evermor’s Sculpture Park. On U.S. Highway 12, a few miles north of Sauk City, it’s an offbeat collection of massive sculptures created from scrap metal — everything from carburetors to musical instruments.

Durng a Saturday ride, members of Organized Chaos Women’s Motorcycle Club approach the Kane-DeKalb county line on Beith Road. (Jay Jones/For The Chicago Tribune)

 

Closer to home, rides to Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, are popular. The Furies never miss the opportunity to cruise along Snake Road. An official Wisconsin Rustic Road, it winds past mansions along the north shore of Geneva Lake.

“In the fall, we particularly like going up to some of the different orchards,” Candido said. “We’ll go up to Elegant Farmer. They have some of the best apple pie and apple cider doughnuts.”

Candido added that the ride to the basilica atop wooded Holy Hill, about 30 miles northwest of Milwaukee, is especially pretty in autumn.

Every October, club members also take a “ghost ride” to some of Illinois’ reputedly most-haunted attractions. Past stops have included the George Stickney House in Woodstock and the Woodstock Opera House.

For motorcyclists, “rain” and “snow” are dirty words. Barring inclement weather, Candido said that “once the ice has melted in front of the garage, we’re ready to ride.”

She said the groups welcome all women and all brands of bikes. “If a woman is on two wheels, then she’s a sister,” Candido said.

If you go

Scenic spots

Castle Rock State Park: 1365 Castle Road, Oregon; 815-732-7329; dnr.illinois.gov/parks/park.castlerock.html

White Pines Forest State Park: 6712 W. Pines Road, Mt. Morris; 815-946-3717; dnr.illinois.gov/parks/park.whitepinesforest.html

National Mustard Museum: 7477 Hubbard Ave., Middleton, Wisconsin; 608-831-2222; mustardmuseum.com

Dr. Evermor’s Sculpture Park: S7703 U.S. Route 12, North Freedom, Wisconsin; 608-219-7830; worldofdrevermor.com

Holy Hill: 1525 Carmel Road, Hubertus, Wisconsin; 262-628-1838; holyhill.com

George Stickney House: 1904 Cherry Valley Road, Woodstock; 815-459-4728

Woodstock Opera House: 121 W. Van Buren St., Woodstock; 815-338-5300; woodstockoperahouse.com

Ride-worthy restaurants

Arthur’s Garden Deli: 2312 E. Lincolnway, Sterling; 815-625-5566; arthursgardendeli.com

Palmyra Pub & Eatery: 628 Palmyra Road, Dixon; 815-288-6300; palmyrapub.com

Sunrise II Family Restaurant: 102 W. 2nd St., Byron; 815-234-4229; sunriseiifamilyrestaurant.com

Jay’s Drive-In: 107 W. Washington St., Oregon; 815-732-2396; jaysdrivein.com

Union Dairy Farms: 126 E. Douglas St.; Freeport; 815-232-7099; theuniondairy.com

B.A.S.H. Burger and Sushi House: 1012 N. LaSalle St., Ottawa; 815-434-2274; burgerandsushihouse.com/home-ottawa

Kane County’s Lodi Tap House: 309 Main St., Maple Park; 815-827-0827; loditaphouse.com

Baumgartner’s Cheese Store and Tavern: 1023 16th Ave., Monroe, Wisconsin; 608-325-6157; baumgartnercheese.com

Elegant Farmer: 1545 Main St., Mukwonago, Wisconsin; 262-363-6770; elegantfarmer.com

Jay Jones is a freelance writer.