Trip hiatus

Just a heads up for those who are following my blog and who watch my Spot pretty closely, we've had a family illness so I'm on my way home and will alert everyone when I resume the trip. Have rented a car, "Traveler" and I are driving to Decatur, Illinois and expect to arrive sometime late tonight or in the morning...DO I STILL KNOW HOW TO DRIVE???

Fargo, ND

I've worn out my second chain and now on my third as I reach North Dakota. Traveler is getting a complete work over, cleaning all the drive mechanisms, making sure the air is right in the tires, and installing a new chain.

It's goodbye Minnesota, a wonderfully friendly state, gracious people, beautiful roads with wide shoulders, and terrific bike paths! I will miss Minnesota; it is definitely a bike-friendly state. Hello North Dakota with your wide-open spaces, limited amenities, strong winds, and vast empty plains.  I will travel to Bismarck, and it is there that I will take a hiatus as I leave the road to return to family affairs...Emily will be graduating from her surgical residency and assuming the responsibilities of a board-certified surgeon. Jennifer will be delivering our third grandchild, a little girl, and I will be there for both of these incredible events.

After this break in the routine I will return to the road in order to complete my cross country trip. At this point I must figure out how best to get to Bismarck, and once there, what to do with Traveler, determine how to get home so that I can convey Andrea, my sweet wife, to see our daughters and partake in their astounding events.  Jennifer, my schedule is rather tight so please get those contractions going! 

Jose, Rachel, and I went out for dinner at a Mexican restaurant (great food) and then took pictures around town. A special thanks to Jose and Rachel for their very gracious hospitality! It's nice to have new friends and I look forward to their visit to Illinois sometime in the future.

My day of rest while staying with Jose and Rachel allowed me to have much-needed work done on traveler. Had the derailleur adjusted, brakes adjusted, wheels aligned, spokes tightened and added a new chain, second one of the trip.  They seem to be good for only 1000 miles with this kind of wear and tear. I have covered well over 2000 miles so far so it was about time unless I wanted to change the back sprocket. 

Special thanks also to the Great Northern Bicycle Shop for doing such a fine job on Traveler on such short notice.

I feel rested, ready to hit the road again, and looking forward to this new phase of my bike trip.

May 26, 2014

Near ND border...brutal winds!!!

Western Minnesota is a transition into the typical plains type ecosystem where trees become sparse and the grasses take over. Unfortunately the winds are seemingly non-abating, and there are long flat and rolling stretches one has to bicycle fighting the wind and charbroiling in the sun. Bicycled just under 60 miles today in order to reach Moorehead, Minnesota, which is located just across the border from Fargo, North Dakota.  I will be spending the next two nights with Rachel and José Rodriguez, new friends that I met while bicycling yesterday. Through their gracious hospitality I will be able to regain my strength, have my bicycle serviced, and do a little sightseeing around Fargo. In return, it is my hope that they will visit us in Decatur with the promise to travel to Chicago by Amtrak so that we can take in a couple shows. They are a really fun couple, very easy to get to know, and while we have been friends for not much more than 24 hours I feel like I have known them for years. I will take time tomorrow to plan my route across North Dakota in light of the fact that there will be a tremendous amount of truck traffic as a result of the oil patch work that is underway.

Rachel & Jose

This picture was taken at the HuHot Mongolian Grill Stir-Fry Restaurant. What a really fun spot to sample various assortments and mixtures of Mongolian cuisines and sauces. You select the ingredients buffet style and at a huge round grill a bevy of chefs cook it for you. Not only was it a fun experience but tasty as well. Rachel, Jose, and I did our part and ate all we could.

May 25, 2014

After departing Eagles Healing Nest in Sauk Centre at 9:00AM this morning, I bicycle 75 miles to Fergus Falls, Minnesota.  In another day's ride I will be in North Dakota. Met up with Sourin, Jose, and Rachel in Alexandria and we rode together for the remainder of the day. They were fun folks and I hope to meet up with them once again in a couple of days. It was a great day's ride, beautiful weather, perfect trail conditions, and the wind was in our favor. I will miss my new friends in Eagles Healing Nest but will carry them in my thoughts as I travel across this great country of ours.

Ouch!

 One of my biking companions trying decide which hurts worse...his butt or his back... I think it was a tie.


 

Lakes State Trail

  This guy came after me when I tried to take his picture! He was not the least bit afraid of me!

Eagles Healing Nest, Sauk Centre, MN

Their motto:  "Through the determination of a mother's love, building a place to heal with honor, and finding the strength to heal her heroes and our families!"Having met Tim Milo, I was introduced to a world of recovery that I did not even know existed. Located in Sauk Center, Minnesota, Eagles Healing Nest refuses to accept statistics of failure when it comes to reimmersing veterans back into civilian life.  "Coming home" is more than getting on an airplane and coming back to the world, as the transition is not an easy one either for the veterans or for their families.  Melody Butler (Chair and Director), a crew of core volunteers, as well as many others who donate their time and efforts are attempting to make a tangible difference in the lives of those who have served our country.  Their approach is different and therefore often under scrutiny. Their intentions are honorable, results are tangible, and the message needs to be spread across to those who wish to also contribute to making a tangible difference. If you want to make a difference you need to get involved with your time, energy and financial resources. I have been humbled by my visit here, humbled by the challenges that lay ahead, humbled by what confronts our veterans and humbled by what they must go through to get the help promised to them by our government.

Tim Milo

 After multiple deployments, Tim Milo has found his way home to a loving wife and a child yet to be born, and as a proprietor and owner where they make the best coffee and the finest chicken salad sandwiches in Minnesota.  Thank you for the lead; I will be staying at Eagles Healing Nest due to the graciousness of Melody Butler.  It was a pleasure meeting you...stand tall.

Dan from Lakeville, MN

 Two tours in Iraq and one in Afganistan

 Dan passed along his 4th Div patch to be carried on this journey across United States to honor his unit, its members, and the memory of those who didn't make it home.

Jay

 It does not matter how many times you fall...it's how many times you're able to get up, according Jay.  You give what you can, contribute where you might, and just move on doing all the good you can, wherever you can. We all stumble, we are all not steady on our feet, having the courage to ask for help, but finding the strength to stand tall and moving on is what life is all about.

Linda Hines

Linda cares for the needs and vulnerabilities of the soldiers at Eagles Healing Nest... She listens, soothes, and works with their souls and on their bodies. A most impressive lady!

  Jamie Stowe, Dan Klutenkhmper, Mark Roberson and me at one of Eagles Healing Nest's facilities that is dedicated to "promises made."

 Yet another of the facilities that is dedicated to "promises kept."  Taking actions that give tangible results to help our returning veterans resume their lives and pick up where they left off as best they can.

  This bracelet, made for me by Jamie Stowe and presented at Eagles Healing Nest, will serve as a reminder that I, too, have a responsibility to my fellow veterans. Just as we cared for one another in war we must care for one another in peace... No one will be left behind. I will do my part to see that Eagles Healing Nest receives the support that it needs to carry on its very important mission.

 

Lake Wobegon Trail to Sauk Centre, MN

Great trail!

JP Auer-the rest of the story!

Garrison Keillor's Lake Wobegon, the associated town are fictional. According to JP, Albany is the real Lake Wobegon... It's where Garrison Keillor hung out, it has a lake, and a high school. So let it be known this is the real Lake Wobegon. Additionally another interesting fact is that it was the epicenter of Minnesota 13... which was a species of corn specifically developed for this area and the corn that makes great moonshine. The inference is that this is the moonshine capital of Minnesota according to JP. It makes for a great story so who might argue.

Albany, Minnesota

Melrose, Minnesota

The German Catholics certainly know how to build cathedrals!

St. Cloud, MN

The roads, winds, and terrain were reasonable today so I made good mileage...logging close to 70 miles as I traveled west on Minnesota roads.  Departing from North Branch, I traveled west to Cambridge, Princeton, and then St. Cloud. St. Cloud began as three separate settlements on the Mississippi River which were founded by three extremely different men.  One of the town sites was begun by a former slave owner who was involved in the fur trade, bringing slave owning southerners to the area. The second settlement was begun by a professional town entrepreneur who attracted Protestants opposed to slavery. The third site was intended for a saw mill which drew Catholics from Germany. In spite of the differences, the three settlements eventually merged into one city in 1856. The name "St. Cloud" was chosen to reflect the area’s French heritage, being named after a suburb of Paris, France. Soon after, granite deposits were discovered and area granite companies began shipping the stones to sites all over the world. Today in addition to granite production, the area is a center for education, retail, and recreation. From here I need to find my way west to a little town called Albany where I will hook up with the Lake Wobegon Trail that is specifically designated for bicycles. I expect an interesting ride once I start on this trail and hope to see other bicyclists along the way.

Again kindnesses came to the fore on this particular trip because it started out that the Country Inn and Suites gave me a good deal...and then they gave me free lodging! 

 

 I had the choice of camping out tonight or staying in a nice hotel.  Karen, sweetheart that she is, gave me a great deal.  Pam did even better. She allowed me to stay free of charge! Incredible! Country Inn & Suites East Side...St. Cloud, Minnesota: THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!

North Branch, MN

It was a nice bicycle ride starting out from Stillwater this morning.  Rather than following the Adventure Cycling Route,  I chose to follow Highway 95.    There were a number of hills, the wind was a challenge, but the scenery was pretty and the roads were good. Small towns such as Arcola, Marine on St. Croix, Palmdale, and Almefind were pretty nondescript but pleasant.  I did find Taylor Falls to be quaint and popular with tourists. It is here that one can cross the river into Wisconsin but I chose to stay on the Minnesota side. The rock formations along the river were beautiful; the river was really extraordinary, and quite beautiful. Taylor Falls sits down in the valley and the bicycle ride leading to the town was exhilarating as I roared down at speeds approaching 30 mph. Climbing out was quite another experience. There my speeds were agonizingly slow with a long hard pull back out of the valley, where upon reaching the flatlands above the wind again became a companion...the wrong direction of course! From this point on I will be heading more to the west as opposed to the north. My race to the coast now once again begins.

Taylor Falls Region

About 1.1 billion years ago a great Rift Valley formed across the North American continent from the Lake Superior region southwest to Kansas.  As this Rift Valley opened, lava flowed into it, accumulating to a thickness of up to 20 km in the Lake Superior region. These dark gray basalt rocks that formed the St. Croix River Gorge are made from these rift lava flows. What is depicted in this picture is a deep valley with the river flowing through it. Tannin colored, I could watch the fish jumping and churning as I looked down upon the river. Incredible!

Stillwater, MN

Thoroughly enjoyed my stay with Darwyn and Mary Tri... What a fun couple!  Started out from Red Wing, Minnesota, and then traveled to Prescott, followed by Afton, and then on to Stillwater. First part of the trip was absolutely lovely but at about 5 miles out of Red Wing the roads turned bad, the hills were steep, my knees hurt, and the wind was brutal. Upon reaching Afton I deserted the Adventure Cycling route and took the Stage Coach Trail. This was a much more humane route and the rest of the trip went well. Managed to do 50 miles today. Some of the back roads recommended by Adventure Cycling may be pretty but they are steep, rugged, and not suited for an old man who just turned 66. But look at me now...I'm situated in a swanky hotel, there's a great restaurant, a huge hot tub, and a beautiful room. This is turning out to be a great birthday! I do miss my sweet wife and so wish she were here with me. After this trip, my goal is to never spend a birthday without her again. She still makes my heart flutter after nearly 41 years of marriage.

 

 This sweet little waitress brought chocolate truffles to me when she found out it was my birthday! It had really been a hard ride and her kindness and the wonderful chocolate truffles really lifted my spirits and gave me the boost I needed to make it to Stillwater. Thank you Courtney, you are my new best friend!

 All of the inexpensive rooms had been taken and the only thing left was the higher-priced rooms. This gentleman took mercy on me after we chatted on the phone for a little while. Thank you very much...my room is beautiful!

The Water Street Inn

Traveler and I are basking in high-end relaxation this evening. Traveler is leaning up against the wall, seemingly asking the question: "Are you sure we are in the right place?"The tub is huge, has a whirlpool, and it's going to have me in it in the next 15 minutes.

View from my balcony window

 

 

 

 

Good morning Wisconsin 66

 

Prescott

Bird Sanctuary

 This sculpture represents the danger of litter, the damage that it causes to wildlife, and the unsightliness that it causes. In the construction of this sculpture, the artist wished to show that litter has better alternatives than to be an eyesore. I will let you judge for yourself whether or not he achieved this objective.

I was out in the middle of nowhere, starving to death, and this incredible restaurant showed up in the middle of nowhere! Bicyclists over the years gave it the name Oasis because that's exactly what it is! The food was unbelievable! The owner filled up my Camelback with Great water, served me fantastic coffee, and a brunch to kill for.

Wabasha & Redwing, MN

Stunning morning overlooking the Mississippi River as the sun rises over the water. Wabasha is a beautiful area, pristine beauty, and the homes along the river are magnificent.

Terry Stroot ( my Warm Showers host) and John and Mary Ochsner who fed me brownies, ice cream and beer last night.  John is about 80 and is still bicycling. Mary knows better!

National Eagle Center, Wabasha

Today was kickback day only doing 30 miles. Weather was good, winds were light, and the scenery beautiful. Arrived in Redwing early in the afternoon and visited a confectionery store where I ate three ice cream cones, all different flavors, and would've eaten more if I'd had more time. Absolutely wonderful ice cream! Seems like while I'm riding I could eat anything I want, as much as I want, and I'm still losing weight like crazy.
Redwing is a beautiful city, with an old downtown, and you could see that there is pride in ownership.  Darwyn and Mary Tri are my hosts this evening...and very gracious hosts they are!  Had a wonderful dinner, great hamburgers, salad, and dessert!   I have to leave town before I eat them out of house and home.
Helped feed the livestock. My contribution was feeding a half pound miniature goat, while Darwyn fed the goats, the chickens, the cow, the dogs, and everything else. Darwin did not want to give me more than I can handle. One baby pygmy goat... that's about right!
Off to Wisconsin tomorrow.  Will continue north, and try getting in 60 or 70 miles.

ADM plant in Redwing, MN

This is where my host for tonight works. When I heard him talking on the radio trying to sort out difficulties, I thought... I love retirement!

Darwyn & Mary Tri

Baby pygmy goat has been rejected by it's mama. Must be fed every three hours and I get to do it at least once. Just cute as a bug!