Ron Davis
Ron Davis is a retired English teacher, freelance writer, columnist and author of “Shiny Side Up” and “Rubber Side Down,” two books about the improbable inclination to travel on two wheels.
Latest Contributed Stories
January 23, 2025
A burning desire: A Wisconsinite’s ode to wood heat
Few things offer the same comfort and satisfaction as the steady warmth of a wood fire on a cold winter night. Writer Ron Davis of Eau Claire, Wisconsin reflects on ...
July 3, 2024
The official city bird of Eau Claire: Making the case for the crow
No matter where we live in Wisconsin, we share our community with birds. Writer Ron Davis of Eau Claire has been thinking a lot about his feathered neighbors, particularly the ...
November 9, 2023
Get lost: A motorcyclist’s guide to adventure
There’s the old saying “Not all who wander are lost.” This is certainly a motto that writer Ron Davis of Eau Claire lives by, especially if he’s out on the ...
November 23, 2021
Finding A Shoe In The Wall: Treasures Hiding In Our Homes
Anyone who’s done serious renovation on an older home, ripping down lath and plaster, wrestling with stubborn two by fours and prying up floorboards, has probably harbored the fantasy of ...
May 18, 2021
No Man Ever Steps In The Same River Twice: Fishing the Eau Claire
It’s only human to want to relive the past, to recreate the good old days. But, it’s a tough task; we often find it's just not quite the same. As ...
March 15, 2019
A Father And Son’s Chilly Trout Fishing Expedition
Trout fishing conjures an image of sparkling sunlight reflecting on a rushing stream and a fisherman in hip boots confidently whipping his pole and casting a line into the moving ...
October 3, 2018
The Face-Off Of Midwestern Civility: A Wisconsin Four-Way
My daughter’s boyfriend was telling me a story the other day. In the middle, he used the phrase, “A Wisconsin Four-Way.” I think from my furrowed brow he sensed I’d ...
March 16, 2018
It’s Us or Them
When my wife and I moved out into the sticks in central Wisconsin from about 30 years ago, we looked forward to savoring the peace and quiet and living where ...
January 20, 2017
Winter No Obstacle To Motorcycle Racers
You’ve probably seen ice skaters, hockey players, snowmobiles, and even zipping across the ice. But what about motorcycles? Ron Davis takes us inside the ice racing scene. In January and ...
May 29, 2015
A Favorite Tree
A few weeks ago a friend posted a photo online of his “favorite tree,” a magnificent sugar maple in his front yard, probably five feet around. In response, I posted ...
April 2, 2015
April Is Not The Cruelest Month for Motorcyclists
Contrary to what T.S. Elliot once wrote, April is not the cruelest month, at least not for Wisconsin motorcyclists like me. Unless I’m especially rabid from a winter of withdrawal, ...
August 25, 2014
Mindoro Cut
A windy road makes for motorcycle paradise. Ron Davis tells us about a legendary stretch of highway near La Crosse.
May 2, 2014
Night Crawler Love
Opening day for Wisconsin’s fishing season is this weekend. Ron Davis has taken part in this annual angling ritual for decades. Today he tells us how his weekend usually begins.
November 15, 2013
Bow Hunting
It's that time of year when hunters dig out the camo and blaze orange and talk turns to the deer hunting season. Writer Ron Davis is an avid bow hunter ...
July 31, 2013
Summer Days on the River
Long and sunny summer days are what childhood memories are made of. Writer Ron Davis remembers his days on the Wisconsin River.
May 3, 2013
Slimey Crud Run
There are many organized motorcycle rides and rallies in Wisconsin. But writer Ron Davis has a special place in his heart for one particular ride.
March 6, 2013