August 9, 2013

August 9, 2013 Manistique --> St. Ignace - 88 miles

Manistique was such a lovely and restful town that we tried to extend our stay at the Northshore Motor Inn for another night and take a rest day. However, since it was Friday the motel was already booked up for the weekend. On to plan #2 - head along the shores of Lake Michigan towards St. Ignace (across from Mackinac Island) some 88 miles away. Efforts to locate lodging halfway or so along the way were unsuccessful, so I began resigning myself to a possible camping adventure in Daubinway.





It had rained overnight and into early morning, and it was still overcast and cloudy as we started out at approximately 10:00 am. Luckily, the forecast was for the clouds to pretty much clear as the day progressed. We had no sooner pulled out from the motel driveway when Randy discovered his rear tire going flat. So, we turned right back in to change the flat.



Once underway, the ride was similar to the previous rides. Good roads, etc. A fair tailwind. However, pretty heavy traffic. During a water break, we discussed where we might stop for the night. One alternative was to take a turn at Gould and travel north to Newberry, where there were many motel options. However, that meant a 70 mile ride to St. Ig on Saturday and an additional 20-30 miles overall. I suggested we consider riding all the way to St. Ig (long 88 mile day) and taking a rest day off on Saturday. Meant a big push, but with the good riding conditions it was doable. This is what we finally decided to do later in the day.

The view coming in to St Ig was lovely and we settled in at a very reasonably priced locally owned motel for 2 days. Tomorrow we will rest, explore, etc.

August 8, 2013

August 8, 2013 Escanaba ---> Manistique, MI - 53.2 miles

The ride today along and around the shores of Lake Michigan was a delightful change in scenery. Lake Michigan is huge and has more of the feel of the ocean than of a lake.





We rode through a few quaint towns before getting back on state highway 2 the remainder of the way to Manistique. One such town was Gladstone. There was a lovely park on the water with gorgeous views. And several trees with leaves beginning to turn colors. Randy stopped and spoke with a couple of park workers who were on bicycles pulling carts with their tools. They indicated that they loved the work and town.





Most of the remaining ride to Manistique was more of the flat, well-paved variety and we cruised quite easily. The sun came out, and it warmed to the 70's. We arrived in Manistique at approximately 2:30 pm and checked into the Northshore Motel, a lovely locally owned little motel located just outside town and across the street from the water and boardwalk. We biked into town to find an ATM, then parted ways for the afternoon. I stopped by a little coffee shop and had a good strong cappuccino - the first since the start of the ride. Good coffee has been hard to find and I often have to supplement with a little Starbucks Via. This cappuccino hit the spot. I then headed to Subway because I was starving. Back to the motel.





I decided that if I were going to walk to the shore and see any of the boardwalk I had better do it right away, because if I showered or sat down I would be finished. Randy was already perched on the bench outside his room and had that "I'm done for the day" look. So, off I went for a walk on the boardwalk toward town. What a beautiful path. Saw lots of gulls and the flora alongside the path was interesting to look at. But mostly what caught my eye was the red lighthouse in the distance. I made the lighthouse my goal destination. Meanwhile, dark clouds moved in and out. No rain, but cool, windy and moving clouds. I stopped to take various pictures of the lighthouse from different angles, but could never seem to get good light. Eventually, I arrived at the lighthouse after hiking out on the quay. I spent a few moments just listening to the water and wind, and said a quiet prayer of thanks for the opportunity to ride as well as the many blessings in my life. Also re-committed myself to stay the course with regard to my quest to discover what God has in store for my second-half-of-life vocation.









I spent the remainder of the evening quietly resting at the motel and looking for places to stay the next couple of nights. Unfortunately, doesn't look good between here and St. Ignace, and camping may be in our immediate future - unless, of course, one of those unadvertised "mirage motels" appears out of nowhere. I am praying that the weather remains good and no rain.

We are now 1 week into the ride. Seems like a lot longer than a week since I left Atlanta to fly to Minneapolis. Not in a bad way, just a little strange. This ride has a whole different feel than the TRANSAMERICA last summer. Again, not bad, just different. I guess the best way to describe it is a continual sense of quiet contemplation. Maybe it has something to do with the reduced stress from knowing more of what to expect from the ride standpoint rather than the unknown from last year. Or maybe because the riding conditions themselves have been so easy - flat, smoothly paved, wide-shouldered roads. Very nice and clean motels in each stop. Good food. For whatever reasons, there is a discernible difference in the character of the ride. Not bad, just different.

Tomorrow we ride on towards St. Ignace, probably stopping to camp somewhere near Daubinway.

August 7, 2013

August 7, 2013 Iron Mountain --> Escanaba, MI. - 56.5 miles

Started the day with a late breakfast at the family restaurant across the street. We had been told by the motel owners that if we requested the "special" we would get eggs, bacon, hash browns and a large pancake for $3.99. This was not on the menu and you had to have insider knowledge to get it. So, when the waitress came to get our order, we spoke the "magic words" and received this wonderful breakfast. The only glitch was that there had been a price increase to $4.99, which we dutifully reported back to the motel owners, much to their chagrin.

The motel owners told me their interesting story. They have been married for over 50 years and own two homes in Arizona. They bought the motel at auction for their two sons to run together. However, after a falling out between the sons, the parents were forced to step in and take over running the place. Now, they would like to sell the motel and return to a life of retirement, but the process is not simple. I responded with my familiar mantra, "life is too short", with which they agreed. These folks did their best to make our stay as comfortable as possible, and were very interested in hearing about the ride.

We left Iron Mountain at approximately 10 am under cloudy skies. The temperature was in the 50-60's range. Once again, good roads for riding and we cruised along for approximately 10 miles until we came upon the Iron Mountain Iron Mine. We had been told my the motel owners that there was a tour of the mine that was well worth seeing, and we stopped to check it out. However, we decided that we weren't willing to take the the time or pay the fee and decided to move on. Neither Randy or I are big on stopping and sightseeing as such. Our main emphasis is the ride itself and what we see from there, with occasional exceptions. I think this is one reason we are such compatible traveling companions. I know of others who prefer to stop at just about every monument, historical site and lookout.






The bike maps and Google map both showed a bike trail for the last 22 miles of the ride to Escanaba. We generally like good bike trails and decided to try and find this one. To access the trail meant following an out of the way back road for approximately 2 miles. And with no assurance that it was a good trail - we had been unable to independently confirm the condition of the trail beforehand. Along the way, out in the country, we came across a house and a young man cutting the large yard's grass. Randy stopped to ask about the bike trail, and the young man went inside to get his grandmother, who told us that the trail was gravel and more for atv's. She strongly advised that we did not want to ride the trail on bicycle. This was an example of what we sometimes run into - directions that are inaccurate or don't adequately describe conditions that have a huge affect on biking. And often the distances you have to ride to access off the highway trail heads is several miles. Nothing if you are driving in a car, but can take a significant amount of time if you have to back track on a bike. At any rate, armed with this new information, we thanked the lady and her grandson and proceeded to back track and resumed the ride on the state highway. They again exemplified the kindness of strangers we constantly encounter on these rides.








Continuing on towards Escanaba, we entered the Eastern Time Zone. Angry looking clouds began to gather and I was afraid we might have a downpour in the making. Gratefully, we seemed to skirt the storm, and arrived at the Sunset Lodge just north of Escanaba at approximately 4 pm. This small motel is owned by a young couple who left corporate jobs in Baltimore to opt for a more laid back life where they could actually spend time with and raise their children. In Baltimore, their daughter was in day care most of the day. Jared told us that he had ridden bicycle cross-country on the TRANSAMERICA route several years ago. Since Randy and I had both started last summers' ride on the TRANSAMERICA route, it was fun to compare notes with Jared and reminisce again.

Tomorrow we bike along Lake Michigan to Manistique. The forecast is for clear sunny skies.

August 6, 2013

August 6, 2013 Eagle River, WI ---> Iron Mountain, MI - 70 miles

Our original thought had been to continue off the AC route and ride 55 miles to Florence, WI, followed by a longer ride on Wed to Escanaba, MI - the completion of the first major leg of the ride. However, due to a seeming lack of motels/accommodations in Florence, we decided to make a longer ride to Iron Mountain, MI where there were numerous motels, leaving a shorter ride on Wednesday.

When we left Eagle River at approximately 9:00 am, there was a steady misting rain and it was quite cloudy. The temperature was around 60 degrees. Luckily, after the first 10 miles or so, the mist was minuscule and the clouds starting clearing somewhat. No real rain in the immediate forecast.

Once again, we could not have asked for better bike riding conditions. The route we took was on state and county roads, again with nicely paved and broad shoulders. The best part, however, was very little traffic. For the most part, it seemed as if we pretty much had the road to ourselves.

The last 10 miles or so to Florence were some of my favorite riding to date. The road was lined with beautiful little wild flowers, lush ferns and stands of healthy cat tails. But what really struck me was the increasing frequency with which we began seeing maple trees with leaves turning colors - some bright red. Really hit the theme of the bike trip.







I also saw more and more wildlife. Canadian geese, wild turkeys strutting alongside the road, another blue heron swooping ahead, many beautiful majestic looking black birds. Not sure if they were ravens, crows, or some other type of bird (I am once again showing my ignorance of such things). All I know is that I love watching them and think they are beautiful. I also am convinced that I may have seen a wolf of some sort. From a distance I thought I was seeing a deer standing alongside the road ahead, but as I got closer, the animal raised its head and eventually started "skulking" across the road in that wolf-like manner I have observed at wild-life parks. The shape of its head and body, as well as its mannerisms, made me think "wolf," although it is entirely possible it may have just been a dog. But I don't think so, and will choose to continue to believe that it was a wolf.

By the time we reached Florence at mid- day, the sun was starting to come out. Florence was a lovely little town perched on the side of one of those northern lakes. We stopped at Barb's Cafe on Main St for lunch, and were treated to some of the best sweet potato fries you could imagine. Fresh, very sweet potatoey, and hot. I had a French Dip Au Ju to go with the fries, all for about $6.00. A great deal and delicious.

After emerging from the cafe and getting ready to resume the ride, I noticed some beautiful sunflowers alongside the house next door to the cafe and went over to take a picture. A lady and her dog came out to see what I was doing, and I told her that sunflowers were my favorite and hers were very pretty. She told me to look on the other side of the plants, where there were red sunflowers. Added a whole new dimension to my appreciation of sunflowers. Her dog, named Kada, came over and cheerfully greeted me with a smile on her face. Made my day.








The final 14 miles to Iron Mountain were easier than you might imagine at that stage of the day. We pretty much cruised at 15 - 20 mph most of the way. A little over halfway we crossed into Michigan - the third state on our trip. We arrived in Iron Mountain late afternoon and found a reasonably priced motel for the night. Dinner tonight was a chopped chicken salad at Subway.





Tomorrow we head towards Escanaba, MI. I found a little locally owned motel near the water that received very high ratings on Trip Advisor and went ahead and reserved our rooms. So, we are planning to take our time leaving town in the morning for the 50 mile or so ride.

August 5, 2013

August 5, 2013 Mercer --> Eagle River -- 55 miles

A steady rain started shortly after I got up.

After looking at the maps again overnight, Randy and I decided at breakfast to go off the AC route and ride to Eagle River rather than Conover. This change was driven by two considerations. First, the forecast was for a 50% chance of rain throughout most of the day. Second, there did not appear to be any suitable lodging in Conover, and camping in the rain was not a choice we would willingly make. Actually, camping at any time is something we almost always avoid. Randy and I both like hot showers and a comfortable bed at the end of a long day of bike riding. The other notable thing about the modified route was that it followed state and county roads rather than the back roads and, therefore, meant we would likely make better time.









So, we donned rain gear and off we went at approximately 9:20 am in a steady rain. Not too hard, but enough to get good and wet. Once again, the road was flat, nicely paved and had a good shoulder. We cruised along, averaging approximately 13 mph. The only real downside was that the traffic was fairly heavy, but it honestly didn't pose a problem. Just something to be aware of.





About 28 miles down the road, just before Woodruff, WI, we turned east toward St. Germain, a town approximately 12 miles away. I am attaching a picture of Randy at the turn. Still a light steady rain at this point. But the road conditions continued to be very good. Once we reached St. Germain, we looked for a place to stop for lunch, but nothing really caught our attention enough to get off the bikes and go through the trouble of shedding the rain gear. Plus, I was not all that hungry yet. So, we kept plugging along towards Eagle River, now 13 miles away. It seems to me that at this point I noticed a lot more "crud" getting kicked up off the road and my bike, shoes, clothes and panniers became caked with dirt. I also became uncomfortably aware of my saddle, and realized that we really hadn't stopped and gotten off the bikes to walk around since leaving Mercer some 4 hours or so ago. Just brief water breaks on the side of the road. No snacks and I was starting to feel a little dippy. By the time we reached Eagle River, I was wet, getting cold, had skipped lunch, and my butt hurt (to put it bluntly). We stopped at a McDonalds to use the wi-fi and find a motel. Ended up at the Super 8 across the street.

I spent the next 2 hours cleaning the crud off everything, washing clothes and re-grouping. Took a hot bath. After meeting Randy for dinner, I took a stroll to the Main Street and looked around. Another really cute town with some interesting looking stores and restaurants. There was a very nice bookstore and a candy store with a wide array of all kinds of candy - including my favorite atomic fire balls. I stocked up for tomorrow's ride.

I looked at the map for tomorrow's ride and it looks like we will have to make a decision again as to the route. We are essentially 2 days from completing the first major leg of the ride at Escanaba, MI, a town with a "huge" population of 12,800. We can stay on the current route, or veer back north and get back on the AC route.

The weather for tomorrow is supposed to be cloudy and cool, but a much less chance of rain. I am praying no rain, or at least little rain, and clean roads. In any event, Randy and I agreed that we will stop at least every 15-20 miles to get off the bikes and walk around, and occasionally snack.

August 4, 2013

August 4, 2013 Clam Lake ---> Mercer WI - 55 miles

We left Clam Lake at approximately 9 am under clear blue skies. The temperature was in the high 50's - low 60's. Again, perfect bike riding conditions. Beautifully paved roads with occasional rolling hills, but nothing too drastic. Pretty scenery. Very little traffic - we essentially had the road to ourselves. What really struck me was how quiet it was. Mainly, what I heard were birds chirping. Never did see any elk.

We turned off the state highway onto back roads for the last half of the day's ride. It became increasingly cloudy as the day progressed but, thankfully, no rain. I think the rain will come tomorrow. Alongside the road were all sorts of wildflowers - little yellow, white and purple flowers. Also interspersed were beautiful cat tails and occasionally lining the ditch were lush ferns. I think I even saw evidence of some early beginnings of leaves changing colors, although for the most part everything is still very green.

About 17 miles from Mercer, Randy and I stopped by the side of the road and ate the deli sandwiches we had picked up earlier. Randy commented on how the ride was a little boring in that the scenery, while pretty, was becoming a little monotonous. And while there were lakes nearby, the route did not run alongside them.

We rolled into our destination town of Mercer at about 2:30 pm and found lodging at a quaint little lot cabin type complex called the Northern Exposure Nite motel. Very clean and a great place to relax and re-group for the ride tomorrow when we will likely encounter our first rain of the trip. For dinner we walked across the street to the local Subway.






My anxiety regarding the possible physical challenges of today's ride were entirely unfounded as it turned out to be an easy ride for the most part. My legs and body feel strong and for the most part the muscle soreness has gone away. Feels good.

Tomorrow we continue our ride across Wisconsin towards Conover - approximately 50 miles.

August 3, 2013

August 3, 2013 Hayward --> Clam Lake, WI - 37 miles

We got off to a late start after breakfast because Randy needed to mail something and the post office didn't open until 10 am. A local came up and started asking us about the ride. He has done some bike touring in the past, and was very enthusiastic. Made some suggestions regarding today's route and told us about the Moose Lake Festival taking place about halfway to Clam Lake. Since this was to be a relatively short day, we decided to head for the festival.




Our route today was a combination of state highway 77 and a return to back roads. Again, I was astonished by the quality of the roads and biking conditions. The temperature started in the 60's under blue skies. Perfect riding conditions. As the day progressed, it became increasingly more cloudy. We rode through beautiful countryside with what looked like a lot of marshes and swamp like areas. I saw a lot more wild life today. A big blue heron majestically swooped down and over the marsh - made me think of my Mom and "her" blue heron. Also saw peacocks in someone's yard, and various other unusual looking birds flying around and making neat bird sounds. A big furry caterpillar of some sort crawling across the road. Farm animals raising their heads and looking us in the eye as if to acknowledge and welcome us. At one point, what I think was a large goose of some sort (tall with a long neck and legs) came out of the bushes and started racing alongside Randy's bike as if trying to keep up. Randy happened to be looking the other way, and I was yelling at him to check out the bird racer, but by the time he heard me the bird had conceded the race and darted back into the bushes. Brought back memories of cow and pronghorn antelope racers from last summer.

I was again struck by the whole body/sensory experience involved with biking. The feel in your legs of the incline in the road, the sun and wind on your face, the sounds and smells of the countryside, the smell of wood as logging trucks pass by, a real sense of the scenery as you pass by at a much slower pace than normally experienced in a car or other vehicle. The time to just sit with your thoughts and contemplate life. Time to think of others and offer up prayers for them and on their behalf. This is why I love biking.




As we pedaled along the back roads, a passing van slowed and a lady stuck her head out and enthusiastically wished us a good ride. Randy later told me that the man driving was the man we met at the post office. Shortly after that, we saw our first touring biker coming from the other direction. His name was Mike - from Cleveland - and he had started from Mackinaw City, MI headed towards Fargo as his final destination. Mike confirmed that there were several other touring bikers several days ahead of us, and filled us in on what to expect as far as riding conditions for the next few miles. As we were talking with Mike, our friends in the van approached and stopped one more time to say hi - seemed like they could not get enough of us. Or, as Randy accused them, they seemed intent that we stop at a particular place selling homemade gelatos and sandwiches. He kept asking them if they were receiving a commission.





On we continued to the Moose Lake Festival, which was a combination of swap meet, food, games, and music alongside a beautiful lake. There is a reason that this section of the Adventure Cycling maps is called the North Lakes route. For lunch I had roasted corn and a brownie a la mode from the local Lions Club.




We stopped for the night in Clam Lake, WI. This area is particularly known for elk and large black bears. The accommodations were in an 8 room little motel attached to a convenience store, and were truly astonishing. Large, clean rooms. Mine had a sitting area with rocking chairs and a tv on the wall. Like a little theatre almost. The owners were friendly and gracious. For dinner, Randy and I walked next door to a pizza place and had one of the most delicious pizzas I have tasted. Chicago style of the thin crust variety and a sauce unlike any I have had.

Our planned ride for tomorrow is approximately 55 miles to Mercer. My legs are a little sore and I am feeling a little anxious about the long ride. Just have to keep reminding myself to take it one mile at a time, and focus on being in the present.

August 2, 2013

August 2, 2013 - Cumberland --> Hayward, WI - 50 miles

Highlight of the day - Our first "sweet potato fries" for dinner. While biking last summer I was introduced to sweet potato fries and became hooked. Upon my return to real life after the ride, I learned that sweet potato fries made a big impression upon those who followed the ride, Del Grosenheider being one of those. Seems like every time I would talk with Del after returning to Austin he would mention those sweet potato fries. Well, I am happy to report that these were really good sweet potato fries and the highlight of the day.

But back to the ride. We started the ride from Cumberland at approximately 9:00 am under clear blue skies. It was a cool but pleasant 60 degrees. Since we were starting to feel a little tired, we opted to go off the AC route and follow state highway 63 for the 50 miles directly to Hayward, WI. The road itself was good - nicely paved and good shoulders the whole way, although for a small portion we found ourselves on a 4 lane type highway. Passed through a number of small, very clean towns and stopped in Spooner, WI for a short break, where the downtown was closed off for a street fair where locals sold arts and crafts, as well as sale items. While I was waiting for Randy to return from a store, a man came up and starting chatting with me - "I saw you two way back in Cumberland, and passed you again a few miles back - you are really making good time!" I did my best to further impress the local by pointing out that we had even stopped a couple of times for snacks, including a stop at the local Veterans Park. He seemed suitably impressed and I left with my biker's ego bolstered.









Since the ride was on a state highway, rather than county roads, the quality of the scenery was not quite as spectacular, although still very pleasant. Seems that there are a lot of weekend visitors from Minneapolis / St Paul / Chicago who come and go down the rivers and streams in canoes and tubes. The road itself was essentially flat, with a few rolling hills thrown in, and we did encounter a few headwinds that gave us a little workout. But nothing too drastic. I would say the main detraction from the ride was the fairly heavy traffic. However, almost all drivers were courteous.

In Hayward, we found the Northern Pines Inn, another of those reasonably priced locally owned motels, and spent the remainder of the afternoon resting. There were pleasant chairs and tables outside, and the breeze was cool. I could almost sense a hint of fall in the air.







For dinner we biked a short distance to the Flat Iron Eatery, where we had a couple of delicious hamburgers and the aforementioned sweet potato fries. Made my day and Randy's, I think.




Tomorrow, we plan on a relatively short 33 mile ride to Clam Lake.

August 1, 2013

August 1, 2013 Osceola, WI --> Cumberland, WI - 58.6 miles

We left the River Valley Inn at approximately 9:00 am. The weather was perfect. High 50's, sunny blue skies, and a tail wind. We cruised along county roads that were for the most part fairly flat, with occasional rolling hills in between. I averaged between 15-20 mph most of the day.









At one point I was biking along this lush green field and noticed a long necked bird of some sort sticking his head up. I am not sure if it was a wild turkey or some other bird. As I watched, approximately 4-5 other heads poked up like periscopes and looked around. Meanwhile, I was trying to stop and pull out the camera to get a shot. The birds seemed to notice and ducked back down to hide. I waited, but they stubbornly remained hidden.

We also met a park ranger named Tom who came out to greet us when we stopped to take a rest break in the shade next to his yard. Tom was especially happy when Randy told him he was from Tucson. Tom had visited there several times and really liked the place. Apparently, he had never visited in the summer. At any rate, Tom gave some helpful route tips and was generally fun to talk with. He confirmed that a lot of bikers travel the Northern Tier route.



We arrived at our destination town of Cumberland at approximately 2:30 pm and stopped at Subway for lunch (thanks LaDonna). I had a delicious chopped spinach chicken salad. While lunching, we located the locally owned Island Inn Motel and arranged to get rooms. This motel also caters to bikers on the Northern Tier route. It was nice to get in early enough to rest and regroup a little. My body and legs feel strong and I am pleased with my conditioning level. Having said that, I have to also point out that riding conditions have been near perfect.

One thought that has occurred to me is that if the high temperatures are in the 70's now, I wonder how cool it will be in another month around the Great Lakes and Canada. I think this may be one of the most significant differences from last year's ride.

Another recurring thought has been what a delightful surprise the ride has been so far. I really had little expectations as to what the riding conditions would be like, but have to say this has been some of the best biking I have experienced so far.

If anyone is interested, Randy's blog is ridethewhiteline.blogspot.com.

July 31, 2013

7/31/13 Day 1 - Minneapolis --> Osceola, WI --> 64 miles



I started the day at the Comfort Inn a little cranky because the wi-fi was essentially useless. When I brought this to the attention of the front desk person, he merely shrugged and said they did not have fiber optic yet and not a problem for people that don't need it. I responded that most people today do use the Internet and I could not recommend his hotel to anyone traveling on business. Also, seems a misrepresentation and overcharge for someone who needs use of the Internet.

We were picked up at 9:00 am by Loudes - a staff person with the Minneapolis ALS office. She took us to the Amtrak station to pick up our bikes. She pointed out various points of interest along the way and told us a little of her background. Lourdes lost her husband to ALS several years ago and we talked about how it affects so many people.




After assembling our bikes, Randy and I headed out for the 7 mike ride to the Minneapolis ALS office. One thing I did not realize about Minneapolis, that Lourdes told us was that it was ranked as the #1 bike friendly city in the U.S. That was soon evident as we started riding. There are, what I would describe as, prominent little bike highways. Paved, divided 2 lane paths specifically for bikes. There are usually additional paved paths running alongside for pedestrians. And at every intersection, motorists always stop for you to cross. There is an obvious awareness and consideration of bikers. In fact, we got a couple of stares when we would stop and hesitate to cross because of our cautious nature around cars.




We also saw our first evidence of other touring bikers. There were 4-5 fully loaded touring bikes propped up alongside the bike path running adjacent to the river/downtown area. Didn't see the bikers themselves, so wasn't able to connect and get the story as to their travels. But, all the signs were there. I suspect we will see a lot of other bikers on this ride since Randy and I are pretty much following the Adventure Cycling route maps. At this juncture, we are likely to encounter a lot of cross-country riders on the Northern Tier route.

We arrived at the Minneapolis ALS office around noon and were enthusiastically greeted by approximately 10-15 staff members. We told them about the ride, answered questions and posed for a group photo outside the office building. Walked to a sandwich shop and picked up lunch to carry back to the ALS office. I had a delicious grilled cheese sandwich. No sweet potato fries available, so settled for chips. At the conclusion of lunch, Randy and I "officially" started the Tour of the Leaves ride at approximately 1:30 pm. Much thanks to Kristin Skaar (Special Events Coordinator for the ALS Association, MN/ND/SD Chapter) and her staff for the great send off.



Leaving downtown Minneapolis, we backtracked towards the Amtrak station to pick up the little "bike highways" out of town. Just past St. Paul we got on the Gateway State Trail, a beautiful fully paved path that traverses approximately 15 miles of gorgeous terrain. Little ponds and vast fields line the path. The weather was perfect for biking - in the 70's with a nice breeze. No vicious headwinds here. Only helpful tailwinds on occasion. When we would stop, Randy and I would just look at each other and say "Wow - doesn't get any better than this."




We did encounter a couple of challenges where the way off the the trail was not clearly marked, and we went too far. However, we adjusted quite nicely on the fly and connected back with the route through alternative state highways.

Our goal destination for the night was Osceola, WI. The ride through the countryside the last 10-15 miles was stunning. Since we got off to a late start, it was early evening and the shadows as the sun was lowering in the sky were gorgeous. Gentle rolling hills. Cornfields lined the road. The corn stalks and, in fact, all the vegetation was lush and green. Healthy and vibrant. Last summer we ran into so many corn fields where the stalks were brown at the base because of the drought. These corn fields just made you feel good and healthy looking at them. There were a number of beautiful old rustic barns.



At approximately 7:00 pm, we crossed into Wisconsin, and arrived in Osceola shortly thereafter, a town with a population of approximately 2500 people. I was a little concerned that camping might be in the cards, but miraculously the River Valley Inn appeared. A very clean and reasonable motel that takes pride in being biker friendly - even had an Adventure Cycling Northern Tier decal on the door. The rooms were spacious and the bathroom had a large tub for soaking.

Randy and I met for dinner at the restaurant next door. Had vegetable medley Alfredo that was delicious. As in the past, food will be a big deal on this trip. I ate my way across America last summer and somehow still lost 10 pounds, which I have pretty maintained. So, I really don't want to lose much more weight this summer. Guess I will just have to indulge.

This first day could not have been better. A great send off, perfect riding conditions, terrific company to share the ride with in Randy. I am tired, but overall feel strong and very happy to be back out on the road. Still acclimating a little to riding, but everything seems to be coming back to me quite nicely.

I am extremely blessed to have this opportunity to do what I love and share it with others. Del - you are in our thoughts and right here with us.