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Day 16 / 31

Day 15 Day 17

Friday, May 29, 2026

Racine and Kenosha: a Lake Michigan day trip from the Fox Lake basecamp

A rest day from towing turned into an untethered Rivian run up into southeast Wisconsin. The Racine lakefront and breakwater, the gold Golden Rondelle at SC Johnson, the red Kenosha North Pier light, Mars Cheese Castle off I-94, and Wells Brothers pizza in Racine.

  • 85 miles
  • ~2.5 (local, untethered) drive hours
  • Friends near Fox Lake, IL tonight

Weather: Clear and warm on the Lake Michigan shore, low 80s

The day, by the numbers

  1. Miles driven85mi
  2. Towing efficiency2.30mi / kWh85 mi · 37 kWh
  3. Energy37kWh
  4. Wind5mph EMostly headwind
  5. Temperature69°F56 – 69°F range
  6. Peak elevation817ft↑ 580 ft↓ 700 ft
  7. Avg speed34mph · 2.5 hr moving
Photographs

Day 16 in pictures
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Stops, in order

The day

  1. scenic

    Racine lakefront and breakwater

    Mid-morning on the Lake Michigan shore in Racine. Mission stretched out on the camp blanket on the rocks while the harbor breakwater and its little beacon light sat out on the blue water.

    Map 42.7229, -87.7786

  2. scenic

    SC Johnson Golden Rondelle Theater, Racine

    Parked the Rivian under the Golden Rondelle, the gold saucer-roofed theater built for the 1964 New York World's Fair and moved to the SC Johnson campus in Racine. A Midcentury spaceship dropped into brick-country Wisconsin.

    Map Official site 42.7152, -87.7910

  3. scenic

    Kenosha North Pier Lighthouse

    Crosswind on this leg 5 mph from the E

    South to Kenosha harbor and the red North Pier pierhead light. White truck against the red lighthouse and Lake Michigan, the kind of stop the Rivian makes a five-minute decision.

    Map 42.5877, -87.8085

  4. food

    Mars Cheese Castle, Kenosha

    The obligatory Wisconsin stop. Mars Cheese Castle off I-94: a wall of New Glarus signs (Spotted Cow, Fat Squirrel, Moon Man, Two Women, Seasonal), curds by the bag, and a pair of carved wooden thrones under the castle banner. Touristy and worth it.

    Map Official site 42.6146, -87.9540

  5. food

    Wells Brothers Italian Restaurant, Racine

    Headwind on this leg 5 mph from the E

    Dinner at Wells Brothers, a Racine pizza institution. The wall by the door is papered with Best of Racine County Best Pizza plaques running from 2013 forward. Thin-crust, tavern-cut, the local order.

    Map Official site 42.7030, -87.7927

  6. sleep

    Friends near Fox Lake, IL

    Back across the Illinois line to the friends' place for the night.

Mission the German shepherd resting on a navy, canyon-red, and cream camp blanket on the rocky Racine breakwater with Lake Michigan behind him
Day 16 Mission on the blanket at the Racine breakwater, Lake Michigan flat and blue behind him.
San Diego Home DAY 16
Next on the trip

Day 17, Milwaukee: Harley-Davidson Museum and demo rides, charging home through Kenosha

The last big untethered day before hitching back up. A food-truck breakfast, an outdoor bike show, Harley demo rides, and a full afternoon in the Harley-Davidson Museum, then the trip's first Tesla charge in two days on the way home through Kenosha.

155 mi · ~3.5 (local, untethered) · wisconsin