Plymouth, WI - Day 41

Stats: We rode 62 miles today under partly cloudy skies with temperatures in the mid 70's which was a comfortable ride.  We arrived in Plymouth at 2 pm.  Our first stop in Plymouth was the Exchange Coffeehouse for an ice cream before heading onto camp.  Camp tonight is at Plymouth Riverview Middle  School which is in a beautiful setting along the Mullet River and Mill Pond.  The school has the appearance and grounds of an old English college.  That is my tent to the left of the doors in the one picture and Bob along the river in the other.   After set up and shower, Bob, Bill (PA) and I spent some time downtown at O'Malley's Pub with several others before going to dinner across the street at the Mill St. Grill.  Although tonight threatens significant rain, I am still going to sleep outside even though Bob made the drier choice of sleeping in the gym.  I will report on the results tomorrow.

On the Road to Plymouth

Once past Horicon Marsh, we continued onto lunch at mile 50 riding through rolling tree-filled hills covered with well kept dairy and grain farms.  Lunch at mile 50 was in the Butler Lake Recreation Area at the South Beach Picnic Area.  Bob and I did not go swimming although several did.  I spotted this barn in the afternoon which was typical of the scenery we rode through today.  I gave it the award for Unique Barn Of The Trip.  Also tried to get a tour of a cheese producing factory just before lunch but they turned me away since they did not do that kind of thing.

Horicon Marsh - Day 41

After breakfast at the local Ponderosa Steak House, we headed for Plymouth.  Seven miles into the ride we tried the Wild Goose Bike Path.  However after 6 miles we found the crushed limestone was too slippery and overgrown so we returned to the road.  At mile 19 we arrived at the Horicon Marsh Wildlife National Refuge which consists of 31000 acres of marshy wetlands.  It is home to an assortment of birds and small mammals, some of which we observed.  We rode along the Marsh for 3 miles taking pictures of the wildlife and marveling at the vastness of the marsh.

Beaver Dam, WI- Day 40

Stats: We rode 62 miles under clear skies with temperatures in the high 70's.  It was a pleasant flat ride with an early finish.  On the ride today I noticed this cute old school house sitting on a corner in the countryside.  It is typical of the scenery we rode through all day.  I had my second flat tire of the trip today a mile before lunch which was in Cambria on Tarrent Lake at mile 42.  There was more excitement once we reached Beaver Dam than on the ride itself.  Bob broke his chain a mile from the camp at Beaver Dam High School. Once at the High School we found out that there was a  football camp behind the school this evening because of which I had to move my tent 3 times to be in an acceptable spot.  However in spite of the problems, we did manage to get the tents situated, get Bob's chain replaced, buy a pair of new riding shorts at a downtown bike shop and stop at DQ before dinner.  The highlight of the day was the visit by Rick and Lois Korth ( daughter Kim's mother-in-law and father-in-law)  who live about 45 minutes from Beaver Dam. Rick, who grew up in Beaver Dam, gave us a tour of the city and Beaver Dam Lake while relating the experiences of his youth.  In addition they took Bob and I out to dinner which was a real nice change from our normal routine.  After watching a half hour of football scrimmage, it is time for bed - oops I mean sleeping bag.

Baraboo, WI - Day 39

Stats: We rode 78 miles under overcast to partly sunny skies with temperatures in the low 80's.  It was back to a comfortable ride in pleasant conditions.  The theme for the day was trails and tunnels resulting in many miles of no traffic and peaceful riding.  Upon arrival at Jack Young Middle School, I set up the tent, washed the grime from the trail off of my bike and did laundry after a kind resident gave me the CORRECT directions.  Baraboo is the home of the Circus World Museum which unfortunately I did not have time to see.  Bob and I capped off the evening with dinner at the West Side Grill and an ice cream at Culver's on the walk back to camp.  Tonight I am back outside in my tent.  It is nice to be back to NORMAL.

On the Road to Baraboo - Day 39

After leaving breakfast at Ginny's Cupboard in Sparta, we traveled 2 miles and turned onto the Sparta to Elroy Bike Trail and the 400 Trail which we rode for the next 55 miles.  Covered with crushed limestone, they are one of the very first rail to trail conversions in the country.  The crushed limestone is normally a good solid riding surface.  However the rain last night made it a bit soft and slippery in spots which resulted in a few scratches and bumps among my fellow riders.  Fortunately I had no problems.  Riding it took us through 3 tunnels of which the one pictured above is the longest at 3/4 of a mile.  We walked through the tunnels as they are dark, wet and slippery.  The dark picture was taken inside the tunnel with no flash.  The 3 white dots are the tail lights of 3 bicyclists in front of me.  During lunch at the end of the trail at mile 55, a group of us ate in the shade sitting on the curb at the side of the road like a bunch of ducks in a row.

Sparta, WI - Day 38

Stats: We rode 92 miles under mixed overcast and partly cloudy skies with a headwind.  The temperature reached the mid 90's with typical midwest humidity.  This past week I noted how pleasant and comfortable the rides were all week.  Today the ride was hot, long, sweaty, hilly and exhausting, but it felt good to be challenged.  After following the Mississippi River valley in the am, we turned away from the river in the pm and began passing through rolling tree covered hills with well kept farms.  This is a beautiful rural part of Wisconsin.  Upon arrival in Sparta, Bob and I headed downtown where we discovered Ginny's Cupboard, a good old fashioned soda fountain.  After a refreshing root beer float, we also learned that this is where the group was having dinner tonight so we would be back.  Once back at camp at Sparta High School, we learned that hot weather and severe storms were forecast for tonight so I am camping in the gym with 40 other riders for the first time on the trip.  The fact that this is one of the few gyms on the ride that had air conditioning helped confirm my choice.  However I really do prefer the organization and privacy of my tent.

On the Road to Sparta - Day 38

After breakfast at Pepin High School, we continued to follow the Mississippi River in the am.  We first rode across the  marshy Chippewa River Delta and the Tiffany State Wild Life Area which forms the barrier creating Lake Pepin.  Then it was one classic river town after another like Nelson (pop 395), Alma ( pop 942), Cochrane ( pop 435) and Fountain City (pop 983) in a 25 mile stretch of the river.  The picture shows Fountain City, a typical river town, with its quaint buildings and one main street sandwiched between the river and the hills forming the river valley.  As luck would have it, I just happened to pick the wine museum to show the architecture.  Just after Fountain City at mile 33, we stopped at a house that a boulder fell onto in 1995.  The lady of the house was in the kitchen preparing dinner to the right of the hole when the rock fell and crushed the room next to her.  She was not injured.  Even after 15 years someone keeps the house looking as if people were living there and anyone can stop and visit it.  We kept our ears alert for any more falling rocks.  Also passed several locks and dams on the river.

Pepin, WI - Day 37

Stats: We rode 66 miles today under partly sunny skies with temperatures in the low 80's.  Camp and dinner tonight are at the Pepin Area School in Pepin.  Pepin is a village on Lake Pepin with a quaint waterfront and a marina full of sailboats.  Upon arrival Bob, Bill (router), Eve and I recovered from the ride on the waterfront enjoying the view with a few drafts of Spotted Cow, the local Wisconsin favorite.

On the Road to Pepin PM

After lunch we rode through Red Wing and crossed the Mississippi River into Wisconsin.  Yes that is the Red Wing of shoe fame.  That is myself, Jennifer who lives in Wisconsin and Bob in the picture.  We spent the rest of the afternoon  following the Mississippi River south for 30 miles to Pepin.  The River is actually called Lake Pepin  in this area since it is wide and slow moving.  This is the result of the flow of sediment from the Chippewa River into the Mississippi just below Pepin causing a natural narrowing of the river channel.  The scenery was beautiful all along the lake.

On the Road to Pepin AM - Day 37

After leaving Northfield, we rode 14 miles to breakfast in the backyard of a Cycle America employee.  During breakfast we took a group picture of the coast-to-coast riders in our new jerseys which we received last night.  We had a bicycle jersey custom made for the coast-to-coast riders in order to commemorate our intended accomplishment.  The next stop was Cycle America headquarters in Canon Falls, MN where Greg and his employees arrange these wonderful trips.  It was a beautiful sunny day for riding.  The Canon Valley Trail, which is a paved bike trail starting in Canon Falls, took us the next 20 miles to lunch in Red Wing, MN.

Northfield, MN Rest Day - Day 36

After the campus visits, I walked the downtown.  The Canon River flows through downtown with a delightful park on one side and storefronts all along.  I spent several hours finishing my book on a park bench as the river flowed by.  While exploring the river walk, I chatted for 15 minutes with Jim, resident and local insurance agent, who was cleaning in front of his store.  He gave me a history of the area.  Then I enjoyed a big burger and fries for lunch at the Rueb 'n' Stein Pub as I watched a stage of the Tour de France.   Bob, another riding friend from home who has signed up for two weeks, arrived today.  Now we are back to two since Tom will not return until next week.  Our group kick-off dinner for this week was at the Archer House ( in the picture above) which is the historic old hotel in Northfield.  After a delicious East Indian dinner, we received our custom made coast-to-coast bicycle jerseys which about 20 of us ordered several weeks ago.  Now I am off to bed in anticipation of another week of riding and exploration.

Exploring Northfield - Day 36

After sleeping in until 6:30 on Sunday, I spent the day exploring Northfield on foot on my own.  Northfield is a college town with Carlton College and St. Olaf College ( a good Lutheran institution) both located within a mile of downtown.  I started with breakfast at the Blue Coffee Cafe downtown, walked the grounds of Carlton and then walked through St Olaf.  I ended my tour with a second breakfast at the Olaf Cafe near the campus.  Both campuses were full of beautiful old stone buildings similar to the chapels at each campus shown in the pictures.  Carlton's is the white one on top and St Olaf's is below.  It was a delightful clear sunny day for a walk as you can see.

Northfield, MN - Day 35

Stats:  We rode 100 miles today from Hutchinson to Northfield under partly sunny skies with temperatures in the high 70's.  There were mostly tailwinds on flat terrain which resulted in a speedy 17.5 mph average for the day.  It was just a grand day to ride a bike through the Minnesota countryside.  Still a lot of flat corn fields and soybean fields but starting to see more tree-filled rolling terrain.  Upon arrival in Northfield, Philippe and I headed to the Contented Cow Pub to share a drink with Jerry, Fred, Martin and Joe before heading to Northfield High School to set up camp.  This evening about 25 of us had dinner at the Tavern in Northfield.  For Saturday night dinners we are on our own.  We were dining with several of our fellow riders who are leaving the trip early for various reasons.  After sharing the agony and thrills of riding, the toils of setting up and tearing down camp each day and the hot and cold showers each night, it is sad to see fellow riders depart.  However the mail must get through and those of us remaining will continue east Monday morning.

Hutchinson, MN - Day 34

Stats: We rode 84 miles under cloudy am skies and sunny pm skies. Temperatures were very pleasant in the high 70's.  We had a fast paced very enjoyable ride on flat terrain similar to the last 3 days.  The weather has been very kind to us all week.  Scenery consisted of more fields of soy beans and corn.  The amount of production capacity our country has for food is amazing.  We had lunch in Olivia at mile 46 which proclaims itself "The Corn Capital" hence the shelter at their park.  With the early finish today I first stopped downtown at the DQ for refreshments and then joined the crew at a sports bar which I happened to pass on the return to camp.  Both provided vital nutrient replenishment.  Upon arriving at Hutchinson Middle School, our campsite for the night, we learned that their indoor pool was available  for our use so we had a very refreshing hour swim.  Dinner tonight is at the school.

Montevideo, MN - Day 33

Stats: We rode 84 miles on flat terrain under overcast skies with an hour of drizzle in the am and turning partly cloudy in the pm.  The temperature was in the high 70's.  Today we left SD and moved into Minnesota.  There was no welcoming sign so we made our own.  Five states done and 8 more plus 1 province to go.  With our faster rides ending at 1 to 2 in the pm due to the flat terrain, we are now on a 4 meals a day routine.  With dinner not until 5:30 we are stopping in town for milk shakes or beers and a sandwich when first arriving.  At least eating whatever I want is the reward for peddling 6-8 hours per day.   Today Bill and I had a meal at Victorio's Italian Restaurant in downtown Montevideo before the final climb to the campsite at the Montevideo Middle School where dinner was served.  I can always count on Bill to join me when I need that 4th meal.

On the Road to Montevideo - Day 33

After enduring several hours of rain last night and eating breakfast at the school, we headed for Montevideo, MN under overcast skies with an hour of drizzle in the am.  Today we were treated to a steady dose of cultivated fields of corn, soy beans and wheat as far as the eye can see.  We have traded the views of  the wide open ranges of the west filled with sagebrush, stubble and rocks for this, the cultivated fields of the Midwest.  After a refreshing stop at DQ at mile 65, we passed the Gnome Village where little gnomes were doing little gnome like things.  There was Dr. Savage lecturing to the fireman and the baker.