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.