It's Good to be Home

Sometimes it takes a vacation to appreciate being home and friends. I missed my bed, my TV, my coffee pot, my sewing machine, my washer and dryer, my kitty cat (not in any particular order). On the other hand it was sure nice to get up every morning, hop on my bike and ride a new ride each day. It was nice not having to fix breakfast, lunch or dinner, not having to make my bed, go grocery shopping or cook!

There are small things that I took for granted but appreciate now like our bike lanes and smooth rodes.


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The other thing that I am so thankful for is our bike shops. We have some of the best bike shops in this country. I visited many bike shops on my trip and nothing could compare. So, please, please support our shops. They support us and give us the best service. Online stores are for those who don't have the luxury of being able to walk in a bike shop and find what they want.

Homeward Bound

Hopped on a charter bus early this morning for a 5 hour ride to the airport at St. Paul-Minneapolis. I sat with Mary, one of my new friends from Ohio. She shared her photos from the time we left New Orleans to Lake Itasca. As I looked at the photos I couldn't help thinking about the great journey that we just finished. It really is a once in a life time opportunity. I feel blessed that I was able to complete it and the memories will stay with me forever.

Saturday, June 9, 2012
Pine River to Itasca State Park, MN -- 88 miles
Leaving Pine River we hopped back on the Paul Bunyan Bike Trail and rode past the town of Backus to Hackensack.




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We are in Paul Bunyan country...this is Mrs. Paul Bunyan. Hackensack is where Paul Bunyan junior was born.




Another 20+ miles and we come to the town of Akeley where there is Paul Bunyan museum. I wish I had time to visit it but I have to move on because I have miles to go to reach the headwaters of the Mississippi.




The last town was Lake George, then Itasca State Park. After entering at the North Entrance we stopped shortly at the Mississippi Headwater Visitor's Center. Then it was a short walk to the headwaters where we were greeted by Shauna's Dad and family with champagne!












It is true what I have heard before making this trip...one can cross the Mississippi River on stepping stones.












Then it was a short bike trail ride to the Douglas Lodge where we had our final big banquet.




I finally got my walleye for dinner! I was so worried that I might not get a chance to taste some before leaving Minnesota. It was very good! The view from the lodge overlooking Lake Itasca was a fitting end to a incredible journey.

Little Falls to Pine River -- 65 miles

Another great day of riding past pasture land and corn fields. A nice tail wind helped get us to the first 35 miles at which point we rode into Brainerd. Then we entered the Paul Bunyan Trail which is a fabulous bike trail. My wish would be that everyone has a chance to ride it once.




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For 30 miles it was so nice to have a trail all to ourselves and not worry about trucks, cars, farm equipment/tractors, not worry about stop signs, light signals, making right turns, left turns, street signs, dodging road kill, holes, bumps and/or miscellaneous objects.
Towns we rode thru were Merrifield, Nisswa, Pequot Lakes before arriving in Pine River.

Little Falls, MN -- rest day

We seldom rest on Rest Day. It's our day to sight-see. Today we took a walk to the downtown area of Little Falls.


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At the other end of town was the River and a hydro electric dam.





Then we walked on to visit the home where Charles Lindberg spent his
boyhood summers.



Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Cambridge to Little Falls, MN -- 84 miles

A great day for riding with tailwinds to push you along. We are still in the farmlands and away from the River. We rode past dairies and chicken farms and corn and potato fields.

Stillwater to Cambridge, MN - 58 miles

Another beautiful day to ride. Part of the ride was on a 20 mile bike trail called the Sunrise Prairie Trail. It was so nice to have a path all to ourselves without the cars and trucks and motorcycles to deal with.




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Monday, June 4, 2012
Red Wing to Stillwater, MN -- 48 miles

After leaving the hotel we crossed the River to the Wisconsin side, rode some 20 + miles before crossing the river back to the Minnesota side. The ride was mostly rolling hills through farmlands and the towns of Afton and Bayport before arriving in Oak Park hts., just outside Stillwater. Stillwater is the oldest city in Minnesota.

I just want to add that every where we rode everything is so green and lots of flowers are I full bloom!

Wabasha to Red Wing, MN -- 31 miles

Again, another beautiful day for cycling. I am starting to see more boats in the water and lots of RVs and motor homes on the road. The first and only town that we rode thru today on our way to Red Wing was Lake City, where water skiing started.




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Is it a lake or is it a river? The answer is both. The Mississippi river flows into Lake Pepin.




I think I like riding here in Minnesota. They have clean public restrooms along the roads with great places to pull over for picnics. There was one stretch of road that had the best bike lane!




They have great signs too!




Because today's ride was so short we were able to arrive into Red Wing in time for lunch.




Lunch was at a local place called Liberty's. I ordered a salmon salad which was very good.


After lunch we took a 50 minute guided trolley ride around the town, a great way to sight-see.

Winona to Wabasha, MN -- 35 miles

Today was a beautiful day, perfect for bicycling. We got a late start because we had to stop at the first gas station to pick up the local newspaper. It seems that there was a nice article about us on the front page! The photo below is of Lake Winona, one of a 1,000.


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Upon arriving in Wabasha, this sign is the first thing you see.


We checked into the AmericInn, which have been great places to stay. This one reminds me of the Madonna Inn on a small scale. One room is the "Kimono Suite", another is the "cottage suite", another is the "plaid suite" and another was the "Cat Suite". Mine was the "Fisherman's Suite".











After a quick lunch at a local restaurant we headed over to the National Eagle Center. It 's a wonderful place to visit. Where else can you experience these majestic creatures up close and personal with no bars or windows between you and the eagles! This part of the country contains one of the highest concentrations of Bald Eagles in the lower 48 states.