David Trip 2023

By David Freeze

The perfect day comes together on the last day of riding!

   I just had my last (for this adventure, at least) Y Service Club ice cream. A Wendy’s Frosty to celebrate the last day of riding. There is so much to celebrate, many prayers answered and so many good people involved. I can’t remember getting to know such a large group of people who stayed involved after I met them.

     Yesterday’s weather put me behind but I did find out last night and today about some of the damages, especially the large hail. We didn’t get the hail late yesterday in Barnum, Minnesota but the sky looked like it was ready to let it roll. Just rain and lightning, then rain again last night. I knew I had big miles to do today to get close enough to Minneapolis-St. Paul to pick up the rental car on Sunday. It would take close to 110 miles to do that. I prayed on it, went to bed early and got out the door at first light. Early enough to be chilly in Barnum.

    I pedaled over to the Munger Trail again, and was amazed to see runners on the trail at 6am, and many of them wearing lights. After a few minutes, I realized that this was a long distance relay race with teams of people alternated to cover the distance. The teams covered 200 miles and much of it was on the trail. I met runners for over three hours, and spoke to all of them. They spoke back too, especially nice since I was pushing the pace and it was fun to see them. I have done four of these type races, all fun but also a great way to know people. This race was called the Ragnar Relay.

   I pedaled from Barnum where I thought they were having a road race, but it was the first of relay runners starting to arrive. The next town was Moose Lake where the trail ends and then starts back about a mile away. I couldn’t find the continuation point and tried another bike lane, before deciding I had the wrong one because it turned east instead of south. A big mishap was  narrowly averted when a man with three little dogs let one loose and he ran under my bike. At this point, I don’t understand how I didn’t hit him.

    I started riding on County Road 61, not US 61 like it becomes later. Suddenly the trail was on my right and I got on it again. We passed through Sturgeon Lake, Willow River, Rutledge and Finlayson, all with runners passing through too.

    Then it was on to Pine Lake, Rock Creek, Rush City, Harris, Forest Lake, Stacy, Hugo and finally White Bear where I am spending the night.I am in the Emerald Inn which Michael Zachow from Bemidji found, searching for an affordable place near St. Paul. He got the perfect place for a good price, with lots of food sources just a short walk away.

  I was 8pm getting in, wanting to stretch the day and end in the right place. I am late writing, but not too worried this time because the cycling part has ended with a 111 mile ride. That is one of the longest ever for me, just a little behind the 120 mile ride done in Missouri a few years back. The weather was perfect, partly cloudy and sunny with a high of about 60. A moderate tailwind helped too, but so did reasonable terrain and mostly good roads.

     One odd thing happened to the bike. For the last 30 miles, I could not shift gears. Stuck in place for some reason, we’ll figure it out at home. No flats on this trip, possibly due to the introduction of thorn resistant tubes for the first time. More about that tomorrow. Skinny Wheels did a great job preparing the bike.

    Tomorrow, I start the two day drive home, perfect for reflection of all the challenges, people and accomplishments of this combined Mississippi River, Lake Superior adventure. I am pleased as can be with the ride. A wonderful experience, for sure.

  I will be back for one more day to recap the whole ride, those involved in many ways and the sponsors. Thanks again for riding along! See you tomorrow!

By David Freeze

Things didn’t come together, trying again tomorrow!

  I left everyone yesterday with hopes of a big day today. I was happy that the morning started well, even in the rain and I buzzed into Duluth and most of the way through town. The wind was behind my back and I felt good at about 18 miles.  

  Then things started to slow a bit. I joined the Willard Munger Rail Trail in hopes of a long day, extending close to Hinckley, Minnesota. I found out after writing yesterday’s update that rooms most of the way south of Duluth were mostly unavailable. A weekend concert series had taken all the rooms at ridiculously high prices. I called about eight places late and couldn’t believe what they were charging along my planned route for the day. I went to bed after being quoted $400 for one night.

  Even if I could have ridden as much as I hoped, there would have been no rooms and very limited camping. I started riding the Munger Trail and felt a steady upgrade coming up from Duluth. The rain stopped, but I made slow progress.

  There were no towns early on the trail, then a few popped up. Mahtowa, Carlton and Barnum were the towns along the way and gradually US 61 started running parallel with the trail. I met the Arends family from the Carlton area and told them about my dilemmas for the day. My cellphone charge was running low already by midday, and I left it with the Arends to charge it. We all laughed that I would trust them with the phone for 90 minutes. I rode on and they met me at a popular country store called TJ’s. We talked about lots of things including the drought, Kevin’s cycling and racing, plus a building storm that was going to hit in an hour or so. I really enjoyed meeting their family.

   I bought some snacks in the store and planned to ride until I had to set up camp before dark, hoping to have a bigger day. That is always a big gamble since cell coverage seems more spotty than I would have thought. Kevin told me I had an hour before it hit, so I called the Barnum Inn and asked if they had a room. The owner told me she could get a room ready and to head her way. Meanwhile the storm hit with steady rain, lightning and thunder, all of this unpredicted but greatly needed in the drought laden area. Reports of hail and some damage came in. Later the storm cleared but another looks to be building.

     Bottom line, I got only 55 miles today and must have a bigger day tomorrow. It’s a straight shot to St. Paul, and I hope conditions are favorable and the bike runs well. I need to get close enough to St. Paul to get to the airport for a one-way rental back home on Sunday for me and the bike if that comes together. A pretty day is predicted.

   I hope to do my part and make tomorrow a great day! Join me back here and we will see what happens.

By David Freeze

  Setting up for a big day!

  Today was my last day on Lake Superior, but I likely will still see it briefly tomorrow. Some things were left over that needed doing today and all of them got done. I started the morning at the Mariner Motel in Silver Bay where the wind was gusting early. The Mariner is one of the best buys I have had on a motel room and I got to stay twice. One of the narrowest road shoulders on US 61 was the first thing I had to get done to continue south. The shoulder had rumble strips, allowing very little room for the bike. All went well before the traffic got going.

    I wanted to see the Split Rock Lighthouse, built in 1910 and one of Minnesota’s most photographed things. It sits on top of sheer 133 foot cliff and was built because of the many shipwrecks in the area. I met Julie and Tucker, her dog, out early trying to get good photographs. The visitor center in the state park didn’t open till 10am so all we could do was get the photos from the edge of water.

    Then I pedaled to Gooseberry Falls State Park and another attraction. The falls have several levels. I saw Julie and Tucker here too, and and Julie told me ahead that the middle falls were the best. She of course  was right. I was interested that so many a people were in the water which had to be very cold. The parking lot was packed.

  Then I pedaled toward Two Harbors, the largest of the towns along the north shore. Just before town, I spotted Betty’s Pies, touted as world famous for those pies. The place was packed with probably 50 cars in the parking lot. Anyone could eat inside if they wanted to wait. Not for me, I placed an order for a Bombleberry and a Maple Pecan pie slice. I ate the maple one right away and saved the Bombleberry, a mixture of five berries. Both were great, but the Bombleberry is the best slice of pie I have ever eaten.

   The wind was pushing back at me in Two Harbors and the riding was challenging. I pedaled toward Mark and Anita Goellnor’s house on the north side of Duluth. Remember when Mark and Anita stopped to give me a cold drink last Saturday as I entered Duluth? I am spending the night in their house and we just had a wonderful dinner and chocolate ice cream that the Y Service Club won’t have to pay for for. Mark is a regular adventure cyclist and has been on several long rides.

  My goal for tomorrow is spirited one. I want to make 92 miles from Duluth to Hinckley Minnesota, a little more than halfway to Minneapolis. We have heavy rain predicted overnight and some still tomorrow morning. I will head out early in hopes of riding through town and joining the Willard Munger rail trail which runs to Hinckley. Mark drew out the directions and the map is ready to use first thing. It is an ambitious goal, but one that excites me and hopefully will get done tomorrow.

    Lake Superior covers 31,700 square miles and is about the same size as South Carolina.

     Join me back here tomorrow to see how things go on the big day, rain or shine. Once again, thanks for riding along!

By David Freeze

 Last evening was perfect at the Aspen Inn in Grand Marais. I wrote my article to the sound of rain and thunder and enjoyed the coolness in another non-air conditioned room. Minnesota needed the rain and some of the Lake Superior north shore area got as much as 9 tenths of an inch.

   Water was still standing as I left this morning with mixed thoughts. I traveled today on the same Grand Marais to Silver Bay that I had done in reverse just two days ago. The route is reasonable except for dreadful hills the last 20 miles into Silver Bay and one segment of poor shoulder, about six miles of trying to squeeze out a few inches extra to stay away from moderate to heavy traffic.

    The first town was Lutsen, where I met Postmaster Laurie two days before. She had already seen me on her way to work and was waiting and waving. That was a big lift, as we talked about her cycling and travel and why I preferred to keep visiting new parts of the same states I had visited before. This was one of the top conversations of the whole trip and I will stay in touch. I grabbed a breakfast bagel and some cookies at the country store next to the post office.

     On down the road a few miles was Tofte, with the only Holiday convenience store on today’s ride. I stopped there to make something right. I had promised the young cyclists I met a few days back to try out the World’s Best Donuts in Grand Marais, yet I had not because the store has not been open when I was in town. The convenience store had them and  I got a Long John with caramel topping. Was it the world’s best? I need to sample more.

   When I came out of the store, a life size Sasquatch had my bike. I got it back.

   On to Schroeder, the next very small town with the bakery. Just three miles after the Long John, I got a cheese danish thing and a cinnamon scone while talking to the owner about the weather and the rain.

    In this area, the e-bikes were again in heavy use. One group had two kids, mom and dad, and two grandparents.
    Those were the highlights of the day, as the headwind got stronger and brutal hills and road shoulders appeared again. The last 20 miles were a real battle as the distance slowly went by. I had 56 hard fought miles today.

   I got another great room at the Mariner Motel, then rode up a low gear hill to check out the town of Silver Bay. I heard from the desk clerk that Silver Bay is the second largest town on the north shore next to Two Harbors which I will pass through again tomorrow.

    I have two major tourist attractions to visit tomorrow and will report on them afterward. I learned that Lake Superior holds 10% of the world’s fresh water and it is down about a half inch this year due to the Minnesota drought. It usually adds a couple of inches each summer.

  A big challenge is brewing. Too early to talk about, but I will tomorrow if all comes together. That is about it for today, so join me again tomorrow.

By David Freeze

 One of the best days turns out better than planned!

  As I write this, I have open windows and am listening to the rain patter on the motel parking lot. As I mentioned earlier, most of northern Minnesota is in a serious drought. The forecast was for sunny today and a good chance of rain tonight. The first showers fell just before 1pm and it has been raining off and on since.

   I left the Trailside Cabins in Grand Marais this morning, headed toward Grand Portage. I read the National Park Service brochure and was excited to see it. Everything I read said there was a great monument. I rode north, unaware that the only town listed between Grand Marais and Grand Portage was not really a town. Hovland had a bakery and liquor store combined, and I didn’t see anything else other than a few houses. I had water and food for the 35 mile ride, but I hoped that Grand Portage would be a town. I needed more for the ride back.

   Siri wanted me to take a road that apparently didn’t exist and it may have had to do with poor cell service, but the brochure called for staying on US 61, now called Lake Superior’s North Shore Scenic Drive.

    What I found in Grand Portage was a huge convenience/grocery/ post office all in one building. There is casino/motel and of course the visitor center for the historic area. The visitor center was multi-level and very modern. I toured the displays and watched a movie about the late 1700’s fur trade and the French and Indian involvement.

    I was told to follow the sidewalk behind the visitor center to the buildings. What I found was a huge completely rebuilt stockade with all the buildings that were used for the early fur trade. Indian teepees, made of birch wood, a wooden dock and gardens added to the incredible display. A period person was inside each building to explain its use. I am still amazed this evening at the amount of work that went into this restoration. We were told that at its peak of activity, more than a thousand people would have been inside the stockade. What a jewel for the National Park Service, and oddly, this one is totally free! The parking lot was nearly full. I was ready to use my senior NPS pass but never had to get it out.

   I asked one of the building attendants where the monument was. He said, “All of this is considered the monument. People ask about the monument all the time.”

  As I was about to leave, Bill Kuhn asked about my bike ride. He had ridden across the country as a 21 year old. Bill was with his wife Maryanne. We had a wonderful conversation and then they waved as they passed me on the road.

   I wanted to go to the falls in the area and asked about doing so. I found out that there was an additional ride each way of 6 1/2 miles, which I chose not to do. Canada was seven miles away. It was almost 7pm when I got in the room tonight at the Aspen Inn anyway, after 73 miles. I will stop at one of the state parks on the way back down the coast to see another set of falls.

   I stopped in the huge store for snacks in Great Portage before leaving and turning south for the official turnaround of this journey. I will now ride south and west, instead of north and east.

   After eating everything I could stuff in my bags upon returning to Grand Marais, I have an easy job planning for tomorrow. I will return to Silver Bay and the same motel that I used on the way north. It is only about 55 miles but it is a very hilly segment.
 

  Today’s high temperature was a reported 69, especially chilly in the early morning and during the rain. That’s it for today. I have some great photos and hope to see you back here tomorrow. If all goes well, just 4-5 days remain of cycling. Thanks for the prayers!

By David Freeze

 Making the best of what is available!

I left the Mariner Motel in Silver Bay this morning after another great night’s sleep. No air conditioner was a concern as the nighttime temperature made the upper 50s, and I had already closed the windows. It was very comfortable. I mentioned all the others at the motel enjoying talking to each other last night. They all went to bed and were quiet by dark, which is still about 9pm this far north.

   With some dread of heavy traffic and relentless hills, I headed north at sunrise and immediately found the hills, lots of them and the pace was slow because of it. The first place with a town sign was Little Marais. I saw four houses. The next place was Taconite Harbor, which consisted of a sign pointed toward Lake Superior.

    Next came Schroeder, with a bakery and an e-bike rental place. I think they had regulqr bikes too because there were lots of other riders in the area. Then Tofte has a few things including a convenience store. I did load up at Schroeder and didn’t stop again until Lutsen, pronounced Lootsin. I stopped at the post office and postmaster Laurie helped me ship a box home. We talked about my ride as she helped me send unnecessary items that I had gathered along the way. Every little bit of weight and space counts. While standing at the post office door, we got buzzed by a military jet in the middle of a high speed turn, very impressive.

   I forgot to mention when I stopped at Shroeder, I came out and noticed that for the first time in four days, I had a tailwind. The road also became way more moderate with wonderful water views.

   Next was Grand Marais, by far the gem of the Lake Superior northern coast. The town has a population of about 1,500 but is loaded with tourists all summer. It is cool little town with a harbor, sailboats and a small lighthouse. Cabins and high priced rooms are the norm and one of the motels is sold out for the week.

   I am in a sort of cabin, but they call it a motel, at Trailside Cabins. There are a dozen cabins of various sizes here but four of them are connected in this building. I made this reservation a few weeks back, thinking it would be hard to get in anywhere. Tomorrow is full here and so is the other closest place. I am near the top of a huge hill coming up from Grand Marais, and will get a downhill boost in the morning as I head out.

    With grand ideas, I had some things I wanted to do. There is a National Park close by named Isle Royale, the least visited National Park in the country. Only access is by boat and plane, and it draws campers and hikers. I was told the other day that it draws 25,000 people all year which is the same as Yellowstone draws in a day. I wanted to at least ride the ferry over to the island. This morning, I finally got someone to answer the phone and she told me the boat does not run on Tuesdays. And that it is sold out this week anyway. Plus, the only lodging in the area is also sold out for the week.

   The other thing I planned to do was see what is called Grand Portage, where a big reenactment is scheduled this weekend called the Rendezvous. I won’t be there for the reenactment, but it celebrates the fur trading empire that boomed in the late 1700s and early 1800s. Multiple buildings have been reconstructed inside a stockade wall. There is also a monument to the fur traders and all of this is on Lake Superior.

   If there is no breakthrough on the ferry, and I don’t expect one, then I will travel back to Grand Marais tomorrow afternoon from where I begin to retrace my pedaling down the coast and return to Duluth, before pedaling back to Minneapolis by a new route.

    The road is mostly good on US 61, but a few places got really tight today with little road shoulder. The pavement is poor on some of the shoulder too, but wide spots with good paving are mixed in. Lots of truck traffic and big campers in the morning kept me on my toes.

   I will close for the evening and hope to see you back here tomorrow. Thanks for following the journey!

By David Freeze

 Tough cycling along Lake Superior

   I was at the Allyndale Motel in Duluth overnight and enjoyed it. The motel was built in 1952, but everything worked well except the WiFi. Both AT&T and Verizon had poor connection in the city of Duluth. The owner of the motel told me he had that problem long term. I asked the girl at the desk how to get from the motel through town this morning and she nailed it. Duluth is big but very hilly, except down closest to the water. Grand Avenue and Superior Street took me all the way to US 61, and I headed north along the shore.

    Some rain was forecast and a headwind, but we didn’t get any rain yet. US 61 went through a residential area of beautiful homes overlooking the lake, the largest body of water in the world. On the north edge of town, I stopped at a visitor information place and got help as I am trying to develop of plan. The attendant told me to take the scenic trail along the water, but it isn’t continuous and it has people walking on it. I stuck to the road and generally had plenty of room until later in the day.
 

   The only real town in the morning was Two Harbors, with plenty of stores and lots of traffic. I stopped to see the Two Harbors Lighthouse, a beautiful structure with the first beacon lit in 1892. Shipping was busy then in the area and still is. An iron ore carrier left while I was there.

    On the way up the shore toward Two Harbors, I met Mary Bridget Lawson. She pedaled up beside me and easily was able to jump ahead. We rode and talked, then she got out of the way of traffic. Turns out Mary was riding her electric bike. She had prearranged for her sister to pick her up. We were riding along the Grandma’s Marathon course too, with many distance markings along the road. I really enjoyed the conversation with Mary and her sister.

   We had two tunnels to use today and I bypassed one and did a road around it because I met three college students who were cycling together towards Silver Bay. Haydn Suski-funk, Iain Alexander and Atticus Coates all attend Middlebury College in Vermont together. They were trying their hand at rock climbing when I left them. I rode through the second tunnel and all was good.

    Past Two Harbors, traffic got heavier and the road got way hilly. There were no other towns until I got to Beaver Bay, which was small but had a good Holiday convenience store. I should have stopped to get my evening food.

    Just three miles away was Silver Bay, where I am staying tonight in the Mariner Motel. The Mariner is an old school motel, with no air conditioning in the rooms, but the rooms are great and well-kept. I have my fan going and the windows open, and it is getting cooler quickly. What’s different about a motel like this is that people sit outside their rooms and talk, something you don’t see otherwise. I may be back to the Mariner in a few days as plans come together.

    When I asked about food, the motel desk operator told me the only food in town was a convenience store and a pizza place, up a steep hill to the very small Silver Bay. I loaded up at the convenience store, then watched the pizza place close for the evening, before coasting back down the hill.

    Tomorrow, I am riding to Grand Marais, the biggest town left until well after the Canadian border. I have a cabin reserved.
    Past that, the only thing for sure is that I’m not going to Thunder Bay in Canada. Too many knowledgeable opinions helped me rule it out. What I hope to do is several attractions near the border and I will know more about them when I get to Grand Marais and will share as soon as I know.

     The riding is very challenging. No continuous flat spots so far. But the scenery is good and some things I will visit on the way back down the coast. I had 65 miles today, more than I expected to get when I left Duluth. I hope to see you back here tomorrow!

By David Freeze

 Still with challenges, things are looking better!

  I couldn’t wait to get started this morning, because I had lots to think through and plenty of time on the bike to do that. My evening at the Forest Lake Motel was another good one. The motel is made up of multiple buildings and really nice people, but it reminds of the throwback motels along Route 66. Older but well kept, and usually with something extra. The extra in this case was that Forest Lake was right outside my window. I’m beginning to sleep better, especially on the nights that the details seem lined up for the next day.

   For the second straight day, I was out when the sun broke the horizon and my exit from Grand Rapids was easy. I planned to ride US 2 all the way to Duluth, and almost all the way to the motel.

    With less than two miles riding complete, I got stung by something big on my leg while riding. Can’t remember that ever happening. I rode through Blackberry and nothing was moving. I felt an ongoing gradual uphill, but the pace was just OK. Then came Warba, with not much there either. Long spells of boring sameness in the landscape made the day even longer.

   By Fleetwood, I needed a boost so I got a Diet Mountain Dew and some cookies. A serious boost would have also required Reece’s Cups, but they weren’t needed this time. Fleetwood had a couple busy convenience stores and a few other stores, plus their festival, Catfish Days, is coming up. Next came a long and hilly section through the Fond Du Lac Indian Reservation. Proctor was a little suburb of Duluth.

   During the Fond Du Lac segment, I noticed a van park the opposite way as I pedaled nearer. An arm was out the window with a canned drink and two bikes were on the back. The drink was cold, something I needed and I had a nice conversation with Anita and Mark Goellner. They offered me a place to stay, which would have been wonderful except that I already had a place and it was most likely too late to cancel.

    I’m in the Allyndale Motel in Duluth, way on the south side. Which means that I will try one of two options in the morning. Most likely, I will try to make my way out of town headed north as soon as possible to US 61 to begin riding up the Lake Superior shore. Tomorrow is predicted to be rainy and it is already chilly outside, so since I toured downtown Duluth several years ago, I will likely begin riding toward Silver Bay.

    Did you notice that I mentioned US 61? I used it early in this ride and for much of last year’s journey south on the Mississippi. Tomorrow, I will join it again. I have varying reports about what I will find about the road north and won’t know for sure till I get there.

   One of my dilemmas was how to break up the ride along the shore. It is about 147 miles to Grand Portage, the northernmost point of interest before entering Canada. I am undecided about Canada at this point. The area just north of the border has little to see. At this point, I have rooms lined up in Silver Bay and Grand Marais, where the room is a quirky private cabin. Silver Bay is 61 miles away and Grand Marais is just less than that from Silver Bay.

    So again, the uncertainty is lessening. I am hoping for a better forecast for tomorrow by morning, but I will make the best of it. I had a solid 80 miles considering the hills.

    With that, it was a good day! My shower is about to happen and an interesting day is ahead. Plus the next two day’s accommodations are reasonable and have great reviews! Join me back here to see what happens!

By David Freeze

Uncertainty ahead, but today goes well!

 Bemidji was a nice place, with what seems much more than the 15,000 population it has. Another beautiful and clean Minnesota city! The choices for motels are very limited and higher priced than I expected. From the calls I just made, the Lake Superior area is going to be even worse. But I want to see these sights and I may never be here again.

   The ride today was 75 total miles from Bemidji back to Grand Rapids. I had ridden all but 20 miles of it on the day that I had to divert to Lake George. There were three convenience stores near Cass Lake and then 45 miles of trees and road, with little to see. At 11am, I had to join a zoom call and the best thing of the day happened. Having pushed for every mile I could get ahead of the meeting, just at the last minute I found the giant fish again. And from there, with the fish as the background, I gave my presentation. I talked with the fish owner ahead of doing it, and she loved the idea.

   My last two Mississippi River sightings happened this afternoon. It has been a beautiful ride over two years. There is still a matter of 30 miles to be completed near New Orleans.

    A moderate headwind was tough at times, and it is still blowing as I write this. Hopefully the wind dies down overnight as fog is predicted for tomorrow early. I am in the Forest Lake Motel in Grand Rapids with the lake right out of my window. The motel is an older one but very well done and reasonable.

   Tomorrow begins the uncertainty. I have a motel for tomorrow night in Duluth, and one for two nights later about midway up Lake Superior. I understand that this is vacation time, and therefore the prices and availability will drive the next few days. But the spectacular north shore is worth seeing.

   I did have another F’real milkshake tonight, this time the strawberry shortcake flavor. My ride tomorrow will again be mostly on US 2, same as today. Join me back here tomorrow. Thanks for following this adventure, with some spectacular scenery ahead!

By David Freeze

  Into the wind, then a good ending!

After a very good evening and the best sleep yet at the Lake George Pines Motel in Lake George, I wanted to be at Lake Itasca when the park opened. I found out today that Lake George is just outside the Indian reservation and is in the Paul Bunyan National Forest.

   I had an elaborate, glossy information folder on the Lake Itasca park and it said the park opens at 8am. I was there at 8 and so were lots of others, but the park entrance was not manned, nor were the visitor center, the Mary Gibbs gift shop at the headwaters or the cafe other than through the window orders. All of these were listed as summer hours, but very odd because the crowds come to this park in the summer. 8am in the winter, but 9am when the tourists come to the park.

   Most of the outside exhibits were the same as a few years back when I was here last. The headwaters is the drawing card for the park and has a huge parking lot. It was more meaningful this time, since I have now followed the great river all of its 2,552 mile  distance. I got my photos and left the park headed to Bemidji. Last time here included massive attacks by large flies and mosquitos. This time, they mostly left me alone.

    Bemidji is the town that I missed yesterday by making the late course change. It is part of the Great River Road because the just born and very small Mississippi River empties into Lake Bemidji and out the lower end. From Lake Itasca, I had a very challenging and hilly ride toward Bemidji that totaled about 35 miles. A constant headwind from the north and hilly conditions were enough to deal with, but I got an extra challenge.

     Memories of the Yukon and especially Alaska flashed back as I had a paved road that was removed and today was gravel and dirt. In other words, the pavement was gone while being prepared to get repaved. This was often the case on that Alaska ride except that their roads were many miles long and always very dusty. People drove very fast on these roads in Alaska, but most were more moderate today.  This road was only 5.6 miles long and they had been wetting it to keep the dust down. About midway through, the bike got away from me and we crashed pretty hard. As far as I can tell, all is good.

    I have another room at the Super Eight, and hopefully it will be quieter overhead than the last time. The room is very good with a recliner, from where I enjoy writing.

   The nice ending to the day happened late this afternoon when I met Bemidji resident Michael Zachow for ice cream at the Big River Scoop. I had a strawberry milkshake, since pineapple was not an option. Michael came to North Carolina last winter to do the Krispy Kreme 5K in Raleigh and our very own Winter Flight race. The ice cream place is across the street from Lake Bemidji, where they just happened to be having practice for dragon boat races. The real races happen on Saturday.

    On that previous trip to Lake Itasca, I made a photo in Bemidji of the Blue Ox and Paul Bunyan. We made new photos this evening. It was a good day of 52 hard earned miles.

    Tomorrow, I plan to ride back to Grand Rapids and should have a room lined up there. Past Grand Rapids is Duluth and the start of riding along Lake Superior. I have done little to plan that portion of the trip yet, but did get some good information on what to expect for riding along the lake.

    Thanks to Cindy Atkins for joining as a sponsor. She’s been following from the start. Thanks to other sponsors, Father and Son Produce, Dick and Jean Richards, Gear for Races, St. Paul’s Lutheran Church men’s group and David Post.

   See you back here tomorrow. Keep sending those prayers!