Thirteen cars lined up behind Tristan and Lisa Marie Sieb at the Kwik Trip in Sussex. Once we got out of the city, we noted how green the grass and trees were following two days of heavy rain, more than three inches in some places. Hoping the thick grey clouds would soon depart, we followed our Lead car, with Henry and Laura N keeping us together as Sweep.

We traveled the winding roads and saw a gorgeous log cabin on Camp Whitcomb Road on our way north (sort of) toward Holy Hill in Hubertus. I always enjoy speeding around curvy roads with Irish names like St. Augustine, Emerald, and Donegal, watching for the iconic steeples of the Basilica and National Shrine of Mary. Located on 435 acres of glorious scenery on the highest elevation in Southeastern Wisconsin, Holy Hill is a Wisconsin destination. Under the care of the Discalced Carmelite Friars of Holy Hill, The Basilica and National Shrine of Mary is open to the public and draws hundreds of thousands of sightseers annually. Signs stating “Audaxity” along the roadsides warned us that a bike ride for cancer was occurring in these parts on this date. Indeed, we cautiously passed some of these participants. Ignoring a few light raindrops, we trekked on, occasionally spotting the towering steeples, and finally the church and basilica itself. My heart fills with pride at the site of this incredibly beautiful area that visitors come from near and far to see. Upon leaving the area, we saw tall corn stalks and soybean fields. We drove past Pike Lake and ultimately made it to our first pit stop, a BP station.

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