About 2:00 we started to head back northwest following the ATV route on wide
freshly graded roads. It was on one of these long straight stretches I found
the top end of this 800 Outlander to be 70 mph. Power sliding around the long curves
with thrilling acceleration out of the corners brought back memories of
my dirt track days. I found the Outlander very stable and predictable
as I played most of the way back to Republic. Duane was hanging back
a few miles to stay out of the cloud and have a little fun of his own.
We both had radios so keeping track of each other was easy.
Once in Republic it was food and fuel, in that order.
We pulled into the "Summer Place" for lunch. I always stop here
off the trail, summer or winter. Good food, good prices, and friendly service.
This quaint restaurant has walls covered with antique tools and a soda
bar that reminds me of earlier times. After lunch we checked out the antique
shop across the street. An old 7-Up bottling company, it is now filled with
hundreds of items from the past. I picked up a December 6 1963 LIFE magazine.
The one with the famous photo of JohnJohn at his father's, President Kennedy,
funeral. If I had my truck I would have left broke. After fueling up we made
our way back to Michigamme concluding a very enjoyable 150 mile ride. What a great
area to enjoy not only the machine, but the landscapes you ride through.
We only sampled a small portion of the area's trails and back roads but
we'll be back!
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