Life On A B-I7

Route

• Salomonie River State Park to Monroeville

Metrics

• Miles: 52
• Average Speed: 12.1 mph
• Travel Time: 6 hours 2 minutes

Notes

• I have good metrics today because I used the Komoot app for navigation. I really like this app.

Thought For The Day

• Be courageous and work on developing determination. 

Today’s post might be a bit geeky for some. If you find it boring, skip ahead to the fifth paragraph.

My average miles per hour on today’s segment of the tour was 12.1. That is my best average mph so far on this tour. That is largely a result of the Komoot app having chosen an excellent route for me. The road surface was good and the traffic was light. I have not hit an average of 12 mph on any of the previous ACA daily routes I have ridden.

When you purchase the ACA Digital Route Maps, they come as a set of 11 Segments. Each segment is approximately 400 miles in length. It takes about a week to traverse each segment. It’s up to you to decide how to split up each segment into daily rides. The app used by the ACA maps does not track metrics on a daily basis, it only tracks metrics for the segment as a whole. This makes tracking daily metrics nearly impossible. The Komoot app does allow splitting segments into multiple daily rides. That makes the Komoot app a superior tool, at least in my mind.

Back to miles per hour. The Komoot app chose a very different route for today’s ride than the ACA route would have put me on. That speaks volumes about the ACA routing. I’m not going to say anything more about that. Whenever possible, I will be choosing daily destinations and allowing Komoot to select the route.

I’m being hosted in grand fashion by the Community of Monroeville. They have been hosting cross-country cyclists at their Community Center since 1990. That’s how far back the guest register goes, but I have a feeling they were hosting cyclists even prior to that since this year is the 50th Anniversary of the Northern Tier Route.

I had dinner at the Whippy Dip. After that, I went down to the MoonTower Bar and Grill for a nightcap. I had a great time there talking to some really nice folks and getting a bit of the town’s history.

I’m going to take a day of rest tomorrow because tomorrow is the first day of the Monroeville Fair. There’s gonna be live music in the park right here where I’m staying. I don’t want to miss that. I’m gonna go back to the MoonTower tomorrow afternoon for an Indiana Coney Dog. Breakfast will be at the Blueberry Pancake House at 6 AM.

Always a good idea.

The Community Center in Monroeville where I’m staying.

Itinerary Maps

Route

• Fletcher Lake to Salomonie River State Park

Metrics

• Miles: 53
• Average Speed: 10+ mph
• Travel Time: 6 hours 45 minutes

Note

• Human life is a sequence of special moments that cannot be relived. Enjoy them as much as possible while you are living them.

Thought For The Day

• Every choice you make has consequences. Making good choices is a sign of wisdom. Making choices by relying on what other people think is the opposite of wisdom.

Today’s note literally came to me out of the blue while I was peddling. This is one of the beautiful things about taking time out from your normal life to experience something unusual and special, like this journey.

Today I was on the road before dawn. When you’re cycling in the dark with just a headlight to light your way, you can’t see the elevation changes coming toward you. You have to trust your legs to tell you when you’re going up and when you’re going down. Shifting becomes a physical experience. Pre-dawn riding is not something I normally do. I wouldn’t think of doing it unless the road I was taking was remote and less traveled.

Another interesting aspect to pre-dawn riding is temperature. Sometimes descending as little as 10 feet over a distance of maybe 50 yards, the temperature might decrease noticeably. Sometimes you’ll experience pockets of warm air that don’t seem to rely on the terrain around you, but are simply just there. Once the sun comes up, these differences disappear.

Early morning riding is also the best time to see wildlife. I saw seven deer this morning. That’s more than I’ve seen during the day over the course of the last 300 miles.

I stopped for breakfast about 25 miles down the road. I was in the town of Denver (Indiana). You know the food is going to be good when the restaurant is full of locals. I had just seated myself at a table and was looking at the menu when a gentleman walked up and started talking to me. We chatted about the trip, the usual stuff. I also found myself telling him what was special about it and what it meant to me. I could see his interest. He patted me on the shoulder and told me good luck, paid his bill and left. Shortly after that a nice couple sitting at the table next to mine came over and joined me. They had a lot of questions and it was a fun conversation. I gave them my card with a link to this blog so they could follow along. After enjoying a terrific breakfast just like I had suspected I would, I went up to the cash register to pay my ticket. The lady working the restaurant told me it had been taken care of already. I don’t know if it was the nice man or the couple, but whoever it was, thank you.

I’m camping tonight at Salamonie River State Park. I’ll be getting up early tomorrow, probably not pre-dawn. By the end of the day tomorrow I should be in Ohio. As I was telling the gentleman this morning at breakfast, one of the things I think about is what will I do with myself once I return home? Even though my days are almost entirely free of worry and concern, they are also extremely structured. I’m not sure what I’ll do to replace that structure once I’m home. I hope the memory of this trip will help me find ways to bring a healthy structure into my daily life that will make me more productive.

Pre-dawn riding is an entirely different experience.

Four miles of beautiful cycle-way today.

Itinerary Maps

Route

• Rensselaer to Fletcher Lake

Metrics

• Miles: 52
• Average Speed: 9 mph
• Travel Time: 7 hours 30 minutes

Notes

Thought For The Day

• Periodically evaluate your values. Make sure they are in alignment with your purpose in life.

I know people back home that think my sense of humor is as dry as a bone. Out here in Indiana I am a stand-up comic genius. Either that or people are very polite…

This morning I went into a coffee shop and there was a large group of friends all enjoying coffee together. One said, “where’d you come from?” I said, “I came from Washington, I just left yesterday!” That got a good laugh. After I got my coffee and was heading outside, another person asked, “where you headed?” I said, “I’ll be in Maine tomorrow afternoon!” That got another good laugh… The folks back home would say that it was a polite crowd. Of course, I would disagree.

About one o’clock this afternoon I had a serious need for a nap. I got off the bike at a nice shady spot. I got my folding chair out and made myself comfortable. When I woke up 45 minutes later, I didn’t realize my right foot and ankle had fallen asleep. As soon as I stood up I fell over. The first thought that came to mind was OMG, I’ve broken my ankle! Here I am 20 miles from the nearest town. What am I going to do? Within a few seconds feeling started returning to my ankle and I realized it wasn’t broken after all. I was extremely grateful. It turned out to be just a simple matter of waiting a few minutes for everything to be fine, then I was able to get back on the bike.

It seems I need a new front tire. The left side of the tire is worn more than the right side of the tire. This is likely due to all of the crowned road surfaces I’ve been riding. Instead of a new tire, I could fix this by riding on the other side of the road… Just kidding. I know what you’re thinking, just take the tire off turn it 180° and put it back on. I know that makes a lot of sense, but there’s three problems with that. The first one is, I hate changing tires and tubes on the road. The second one is I’d probably pinch the tube and then I would have to spend an hour or two patching it. The third one is I’m lazy and I prefer to have professionals handling that for me. I’ll hit a bicycle shop before too long. I’m pretty sure it’ll hold till then. If it doesn’t, I’ll take door number one and hope I don’t end up taking door number two also.

This is what bicycle touring is all about.

That’s not a ghost stepping out of the corn, just me.

Itinerary Maps

Route

• Iroquois, IL to Rensselaer, IN

Metrics

• Miles: 38
• Average Speed: 9 mph
• Travel Time: 4 hours

Notes

• It didn’t rain after all.

Thought For The Day

• Remember to thank your Creator every day.

I guessed wrong. Sometimes you win, sometimes you loose. All indications were for rain today so I used Komoot to build a route that would take me to a motel for the evening. That means that tomorrow It will take me about 10 miles to get back onto the ACA route. The only problem is, it didn’t rain today. Oh well, it’s an opportunity to do laundry.

So what is it about long-distance cycling that I find so attractive? In a word, freedom. Throw in a little trepidation for good measure, plus a fair amount of physical exercise, and you have a combination that opens doors. It allows you to tap into a heightened awareness of everything around you. That in-turn helps reveal to yourself who you are, also who you would like to be.

Long distance cycling is also exercise for the mind. Exercise helps the brain become more resilient and robust and helps you to recall memories once given up to time. It helps to awaken perception. This awakening helps in living a more robust and inspired life, a life where the vision of service to others becomes a key factor in our becoming more fulfilled. We are not alone.

I snuck into Indiana on a quiet Sunday morning.

I have now started looking for murals.

Itinerary Maps

Route

• Iroquois, Unplanned Rest Day

Metrics

• Miles: 0
• Average Speed: NA mph
• Travel Time: None

Notes

• Taking shelter today from a day of rain.

Today

• When tempted, look temptation in the eye and then walk away. Laughing at temptation helps you to overcome it.

I’ve arrived in the town of Iroquois, Illinois. I’m 3 miles west of the Indiana border. The town is famous for hosting Cross-Country Cyclists.

It had been raining most of the day, so the first thing I did was duck into the Iroquois Café for a bite to eat. I was greeted warmly by my server. The owner and chef, John, came out of the kitchen to greet me. They host Cyclists in the City Park across the street. It’s not exactly what you might imagine, it’s even better. John called the Mayor and the Mayor came and opened up his office to me. There’s a shower, a bathroom and a cot to sleep on. Out of the rain, I might add.

There is a bit of mystery surrounding my visit to the Village of Iroquois. The sign at the entrance to the town says, “Village of Iroquois.” “Welcome to Bunkum.” I’m going to have to do some research to see what that means.

Today is an unplanned rest day for two reasons. The first, is because it is supposed to rain all day, which indeed it has. The second, is because there are going to be three live bands tonight on Main Street celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Iroquois Café. The owner John is hosting the event. There is no way I could miss that.

In the Mayor’s office, there are two bound volumes of handwritten notes from Cyclists that have been hosted here. There was also a sign that read:

“All we ask for is a thank you note…” Here is how I replied.

To Mayor Joe and the wonderful people of Iroquois, Illinois. What a pleasure it is to meet you all! I am humbled and grateful for your haspitality and your, kindness. I am riding across America for my personal gratification and experience, but l am also raising money through pledges for the Homeless Shelter and Food Kitchen in my home town of Redmond, OR. You can be assured that your kindness to me Is indirectly helping to feed and shelter persons you will never meet. That is the beauty of kindness. It flows out in different directions we can’t see. Thank you.

Update: The town of Iroquois, Illinois was originally named Bunkum because that was a common name in use at the time. Also, it represented a lively Fourth of July festival that the Township was known for. The name was later changed to Iroquois to better reflect the Indian heritage and the river that runs through the town.

The Iroquois Callaboose. You need to behave yourself in Iroquois so you don’t end up here. Constructed in 1881, this two cell jail was built to protect the town from “wicked people” who came from other places to “disturb the peace.”

Itinerary Maps

Route

• Odell to Iroquois

Metrics

• Miles: 64
• Average Speed: 9 mph
• Travel Time: 9 hours 15 minutes

Notes

• Illinois is called the Land of Lincoln because this is where Abraham Lincoln grew up. He was raised and worked in the town of New Salem where he was a shopkeeper and also taught himself Law.

Thought #25

• Success is not what you own or how rich you are. Success is who you are. In other words, what you represent and how you treat people.

You don’t undertake an adventure like this without assuming some risk. I suppose that’s true of all adventures. Yesterday as I was coming into Odell, just outside the city limits, a car was passing in the oncoming lane. The driver was going way too fast. It was a two lane road, and I could see that the three of us would be side-by-side at the point where the passing car was in my lane. Not my lane, exactly, but there was no shoulder on the road. I did the only reasonable thing you could do. I rode off the road over the shoulder and into the brush. This is precisely why you stay alert while you’re riding. You can’t control what you can’t see. But you have to be alert for what you can see.

As I’m writing this, I’m standing outside a BP having a coffee and charging my battery banks. (They are for my iPhone, not my bike. I just had to clarify that.) I haven’t been able to find electricity for two days and I won’t make it through today if I don’t get them charged up. (I depend on my iPhone for navigation.) There’s a car in front of me. The windows are tinted so I can’t see in. A fellow walks out of the BP and says “has he been watching you?" I say “I can’t see in because the windows are tinted. Is there a dog in there?” The fellow calls the dog over to the window and I walk over to the car. It’s a Pitbull, possibly the sweetest Pitbull I’ve ever met. We chat for a minute and I tell him, “have a good day.” As he’s getting in his car, he says “take what God gives you.” I say, “Amen to that brother…”

Side note: You have to take what you’re given, but you help yourself a lot by staying alert.

Let me take a moment to share another secret weapon with you. Get a Starbucks Frappuccino coffee drink, available at almost any convenience store. Add a packet of Starbucks instant coffee to it. That will get the pedals turning and help keep you alert.

I ended the day in the town of Iroquois, Illinois just short of the Indiana border. It was marked on my map as having camping available. When I got to the center of town, I saw a beautiful city park and across the street a very nice looking bar and restaurant. I’ll have a lot more to say about this in tomorrow’s post.

Sunrise on my bedroom. I slept in Right Field last night. (A literal field of dreams…)

Books, Coffee, Adventure, my kind of place. I bought a copy of NEXUS Magazine from September ‘25.

Itinerary / Maps

Route

• Bradford to Odell

Metrics

• Miles: 77
• Average Speed: Under 10 mph
• Ride Time: All Day

Notes

Thought #24

• Use the gifts you’ve been given to the best of your ability.

Thought #24 and a half

• The Buddha taught his disciples: When they are shot with an arrow (an arrow being misfortune) they should not compound that by shooting themselves with a second arrow. In other words, it does no good to worry and dwell on your misfortune. The best response you can adopt is to be positive and look for the good in what has been handed to you.

Last night I arrived in Bradford and went to the City Park. There was a covered picnic area and a gazebo in the park. The park closed at Sunset, that means they don’t want overnight campers. Given that, I decided that sleeping in the gazebo would be the best option. Before I got bike and gear organized for the night in the gazebo, I decided to fix dinner in the picnic area.

I was joined by a golden blonde kitty. She was young and shy, but very inquisitive. For dinner I was having fried sweet corn and Spam. The kitty was very intrigued by that. Once I finished cooking my concoction I gave it a go. The sweet corn was good, but I decided Spam is not my deal. I gave a little taste of the Spam to the kitty and she was delighted. I gave her the rest of the Spam and made a friend for life.

I ended today by riding a mile long stretch of Historic Route 66. At the end of that stretch was a completely restored Standard Oil Gas Station from 1938. Route 66, from San Diego, California to Chicago. Illinois was the first American highway to be fully paved. All the roads I traveled today were fully paved. However, of the 77 miles I traveled, there was only a 4 mile stretch of road that had a paved shoulder. You need to be very defensive when riding in these conditions. I’ll leave it at that.

I’m more than halfway through the trip and i’m still figuring out the best way to pack all my gear each morning. I’m a little surprised by that. I keep coming up with new more efficient ways to pack everything. I might have it all figured out by the time I reach Bar Harbor, with any luck.

Historic Route 66 outside Odell Illinois. this is the only stretch of Route 66. I will see on this tour.

Fill-er-up!

Itinerary / Maps

Route

• Muscatine IA to Bradford IL

Metrics

• Miles: 97
• Average Speed: Under 10 mph
• Ride Time: All Day

Notes

• Koshien is the Japanese version of “Field of Dreams.”

Thought #23

• Remember to serve others.

So close to a Century…. and yet so far.

Today, rather than try and write anything cohesive, I’m just going to splatter you with random thoughts. CAUTION: You’re about to find out how my mind truly works.

There could be something wrong with me. Each morning I’m excited to get on the road.

Nice paved 4 mile long cycle way to start the morning!

The ACA and I are going our separate ways. I’m renaming this route the GREATUS: Great Ride East Across The U.S.

I should write a letter to the Netherlands Department of Immigration to see if they’ll let me immigrate. We all deserve to live in a country that has good affordable healthcare and takes care of its Seniors.

There’s still something to be said for direct experience, but iPhones are handy for posting.

The corn is much more sophisticated in Illinois, it’s not sweating like the corn in Iowa.

Traffic is light, it’s very quiet and peaceful. I can hear the birds and the sound of my tires on the roadway.

I’m in the land of Lincoln so I won’t tell you any lies, at least until I get to Indiana or Washington DC, whichever one comes last.

Dairy farms don’t smell very nice.

Occasionally, you’ll see a huge round boulder in a farmer’s front yard. These are called glacial erratics.

Old towns often paint signs and murals on the side of old buildings.

For you. (Whomever you are…)

Painted signs and murals are the best.

Itinerary / Maps

Route

• Muscatine, Rest Day

Metrics

• Miles: 0
• Average Speed: NA mph
• Ride Time: NA hours NA minutes

Notes

• Laundry day. (Sorely needed.)

Thought #22

• If you lose patience, remember that obtaining patience is a lifelong endeavor. Take a step back, take a deep breath, then you will be able to move forward.

Looking ahead to the ride through Illinois and Indiana, it appears that I’ll be following a very rural route through these two states. That will entail fairly long distances between campgrounds. Hopefully the heat will subside a little bit, making the miles easier to pull off.

After doing laundry and drying out my camping gear, as much as I could, I decided to take a short ride out to the Mark Twain Overlook. The overlook is named after Mark Twain, presumably because of these words he wrote about the town…

“And I remember Muscatine still more pleasantly from its summer sunsets. I have never seen any other on either side of the ocean that equaled them. All the upper Mississippi has these extraordinary sunsets as a familiar spectacle. It is the true Sunset Land. I am sure no other country can show so good a right to the name.”

—Mark Twain, from Life on the Mississippi.

Samuel Clemens spent a few months, living and working in Muscatine for his brother’s newspaper the Journal. That paper is still in print today. Clemens is considered to be one of Muscatine’s most famous citizens.

Looking Back

I’ve been asked twice in the last week, “what is your favorite state?” That’s a tricky question. If you’re in Iowa (I was) and someone from Iowa asks you that question, it’s tempting to tell them something about Iowa because you don’t want to disappoint them. More importantly, it’s an honest question that deserves an honest answer. The answer I gave both times was North Dakota. The reason I said that is because the views in North Dakota are so expansive, and frankly inspiring. (I suspect Samuel Clemens would disagree.) The point I’m laboring to make here is that I should be periodically recapping those things that have made a large impression on me.

And so, as I leave Iowa, here are the thoughts that come to mind: Everywhere you look is a cornfield. It’s difficult to see the horizon because of the rolling hills. In fact, there really is no horizon unless there’s a corn tassel involved. The roads are a challenge and so are the hills. That said, the drivers are all extremely courteous and kind when passing you. I have enjoyed wonderful conversations with all the locals I’ve met. Whether it be watching a parade go by, sitting in a C-Store to cool off, or just running into someone on the street of a small town, like I did in Oxford Junction. Of course, we mustn’t forget The Field of Dreams and the Corn Sweat!

The view from the Mark Twain Overlook. Tomorrow I cross the bridge into Illinois.

Itinerary / Maps

Route

• Cascade to Muscatine

Metrics

• Miles: 89
• Average Speed: Under 10 mph
• Road Time: 12 hours

Notes

• The roads are in too bad shape to bother with metrics.

Thought #21

• Work hard and take time for rest. (Especially on bad roads.)

You have to be careful with pronunciations. Before you go around naming things, ask the locals how to properly pronounce whatever it is you are about to say. For example: Muscatine is a bit tricky, it is pronounced Mus-Ka-Teen. It’s important to get these things right, so people don’t look at you sideways.

This morning for the third morning in a row, I have started my day in a heavy mist. Almost fog. I’ve never pictured the Midwest as being a foggy place. I mentioned this to someone during one of my stops and I asked what it was all about. The answer was, “Oh, that’s Corn Sweat…” When the days get hotter, and the corn starts to ripen, it gives off moisture which condenses as fog before the sun comes up. This leads to a high humidity layer close to the ground. That, combined with exercise, creates a sauna like atmosphere.

I like getting up before the sun rises. I have a headlamp, so I can do pretty much whatever I want to do. I usually start by taking down the tent and getting that packed up, as often as possible with my eyeglasses safely stowed somewhere other than inside the tent. At that point, I usually sit down and make myself a cup of coffee. It’s almost a ritual. That is to say, it’s a rather complicated process, but I enjoy the steps you have to go through to accomplish it. Sipping the coffee is a nice way to greet the sun. While I’m doing that, I enjoy listening to the birds waking up and talking to each other.

Today I rode 89 miles, my second longest day of the tour. My secret weapon for accomplishing today’s miles was milk. It gives you more protein and more energy than Busch Light. I stopped on three separate occasions today, each time I drank a pint of milk. Down the road I could actually feel the benefit of it. I think you could easily over indulge, so three pints is probably about the right number for a long day like today. You may be wondering if strawberry milk has the same benefit? I couldn’t tell you. The only way to drink strawberry milk is to drink it as quickly as you can, that way you won’t taste it…

I don’t have a plan for tomorrow. I’ll work on what that looks like over breakfast. I’m not in a particular hurry to get an early start. I am curious to see what Illinois is going to be like. I really don’t know what to expect.

I got to thinking about my visit to the Field of Dreams… When I go back and Joe brings some friends with him for a game of catch with me, perhaps he’ll bring my father with him…

Corn Sweat.

Oxford Junction, Iowa. Possibly the smallest City Hall in all of America. Of course that’s unofficial, but I got it straight from the mouth of a local that seemed to know what she was talking about.

Itinerary / Maps

Route

• Elkader to Cascade

Metrics

• Miles: 53
• Average Speed: Under 9
• Ride Time: Long

Notes

• i’m going to Dyersville because I have to see the “Field of Dreams.” Maybe I’ll hear voices?

Thought #20

• Show respect to everyone. Smile.

The day started out normally. The first thing I did was roll up my tent and put it in the stuff sack and then realize my eyeglasses were inside of it.

My primary goal for today was to visit the Field of Dreams in Dyersville. That was 30 miles down the road. After yesterday’s 33 excruciating miles, I wasn’t entirely certain if I would make it or not. Fortunately, the roads today were much more conducive to bicycle travel. I even had a short stretch of 6 foot wide shoulder.

When I reached Dyersville, it was about 2 PM. I started hunting around for a campground. The only campground nearby would entail about 5 miles of backtracking. Looking ahead, I could see there was a nice 6 miles long crushed limestone trail from Dyersville to Farley. Even though there was no camping in Farley, I decided that after my visit to the Field of Dreams, I would head down the path and see where that took me. I ended up doing 53 miles and finding a nice campground. I didn’t arrive until after 8 PM, so it was a long day, but worth it.

When I reached Dyersville, I stopped for a beer at the Textile Brewery. I guess you’d say it’s a locally famous brewery. Since I’m into seeing locally famous sites, I had to stop.

After a quick pint, I headed out to the Field of Dreams.

They’ll come to Iowa for reasons they can’t even fathom. They’ll turn up your driveway Ray, not knowing for sure why they are doing it. They’ll arrive at your door as innocent as children, longing for the past. “We won’t mind if you look around,” you’ll say… and so I did.

The first thing I noticed was people on the field taking batting practice and shagging balls. I guess you can pay to do that. I found that a little bit disappointing. For me, this is an iconic place. The very place where such greats as Shoeless Joe Jackson, Buck Weaver and Lefty Williams once gathered for a game.

That didn’t stop me from coming here to see what I wanted to see. I walked down the third base line. I just stood there, about 200 feet from home plate, looking at the stalks of corn out in centerfield. I may have stood there for 5 or 10 minutes, I’m not really sure. I was about to leave when I thought I saw something. I looked more closely… Even though this is why I came here, I was still surprised. A ball player stepped out of the corn and began walking across the field. He walked straight toward me. As he got closer, I could see it was Shoeless Joe Jackson.

He walked right up to me, shook my hand, and said: “i know you’ve come a long way, thank you.” I was speechless. The silence between us was suddenly broken when someone yelled “watch out!” The batter at the plate had hit a sharp line drive over the third baseman’s head. It was coming right at us. I reached around Joe with my left hand and caught the ball on the second hop. I flipped the ball to my right hand and threw it back into the pitcher. Joe just looked at me, patted me on the shoulder and said., “nice catch.” I was dumbfounded. After an awkward pause, Joe looked at me and said: “I gotta go, there’s too many people around here. You come back sometime and I’ll bring some friends, we’ll have a nice game of catch.”

If there is one single place that Baseball can call home, it just might be Dyersville, Iowa…

I remember in junior high my best friend called me “B.” Perhaps his religion prevented him the use of four letter words, or it could’ve been he was just as simple as I am. What I appreciated most was the fact that my Dad heard him saying that and he picked it up. After that my Dad always called me “B.”

Once on a road trip, I took my Dad to see Area 51. I even made him sneak up to the barbed wire fence with me. Now that I look back on that, I would’ve liked to have taken him to the Field of Dreams as well. I thought of him today.

Itinerary / Maps

Route

• Marquette to Elkader

Metrics

• Miles: 33
• Average Speed: NA mph
• Ride Time: NA hours NA minutes

Notes

• No metrics today other than miles due to technical difficulties, i.e., no cell service out of Marquette.
• Not the most miles I’ve done, but not the least either.

Thought #19

• There is no distinction between your public life and your private life. Both should reflect what is best in you, and do so all of the time.

When I got on the bike this morning, I was tempted to make a wrong turn. Intentionally. There is Jazz Festival across the river from where I am. It looks like a good one and camping is provided with your admission ticket. I decided to forgo the festival and push on. I guess I’ll find out how that works out…

I started out this morning in a heavy mist. It was nice because it made it feel a little bit cooler. Right out of the gate, I was faced with a 2 mile long climb, probably 4% grade. I was kind of expecting that because I spent the night on the river and there’s nothing surrounding this location but hills. Even though I knew what to expect, I was not terribly thrilled. once I reached the top, it was smooth sailing for about 15 miles. (For those of you out there snickering at a 2 mile long, 4% grade hill in 80° heat and 60% relative humidity, oh yes, and carrying 40 pounds of gear… All I can say is, give it a try.)

When I get to a small town instead of blowing right by, I usually pull in, find the main street, and explore a little bit. Occasionally, I’ll find some interesting things, like this morning. A protein smoothie shop in a town with a population of about 500. Of course I went in. The smoothie was excellent. Inside the shop there was a very nice woman selling flower arrangements. They were stunning.

The day’s riding was not without difficulty. The State of Iowa does not invest a lot of resources in building shoulders on their roads. Many of the county roads, and even some of the two lane state highways have no shoulder at all. It’s difficult to get anywhere in the state without encountering a section of road that has nothing but loose gravel to the right of the white line. It seems like I encountered more of that today than I did safe shoulder riding. I had to get off the bike and walk several times because riding the white line was unsafe. After 33 miles of negotiating difficult shoulders, I decided to call it a day.

I stopped in the town of Elkader. I had no idea they were celebrating their “Sweet Corn Days” Festival. I enjoyed a parade and after that I hung out with some people from the town. Everyone in the community was there. I got a great recommendation for a good burger place, then I moved on to the City Park where I am spending the night.

I am mentally preparing myself for another day of tough riding tomorrow. A nice gentleman in the park told me I could expect more of the same until I get to Illinois. That would be about 175 miles from here.

Stopped for an energy shake in Monona. There was a lady in the shop selling beautiful flower arrangements. I told her if I weren’t on a bike, I would buy one!

I caught the “Sweet Corn Days” Parade in Elkader.

Itinerary / Maps

Route

• La Crosse to Marquette

Metrics

• Miles: 67 + 4 OR
• Average Speed: 9.0 mph
• Ride Time: 7 hours 22 minutes

Notes

• My longest day in the saddle, no question.
• Today’s route was punishing. The route included 10 miles of almost impassible, no shoulder riding. It takes a lot to unnerve me, today succeeded in doing that several times.

Thought #18

• Never quit. (I guess that has special significance in light of today’s experience.)

I think I’m in Iowa. It’s hard to tell. I’m in the corner where Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa all sort of converge on each other.

Today I almost got my first FedEx ride share. I pulled off the road to read an historical marker. It told of the Indian war in this area and stated matter-of-factly the brutality committed against Native Americans. That is another story. As I was reading the marker, a voice yelled “semi-truck coming in.” I pulled my bike off the pavement and onto the grass next to the marker, sure enough a FedEx semi-truck was pulling into the parking area. I watched as two fellows helped the driver of the truck unload a large box about the size of a refrigerator. I asked the fellows where they were taking it and they said., “we live nearby but this is as close as FedEx can get their truck. That made sense. After they were done unloading, I asked the FedEx driver if he had room in the back for me and my bike? He said, “sure, where are you headed?” I told him Marquette, he said, “that’s too bad. I’m headed to La Crosse.”

Shortly after my hitchhiking attempt, the route turned and headed into Lansing Iowa. When I turned off, there was a sign that said No Through Traffic. I was about 4 miles from Lansing. I did see a small sign that said Car Ferry. I decided to see what was going on, even if it meant an 8 mile out-and-back. When I reached the point where the road should have crossed the Mississippi River, there was a brand new bridge under construction. Fortunately, the bridge goes to Lansing, Iowa, not Canada, so when they finish it, it probably will open up.

I found a long line of cars waiting for the ferry so I got in line ready for a long wait. A woman got out of her car and walked over to me, she said, “honey, go on up to the front, they’ll put you on no problem.” So that’s what I did. They had no trouble squeezing me on the next trip across the river. During the crossing, I had a nice chat with the folks in the car next to me. For the record, I don’t bring up what I’m doing, I wait for people to inquire where I came from and where I’m headed. When they do, that’s when we get into the details. When I explain what I’m doing, it always seems to amaze people. I get it, but every time I have this conversation people’s reaction still surprises me.

Today was a tough 66 miles to reach my destination. There were three hills that were 2 miles long and had a 6% grade. I hate to admit it, but that pushes me almost to my limit. What goes up must come down. The last descent was a 7% grade. I was afraid to look at my phone to see how fast I was going because I didn’t want to take my eyes off the road. There’s no trying to ride the shoulder in that situation. You’re going way too fast for that.

This area is referred to as the “Driftless Area.” as much as I tried to figure out what that had to do with the geology of the area, I couldn’t come up with an answer on my own, so here’s what Wikipedia has to say about that:

“The Driftless Area was never covered by ice during the Last Glacial Period, so the area lacks the characteristic glacial deposits known as drift. Its landscape is characterized by steep hills, forested ridges and deeply carved river valleys.”

Amen to the bit about steep hills…”

Not the most challenging ski hill. However, the cycling hills are very challenging.

This detour cost me about two hours. It would have been one hour if there had not been a Tiki Bar at the ferry landing. The dog enjoyed the ferry ride as much as I did.

Itinerary / Maps

Route

• Winona, MN to La Crosse, WI

Metrics

• Miles: 43
• Average Speed: NA mph
• Ride Time: NA hours NA minutes

Notes

• Today was a combination of paved roads, crushed limestone path, dirt road, and single track. Obstacles included getting lost on the trail and encountering a bridge out, which forced me to detour.

Thought #17

• What is your purpose? Your purpose is to find your purpose. Let your Creator help you do that.

I woke this morning to heavy dew on my tent. I was surprised. It looked like it had rained, but it hadn’t. I looked out over the river, and there was a heavy mist on the river. Overhead the sky was foggy. Visibility was limited. Welcome to camping alongside the Mississippi River. It’s beautiful, but be prepared to deal with some moisture.

No surprise, it’s also chilly. This morning I had to break out my cold weather clothes. I am getting smarter though. I took my clothes up to the campground’s shower house to get dressed. I did that because I was up before dawn and the shower house was lighted and heated. When I registered at the campground, the Camp Host had recommended a coffee shop in town, so that’s where I headed next. I had a couple cups of coffee and read the Minneapolis paper.

The objective today was to take a river trail from just outside Winona all the way to La Crosse. That plan fell apart when I saw a sign that said bridge out 7 miles ahead. About 2 miles later I saw a couple of cyclists coming toward me. I asked them about the bridge and they confirmed that I would have to detour around it. They gave me good directions that I was able to partially follow. I never quite made it back on to the trail. I ended up taking a combination of back roads and highway into Onalaska and La Crosse.

I’ve been waiting until I got to Wisconsin to try my first cheese curds. I got my opportunity at lunch today. They are a little bit chewy, but they’re good. Much better than fried pickles.

After lunch, I saw three westbound cyclists. Usually I stop and greet other cyclists on the road to talk about where they’ve been and where they’re headed. They were heads down and moving, and I was outnumbered, so I waved and just kept going. I know they weren’t on e-bikes because they waved back. I was able to judge by the gear they were carrying that they were definitely touring.

My detour fiasco was fortunate because I was able to find a bike shop in Onalaska which otherwise I would have missed. I decided to stop in and talk to them about my rear tire. The tire has been having trouble holding air for a few days. I asked the mechanic what we could do about the air situation, he recommended a new tube. I was down with that. When he took a closer look, he said, “you need a new tire too.” All the weight I’m carrying on the bike is hard on the tires. He got me all set up and out the door in no time.

Outside the bike shop, as I was putting my gear back on the bike, a gentleman stopped and asked me about the straps I use to tie the dry bags to the rear rack. On his way out of the bike shop he stopped again and we chatted some more. After a few minutes, it became clear he was a retired physician. I shared an interesting Washington Post article I read recently about the benefits of exercise. He took a few minutes to share with me some great back exercises I can do while I’m on the road. Just one more example of the kindness I receive from people on almost a daily basis.

Also in the health department, I haven’t taken an ibuprofen in over two weeks!

Crossing the Mississippi river at Winona.

The trail offered a little bit of everything.

Itinerary / Maps

Route

• Rochester to Winona

Metrics

• Miles: 48, 8 OR
• Average Speed: 9.8 mph
• Ride Time: 4 hours 48 minutes

Notes

• It’s 54° this morning, that’s the coolest it’s been in the morning since I left Montana.
• Tomorrow I cross the Mississippi River into Wisconsin.

Thought #16

• Take time each day to think about those things that matter most. Use those thoughts to help you set your priorities for the day.

Taking it slow today. It’s 845 AM and I’ve already stopped for my second cup of coffee. i’m not even outside the city limits of Rochester. My first cup of coffee was at a Circle K. C-Stores are making a concerted attempt to compete with coffee shops. It’s a good strategy. The coffee at most C-Stores isn’t bad either.

I’m reading a book about travel through Mexico end South America by bicycle. As much as I like the idea, I don’t think I would be up for that. The United States hasn’t lost its appeal to me. I’m beginning to think that maybe a shorter duration experience on the European continent would be fun. Perhaps Scotland or Wales? Then again, I wouldn’t mind Los Angeles to Chicago following the ACA’s Bicycle Route 66… Any takers?

I can’t seem to dismiss the idea that the next tour I do I will pull a cargo trailer instead of using panniers and dry bags. Maybe my cat would go with me…

Writing at the end of the day, isn’t all that tough because I take notes during the day as I ride along. Of course that requires me to stop so I can jot down notes. But in truth, there is an advantage to that, it gives me a little bit of rest now and then.

I haven’t done any side-of-the-road camping. I’ve always made my day-end destination a city park, campground, or motel. That’s one way of doing it. If I were really into mileage and rode all day and didn’t stop until dusk, I would have to rethink that approach. Riding 12 or 14 hours a day is not a good option considering my age. Fifty to sixty miles a day is about as much as I can do, day-in and day-out.

I gave away another card this morning to a jogger out for a morning run with his two daughters We had a nice conversation about bicycles at a Caribou Coffee. He has done the 24 hour endurance ride across Minnesota. He was admiring my Davidson. I take great pride talking about my bicycle with other cycling enthusiasts. For the record, a Caribou Coffee is just like a Starbucks, only they don’t sell instant coffee packets.

The bridge I’m going to take over the Mississippi River tomorrow passes over Island Number 72. Apparently there are so many islands in the river they don’t name them all, they give some of them numbers instead. Speaking of the river, it occurred to me I should be reading, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, by Mark Twain. Little known fact. In 1981, Soviet Russia did a three-episode TV miniseries, “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn.” The role of Tom Sawyer was played by Fyodor Stukov. I couldn’t find it on YouTube, but I’m going to keep looking. For that, and my interview (smile).

I don’t know where I’ll be tomorrow night. I think I’ll let it be a surprise.

Closing thought for today. Life is a gift. Meet each moment with wakefulness. Practice appamāda… That was the last advice the Buddha shared with his disciples.

Until tomorrow!

I think she’s in love…

The view outside my tent.

Itinerary / Maps

Route

• Fairbault to Rochester

Metrics

• Miles: 54
• Average Speed: 10.4 mph
• Ride Time: 5 hours 6 minutes

Notes

• Today I was interviewed by Public Television. KSMQ, Austin, Minnesota.

Thought #15

• What is prayer? It is asking the universe to help you align yourself with it.

I bring my sweetheart a coffee each morning. What I mean by that is, I send her a text message with an emoji of a cup of coffee (☕️). It’s a nice gesture. The problem is, I’m two hours ahead of her and by the time she gets it, it’s cold.

A perfect morning for riding. The AQI index is down, the UV index is down, the temperature is down, and there’s a modest cooling breeze. To add pleasure to fortune, the road surface is smooth and the hills are manageable. You can’t ask for a better morning than that.

I was 35 miles down the road when I finally had a chance to stop for a cup of coffee. I was standing outside a Kwik Trip and a stranger stopped to chat with me. He asked me where I was going and if I was raising money for a cause. I told him about Shepherd’s House Ministries in Redmond, Oregon. On his way out of the store, he wished me good luck on my journey and gave me $20 for Shepherd’s House. So far on this trip, without doing any solicitation, people have donated $120 to Shepherd’s House.

If you are traveling in the Midwest, keep in mind that Kwik Trip has the best road coffee. Better than Starbucks.

The last 10 miles of my tour today put me on the Douglas State Rail Trail. There is no doubt that Minnesota is bike friendly. I’ve never seen so many paved cycle paths that run through such beautiful country.

About 6 miles outside Rochester, I saw a film crew alongside the trail. I slowed down and greeted them with a “hello.” They looked at me and waved me over and asked if they could interview me. It was a film crew from KSMQ Public Television in Austin, Minnesota. if the piece airs, they will post it on YouTube and I will include the link in a future post.

There’s a lot that goes through my head during the day. This may be a touchy subject, but it is my opinion that exercise, especially the kind that gets you out of your ordinary routine for more than a few minutes a day, is the best medicine there is to help prevent cognitive decline.

Irish Settlers built this Catholic Church in 1878. It was constructed by hand from Ashlar Limestone quarried locally. The last mass was held in 1961. It is now a national historical landmark.

Another example of the sort of thing you miss when you are traveling by car on the freeway.

Itinerary / Maps

Route

• Fairbault, Research Day

Metrics

• Miles: NA
• Average Speed: NA mph
• Ride Time: NA hours NA minutes

Notes

• Tour of Fairbault.

Thought #15

• Acknowledge the Creator and give thanks for the opportunity to greet another day.

When I visited the Fairbault Historical Society Museum, I learned that the Genealogy Curator works by appointment only. That’s OK. I left a description of the information I’m looking for and the Curator is going to take a look at it and reach out to me. She will even talk to me via phone about her search results. I am optimistic that eventually, probably after I get home, I will have the opportunity to learn more.

I also visited the Fairbault Woolen Mill. The mill was established in 1865. The weir constructed to provide water power for the mill is still in place. The mill no longer uses it, but many of the original machines are still in use. It has also been upgraded with new machinery. It is one of the most trusted woolen brands in the Midwest and around the world. In the stranger than strange department, they also own a mill in Bar Harbor, Maine. (My destination.)

After my visit to the mill, I decided to stop into a local watering hole for a Busch Light. As I was tying my bike up (I like to call locking my bike “tying it up”) a man approached me and asked me for some change. I asked him if he was homeless, he said no but he needed money because he just finished weed-whacking a yard and the woman told him she couldn’t pay him. I believed him. I opened my wallet and he saw the bills inside. He asked, “could you spare a 20?” I told him I had to get to Maine with this money, but I’d give him the ones that I had. I gave him four dollars. He thanked me with great kindness. This is who we are: The richest country on earth, with more poverty than any other advanced democracy.

My detour to visit Fairbault has been a big success. I’m really happy I took the time to come see the town and all that it has to offer. I’m looking forward to getting back on the road tomorrow and continue my journey east.

The factory looks much the same as it did when it was originally established.

Original mill water power.

Itinerary / Maps

Route

• Fairbault, Research Day

Metrics

• Miles: NA, 12 OR
• Average Speed: NA mph
• Ride Time: nnn hours NA minutes

Notes

• Today is day 50 already!
• Early morning Midwest rain storm.

Thought #14

• Change cannot be avoided. The stress that comes from change can be avoided. To do so, spend time reflecting on those things that are higher than you.

I woke up at 4:30 AM to an authentic Midwest rainstorm. There was thunder aplenty, lots of lightning, and you might say, a fair bit of rain. I looked around inside the tent and realized I had left the rain fly zipper-doors open for ventilation. Unless I was able to get those closed in a hurry, I was going to have some problems. When you open the rain fly doors all the way, you roll them up and use a hook and a loop to fasten them. when it’s dark and the rain is coming down, it’s almost impossible to unfasten those little buggers. I had to search for my headlamp and once I got it on, it still took me about five minutes to get the doors unrolled and zippered down. There was a fair amount of water on the floor of the tent. That’s not a huge problem because I am on an air mattress, but I decided to mop it up with my bath towel. I laid back down, dug-around for my iPhone, and looked at the weather app. It told me what I already knew. It was gonna be stormy for awhile. The lightning show was spectacular, but I didn’t dare get out of the tent to watch or I would’ve instantly become a water rat. So naturally, I watched the animation on the weather app, it did a pretty good job of showing me what was going on outside the tent. One final note on last night’s experience, I suspect that out here in the Midwest, it’s probably rare for them to use the word “shower” to describe rain.

It’s now 8:30 AM. I’m enjoying my last cup of Starbucks instant coffee it’s gonna be a couple of days before I can restock. The storm has abated for the most part. I’m sitting under a big canopy of trees and occasionally they’ll give me a reminder of what I missed during the night. The question in front of me is: Stay here in case it starts raining again or go into town and look for breakfast. I’m inclined to do the latter. The forecast is for a possibility of rain until noon.

As I mentioned earlier, my goal for today is to spend some time at the Historical Society and see what I can dig-up on my ancestors and life in the town in general. if I learn anything of interest, I’ll probably write about that in tomorrow’s post I’ve already blabbed on long enough about the rain this morning…

The tent performed very well once I got the rain fly doors closed.

(Contestant) “Amusement rides for 500 Alex.”(Alex) “Where was the Tilt-A-Whirl invented.”(Contestant) “Fairbault Minnesota.” (Alex) “Correct!”

Itinerary / Maps

Route

• Fairbault, Rest Day

Metrics

• Miles: NA, 12 OR
• Average Speed: NA mph
• Ride Time: NA hours NA minutes

Notes

• OR - Off Route
• Woke at 6:30 AM, fixed coffee and oatmeal then slept from 7:30 AM to 9:30 AM.

Thought #13

• Your past does not determine your future. Go ahead, dream it!

No big plans today. After my early morning nap, I decided to ride into town and take a photo of the house my dad grew up in. After that, I had planned to grab a bite to eat in Millersburg. That would’ve been about a 25 mile round-trip. When I got to Fairbault, I realized I had left my wallet in the campground. That meant going back to get it. That makes me less motivated to ride out to Millersburg.

While in town, I grabbed a photo of the house. My dad grew up in. It’s just a few blocks from downtown. I saw some people walking on the street so I asked them if they knew who lived in the house, they said they lived in the house. I asked them if they would take a photo of me. They were a bit hesitant, but they did. Unfortunately, not all of the house is captured in the background of that photo. You can get a good idea of what the house looks like from both of the photos below.

The rest of my day looks like a trip back to the campground for my wallet and then an early dinner in town and early to bed in the campground. Tomorrow I’m going to go into town and visit the Rice County Historical Society. I will be sharing what I learn in tomorrow’s post.

Very stylish, like my Grandmother. 308 Willow Street, her sister lived on 3rd Ave SW.

Proof positive I was there…

Itinerary / Maps

Route

• Plymouth to Fairbault

Metrics

• Miles: 66 + 3 NIM
• Average Speed: 10.8 mph
• Ride Time: 6 hours 1 minute

Notes

• Hot and very humid today. I hate to admit it, but when I pulled into Fairbault, I was exhausted.

Thought #12

• Be committed to those you’ve committed yourself to. Bring them coffee in the morning.

Last night my friends took me to dinner at the Aster Café in downtown Minneapolis. We had a great meal and we listened to the “New Entangled Particles” perform an experimental jazz mix of classic 80s hits. After dinner we went for a walk and experienced a Midwest lightning show.

Today I’m off to Farabault. It is a 64 mile route on 35 miles of “bicycle way.” Minneapolis is known to be bicycle friendly, but so is a large portion of the surrounding area. If you enjoy bicycling, this is a marvelous place to become “entangled” with what are known here as “cycle ways.”

About halfway to Fairbault, I pulled up at an intersection where there were three other cyclists. It was a husband, wife, and son. When we got the signal to cross, we all started out. The two e-bikes led the way and soon we’re well ahead of us. I told the fellow riding alongside me, “you better catch up.” He said he wanted to ride with me for a bit!

We rode together for about 2 miles and had a really nice conversation. He told me how much he admired what I was doing, which made me feel very good. We talked about cross-country cycling and I shared a couple stories from one of my previous cycling adventures. He asked me if I had ridden with other people on this tour, and I said “the longest has been for about 10 feet.” When we parted ways, I gave him my card that has the link to this blog. He really appreciated that and said he was anxious to follow along. He’s going to retire in a couple of years and I told him he should definitely do a cross-country. I recommended the Selkirk Loop as a wonderful bicycle/e-bike combo tour. That way his wife could join him. I think he will cross the country. Good luck, my friend!

Poster at the Aster Cafe. The poster begged to be photographed as an homage to my current focus in life.

The “New Entangled Particles” live on stage. Two of the band are Music PhD’s teaching in Minneapolis. Their music is as mysterious as quantum entanglement. If Einstein were listening, he might describe it as “joyful music at a (near) distance…”

Stunning view of downtown.

Itinerary / Maps

Route

• Plymouth, Rest Day

Metrics

• Miles: NA
• Average Speed: NA mph
• Ride Time: NA hours NA minutes

Notes

• Today I’ll be spending time working on my itinerary for the second half of the tour.

Thought #11

• Happiness is temporary, joy is permanent. Build on those things that will bring you joy.

So far, I have traveled 2,046 miles. I originally calculated it would take 4,317 miles to complete the journey. That means the official midpoint of my tour would be the town of Rochester, Minnesota, East of Fairbault. I will be passing thru that town in just a few days.

As I mentioned earlier, I’m not currently on the ACA Route for two reasons. The first is to visit friends in Plymouth, just outside Minneapolis. The second is to visit a town about 60 miles south of Minneapolis that has special significance to me. That town is Fairbault Minnesota. After visiting Fairbault, I’ll head east for about 100 miles, cross the Mississippi River at Winona, then I’ll be back on the ACA Route.

Fairbault, Minnesota is my father’s hometown. His Mother raised him there, and the house that he was brought up in is still standing. I am excited to see the town and the home that he lived in while he was growing up. I’m planning to visit the Rice County Historical Society while I’m there to see if I can learn anything more about my Grandmother.

One of the controversies I plan to sort out is how to properly pronounce the name of my father’s hometown. As a kid growing up, my family, always pronounced it Fair bow. On several occasions I’ve been corrected and told the proper pronunciation is Fair balt. I believe the latter is a mispronunciation. I’m looking forward to solving this mystery.

Visiting Fairbault will be exciting… The focus today is rest and recovery. At my current rate of travel and rest, I will be in Bar Harbor, Maine on September 10th. I originally planed to arrive September 20th. That means my original estimate was pretty close, it also means I can take a little extra time here and there if I would like.

Itinerary / Maps

Route

• Saint Cloud to Plymouth

Metrics

• Miles: 63 + 8 NIM
• Average Speed: 10.1 mph
• Ride Time: 5 hours 6 minutes

Notes

• An Air Quality Alert is in effect. The smoke from fires in Northeast Minnesota is as bad as anything I’ve ever seen. I may have to call for a ride into Minneapolis.
• Q. What is the coldest city in the country.
• A. International Falls, Minnesota. On average they have 109 days a year where the temperature is below 32°. I’m south of there…

Thought #10

• Spend time each day to think of things higher than yourself.
• A person that can’t do that is no leader.

The Air Quality Index (AQI) today is 317. That’s not good. I decided to ride today anyway because the AQI in the EconoLodge where I stayed last night wasn’t a whole lot better. The carpet was moldy. I’m not sure which is worse, mold or smoke, it’s probably a toss-up. You get what you pay for.

I have arrived in Minneapolis! Roughly speaking, this is the halfway point of the tour. Tomorrow I’ll provide a better estimate of the midpoint, plus some details about where I’m heading next.

The oldest person to ride coast-to-coast on a bicycle is Bob Sanders. He completed the trip at 85 years (and 49 days) old. He achieved this remarkable feat on May 11, 2025. He cycled from San Diego, California, to St. Augustine, Florida.

I did that route in 2019. If I do it again in 13 years, I could be the new record holder!

My first glimpse of the Mississippi River, 30 miles West of Minneapolis. I’m told this is about as far Northwest on the Mississippi river as you can navigate.

Itinerary / Maps

Route

• Saint Cloud, Rest Day

Metrics

• Miles: NA
• Average Speed: NA mph
• Ride Time: NA hours NA minutes

Notes

• This is the perfect day to rest. It allowed me to spend a leisurely evening watching the MLB All-Star Game here in town.
• Q. Have you ever wondered why the catcher drops his glove after presenting a target to the pitcher.
• A. It’s because raising his glove to catch the pitch makes it easier to fool the umpire into thinking the pitch was a strike.
• Local knowledge: Bounce Dryer Sheets inside your gloves will keep the mosquitos from biting your hands!

Thought #9

• Protect your heart from things that would lead it astray.

This is a wonderful country we live in. Everywhere I go, I meet fantastic people. Life on the road is different than normal life. It opens you up. It allows you to see things you would not normally see. It allows you to experience new feelings, new knowledge. It makes you aware of how important people are, even people you’ve just met.

I’m almost to the halfway point of the tour. I am making great progress. It looks like it might take fewer days than I originally planned. That’s a good thing. If I want to slow down, I certainly can take the time to do that.

Tomorrow is a big day. I’m going to try and do 62 miles to get into Minneapolis to see friends. I’m trusting the Komoot app to build a good route for me to follow.

I met some great people while I was watching the All-Star Game last night!

My boy back home.

Itinerary / Maps

Route

• Osakis to Saint Cloud

Metrics

• Miles: 57
• Average Speed: NA mph
• Ride Time: NA hours NA minutes

Notes

• All trail today. No need for metrics.

Thought #8

• Be gentle. It is the strong that are gentle.

Today completes 110 miles of bike path riding. It was a huge relief to be off the road for a couple of days. It occurred to me that it might be fun to ride a bike path all the way across the country. After I thought about it a bit more, I realized that’s not such a good idea. The reason is simple, when you’re on the road instead of a path, you pass right through the middle of towns. You meet people and you see things that you don’t see from a bike path.

It was a rough night last night. I’m going to blame it on mosquitoes, but it’s entirely my fault. When I got to Alexandria at the end of the day, I went to the visitor center to inquire about motels. The lady there told me they had a few in town, which were about 4 miles off the trail. Then she said there’s one in Osakis just 10 miles ahead and it’s right on the bike path. We called the number, but there was no answer. I figured what the heck, I’ll just show up. They’ll have a room for me! Just as I was arriving in Osakis, my phone rang. It was the motel calling. The nice lady informed me they were completely booked. There is a slight difference between Alexandria and Osakis, Alexandria has four motels, Osakis has only one.

There wasn’t a campground close by so I found the city park. A lot of city parks, especially those on the ACA route, allow tent camping… this one did not. The sun was starting to set so I was faced with a decision. Should I press on, or should I try and make a go of it here. I decided to try out my stealth camping skills. I managed to keep a low profile and no one threw me out of the park. When it was starting to get dark, I unpacked all my gear and put up my tent. I didn’t pitch it completely, just enough so I could keep a low profile. I forgot to mention the mosquitoes. I crawled into the tent and soon realized that a large number of mosquitoes had followed me inside. That really wasn’t working for me all that well. I got out of the tent, packed everything up and got back on the road. By now it was 11:30 PM.

Did I mention I’m not a big fan of mosquitoes? Did I mention that the mosquitoes in Minnesota are the size of elephants? As bad as that sounds there is more to worry about than the big ones…There’s also the swarming tiny ones. In other words, they come in all shapes and sizes and they’re all hungry. One sidenote with regard to Minnesota mosquitoes, they have an uncanny ability to set up an intravenous line before you can even swat them away.

Fortunately, I have a dynamo powered front light on my bike, which allowed me to negotiate the bike path after dark. I got to the next town 10 miles down the road about an hour later. There was a City Park there right alongside the bike path. There were also mosquitoes, but they were fewer in number. Once again, I set up camp and crawled into my tent. This time far fewer mosquitoes followed me inside. I managed to get about 4 and 1/2 hours of sleep. I’m going be tired today, but I survived. I fixed myself my morning breakfast, instant oatmeal and instant Starbucks coffee, then I hit the road.

On the bright side, I’m getting to the point where I can drink instant coffee without grimacing.

About 30 miles from Osakis, the ACA Route turns north to the city of Bowlus. I’ll be continuing on to the end of the path, to the town of Saint Cloud. I’m now leaving the ACA Route for a couple hundred miles. I’ll reconnect with the ACA Route on the east side of the Mississippi River, about 60 miles south of Minneapolis. I will explain the reason for this in another post. I think you’ll find it interesting.

Sunset on Lake Osakis. The lake should’ve been my first clue there might be a problem camping at this location.

This is where the ACA and I depart ways. (More to follow.)

Itinerary / Maps

Route

• Fergus Falls to Osakis

Metrics

• Miles: 69
• Average Speed: NA mph
• Ride Time: NA hours NA minutes

Notes

• I was on a paved bike path all day today. I didn’t feel like running the metrics app.

Thought #7

• Do everything you do to the best of your ability. 

I thought today would be another day of road riding. I was mistaken. When I got to the outskirts of Fergus Falls, the route turned onto the Central Lakes State Trail. One hundred and ten miles of paved bike path over an abandoned railroad spur. Actually, it’s not just bicycles, in the winter snowmobiles and cross-country skiers are allowed to use the trail. Today I covered the first 65 miles, tomorrow I’ll do the last 45.

My route today passed through the town of Alexandria. I was met as I entered the town by Olaf the Viking, affectionately known as Big Ole. The town of Alexandria calls itself “The Birthplace of America.” Naturally, I had to inquire why. I was told it was because Vikings explored this region in 1362 making them the first white men to see this land. There is only one piece of evidence to corroborate this story, it is a Rune Stone discovered by a local farmer in 1898. The stone is engraved with Nordic runes and the date 1362. There is archaeological evidence to show that the Vikings explored Hudson Bay dating back to 1000. In 1355 an expedition was sent to Greenland and a permanent settlement was established. It is that expedition or one similar to it that is assumed to have reached this part of Minnesota. The stone has become known as the Kensington Rune Stone. The stone is on permanent exhibit in the Rune Stone Museum in Alexandria.

I made a strange observation today on the trail. When I wave at guys on e-bikes, they don’t wave back at me. I assume it’s because they’re going so fast They don’t see me, although it could be because they’re embarrassed by their electricity. Either way, if you’re on an e-bike and someone waves at you, be sure and wave back.

I passed a very cool memorial in the town of Butler. It was only visible from the bike path. I got off the bike and wandered around. It was fascinating. There was memorabilia and stories from the Civil War all the way through the Vietnam war. The memorial was dedicated to local citizens who had served in those conflicts, and those who had given their lives.

As an aside, this summer represents the 50th anniversary of my first long distance bicycle tour. When I graduated from college in 1976 I didn’t know what to do with myself, so I got on my bicycle and rode from Seattle to San Diego. That adventure made a huge impression on me. That is a big part of why I keep doing it.

Just the sort of thing you’re looking for in a heat wave.

“Big Ole” was there to greet me at mile 55 in the city of Alexandria.

Itinerary / Maps