Illinois, wooo!

Thursday, 31 July: I high-tailed it out of the campground this morning, and had a hot sunny morning. As I was passing through Janestown, WI, some ominous clouds rolled up behind me, along with a refreshingly cool tailwind. I battoned down the hatches and kept riding. I'm glad I did, because it turned out to be another one of those pretend storms that was all cool breeze and a welcome respite from the sun, and it only dropped a little rain. I made decent time, and the hills got smaller and smaller. Toward the end of the day, I accidentally wandered off my intended route, but it wound up being better that way, because it took me through a more rural area, and it was easier to find a small town to camp in. I was still headed in generally the right direction, and I made it to Illinois-- just barely.

I went to a bar for a beer and a celebratory I'm-in-Illinois dinner, and inquired about camping in the park. The patrons seemed split on whether it was allowed or not, and then one of them called the park guy and cleared it with him. He sent someone down to unlock the bathroom for me! So nice. I came to the park and set up, then went into the wonderful clean bathroom that had all the modern amenities-- you know, soap, paper towels... So far I'm digging Illinois. Although I was warned away from their state park system. According to the bar patrons, their parks are about as nice as Wisconsin's. But I have no direct evidence of that.

Aah. A nap.

Wednesday, 30 July: I decided I needed a day off after all, despite the predicted-to-be-helpful wind. It's supposed to be the same tomorrow, so it's all good. I managed to whine/stumble my way into a discount here at the trashy trailer park-- $6 a night instead of $17! Yay! I like it $22 more than I did last night.

I laid around eating, reading, stretching, sunbathing and napping all day. I made an actual plan for the next few days, which involves riding Thursday and Friday to my friend's mom's house west of Chicago, then riding to my cousin's place in Chicago on Saturday. Then it's a week of non-camping and non-bar food and my first haircut on the road. I'm all a-tingle. Or maybe that's just the wind blowing through all of my freakin' hair.

I keep thinking of part of a song from one of my favorite musicals, "Cabaret."

"I used to have a girlfriend
known as Elsie
With whom I shared
Four sordid rooms in Chelsea

She wasn't what you'd call
A blushing flower...
As a matter of fact
She rented by the hour.

The day she died the neighbors
came to snicker:
"Well, thats what comes
from too much pills and liquor."

But when I saw her laid out like a Queen
She was the happiest...corpse...
I'd ever seen.

I think of Elsie to this very day.
I remember how she'd turn to me and say:
'What good is sitting all alone in your room?
Come hear the music play.
Life is a Cabaret, old chum,
Come to the Cabaret.'

And as for me,
I made up my mind back in Chelsea,
When I go,
I'm. Going. Like. Elsie.

Start by admitting
From cradle to tomb
Isn't that long a stay.
Life is a Cabaret, old chum,
Only a Cabaret, old chum,
And I love a Cabaret!"

Yup, I'm a giant show-tuning dork.

J. is right

I need a day off.

Tuesday, 29 July: I barely made my goal today of going about 35 miles to the New Glarus brewery in time for a tour and some beer tasting, no thanks to my capricious frenemy the wind, those evil hills, and that big animal that kept sniffing around my tent last night, waking me up. The brewery was pretty cool. Their beer is delicious, but is only sold in Wisconsin, so if you are ever out this way, pick something up. I can personally vouch for the Fat Squirrel, the Uff-Da, and the Road Slush, all of which are darker beers. When sampling, I also tasted some lighter beers which I am not personally a fan of, but they seemed well done. After the sampling, I inquired about camping, and was directed to the New Glarus Woods State Park. Screw that! This state park system will be getting no more of my money. I found a bike trail that headed off in a south easterly direction, and took that, hoping to find something along the way. I rode illegally, without paying their fee, because I figure they owe me, and I wouldn't have even been on the trail if I hadn't had some beer and felt like it would be smart to stay off the road. All of the towns I hit and inquired about camping had nothing to offer, they just kept directing me to the state park, no matter how far from it I got. I ended up at some crappy WT RV park. I couldn't find anyone who worked here, and then some people rode up in a golf cart. Campground employees often drive those, so I asked them what to do, and they told me to just set up wherever, and they would tell the owner I was here. I set up and then piddled around for awhile, waiting for someone to come take my money. No one showed up, so I gave up waiting and went to that dank pit they call a bathroom to have a shower. Thank goodness for flipflops. What a hole! I came back out and made dinner, but still no one came. I suppose I'll see them tomorrow, but I'm struggling with whether I should even pay if no one comes by. I think I will attempt to bargain like I'm in Mexico. The shower was probably worth about two dollars...

The people nearest me are having a giant bonfire that looked out of control for a few minutes. I swear they are burning furniture.

I really should have taken a day off in Viola, because I have disliked everywhere I stayed since then. It just gets worse and worse. Hindsight... I have been trying to just push through to Chicago without a day off, because I'll get plenty of rest there, but I am pretty beat and cranky. I could probably take tomorrow off here, and just stay in my tent napping, but the wind is supposed to be blowing 10 to 15 MPH in the direction I want to go, and the thought of blowing right on out of here is pretty irresistable. The longer I stay in Wisconsin, the less I like it. I don't know if that's Wisconsin's fault, or if I just have a bad attitude because I need a break.

Shoulda gone to Decorah.

It's so muggy here...

All of my stuff is damp on the outside, like I have been riding in a light rain.

Monday, 28 July: My plan of stopping early yesterday and starting late today in lieu of a day off seems to have worked. I made some decent progress today, despite starting late and having an occasional headwind.

When I had gotten almost as far as I wanted to go today, I passed a campground that was a mile off the road and cost $12. My Garmin gives me addresses and phone numbers, so I called ahead. I wasn't ready to stop yet, and didn't want to go a mile off the road, so I decided to push on to the state park that was about seven miles further. It was brutally hilly, but manageable, and I made it there by 8PM. Unfortunately, in addition to costing $17 instead of the $14 I had expected, (yes, I know it's only $3, but that's a V8 and a Powerade!) the campground was another three hilly miles from the park entrance. I was so beat I had to walk part of the way. I got to my campsite just before dark, made dinner, set up the tent, and had a shower. A cold shower. In a dirty, poorly designed bathroom. There was no soap by the sinks, which have those handles you have to hold down to get water, and there is no hang time, so you can only rinse one hand at a time. And the taps are so close to the side of the sink, you are pretty much rubbing your hand against the dirty sink while attempting to rinse it off. I hate that. I'm not trying to be a princess here, but I've been really disappointed by the Wisconsin State Park and trail system. It seems like they overcharge for everything, and what you get is not that great. They do charge more for camping for out-of-staters, but not much more, and there is no in-state price break for the trails. Maybe they are squandering their money on other things, or perhaps their legislature is not giving them enough tax money to get by.

I did my standard lazy thing wth my bag of food, which is to put the whole bag outside of my tent, under the rain fly. Since everywhere I camp is so populated, I don't worry about big animals, just small ones. I figure if a rodent wants to chew through the bag to get at the food, that's okay, because he probably won't eat it all, and at least he hasn't chewed through my tent. Tonight, however, a large animal came sniffing around, then stole the ENTIRE BAG of food. This is a grocery bag, people! I'm bad at estimating weights, but it is definitely more than five pounds. It must have been one of those enormous racoons I've seen around. I yelled and made chase, and it abandoned the bag in the bushes a few feet away, just behind several thickets of trees and bushes. I crawled in and retrieved it-- thank goodness there were no thorns or poison ivy! It was completely dark by this time (at least I can see the stars!) and I didn't see any good trees to tie it up in, so I left it in the bathroom with a note taped to it explaing what it was and why it was there, so here's hoping it will still be there in the morning.

I can't wait to get out of here.

56 might be the prettiest highway in Wisconsin

Sunday, 27 July: This is my seventh day of pedalling without a day off. I'm pretty drained and stuff is starting to hurt, so I took it easy today.

I stopped at the Westby Cooperative Creamery's cheese shop in Westby, MI, for some delicious and reasonably priced sharp cheddar.

At a rest stop I met a guy who was on his way home from a blues festival that he had gone to every year for the last six years. "But this year," he said, "I took my dog, my mom, and my girlfriend." In that order. I bet the dog loves to howl along with the blues...

I was planning to stay on highway 14 all day, heading in a generally south-easterly direction, but the wind was blowing from the WSW, so I turned off onto 56, which headed a bit more east than south. I'm glad I did. It is beautiful, and little-travelled. With the exception of one giant uphill part, it was mostly downhill for the 12 miles or so that I was riding, so that made me like it even more.

In the afternoon I ended up at a biker bar, the Iron Horse Saloon, in Viola, WI, and inquired about camping. The bartender liked me so much she let me camp behind the bar. I hung around for a while, drank a few more beers than I paid for, then crashed early and slept for a hundred years. I needed that.

My first time camping illegally

And you *know* I got caught.

Saturday, 26 July: I was all stoked to get to the trails that I had been told about. They are four trails that connect to each other for a combined 101 miles heading east and a bit south of where I was, so that would put me closer to Chicago. I was then planning to head south and catch another east/west trail that would cover another good chunk of distance. I knew that the last trail on the first leg was washed out at the end from flooding, so I wouldn't get to ride the whole way. I also knew that they were mostly surfaced with packed, crushed limestone, rather than being paved, but I was assured that even skinny road bike tires could handle them, so I would be fine. I was able to travel on it, but I was not prepared for how much that surface slowed me down! My speed dropped by at least forty percent, and the tires kept flinging tiny bits of rock into my shoes. If I wanted to take a leisurely day ride in some lovely scenery, this would be a great place to do it, but I wanted to mave a bit faster. In addition, I hadn't realized that there was a trail fee for using Wisconsin State trails. I got off after a few miles and went back to the road. I'm done with the trails in this state. It's weird, but I'm really starting to enjoy riding on highways. They are usually smoother and less hilly than other roads, and generally have a decent shoulder. I can go faster on them and just zone out with my iPod. Don't worry, I always use my rear view mirror, and my headphones let in a lot of noise.

I had to spend a bunch of time after I got off the trail figuring out a whole new route, where did I want to go now, what did I want to see? Once again, Wisconsin had conspired against me, to keep me from making the sort of miles I wanted. You can't always get what you want...

Toward the end of the day, I had to climb a giant hill that went on forever. It was trying to kill me. There is a wayside rest at the top of it, and I didn't have it in me to go further, so I decided the hill was a good excuse to camp illegally, if any official types hassled me. I made dinner and waited until almost dark to put up my tent in an unotrusive spot. Around 12:30 AM, a patrolman woke me. He was super nice about it, but he took my ID and checked me out. I suppose he wanted to be sure I wasn't riding my bicycle away from prison or something. He gave me his card in case anyone messed with me, so that was nice. I'm guessing that I have been noted in some law enforcement system somewhere, and if I camp at any more wayside rests, in Wisconsin at least, they will be more stern with me? He was a county patrolman, not state... I'm not cut out for the criminal life.

Booo, weather

Friday, 25 July: I forgot to say something yesterday. Jim, Judy and I were discussing how people act differently in big cities than they do in small towns, and Jim said "The more people there are, the more isolated they are." Pithy.

In the first couple miles of my ride, I was overtaken by this guy (82times.com) who is also a wandering cyclist who kinda plans his route on the fly. We chatted for a few miles, but then he had to pass me, because he was hoping to do about a hundred miles today, to get home and see his family in Iowa. Fortunately for both of us, the wind had changed direction, and was more help than hurt. It was deathly muggy, though, and pretty cloudy.

I stopped by the Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum in Pepin, Wisconsin, cuz you know I read every single one of those "Little House" books. I was a giant girl when I saw the dollhouse with a general store in the bottom and living quarters up top. Nellie's house, I guess? I loved all of the tiny little canned food and seed packets. I tried to take pictures, but the glass front on the display confused my camera.

It started to rain shortly after I left Pepin, but I was okay with that. I was hoping my funky standing-on-their-own clothes would get rinsed out a little. Since I've been in the more humid part of the country, I have stopped hand washing my clothes, because they never dry. About a mile before the next town, Nelson, the rain picked up and the thunder and lightning started. Just in time, I ducked inside a laundromat and washed everything. The sun came out, and I was on my way. Later I found out there was a cheese factory in Nelson that I hadn't seen! Sad.

I missed the sign that said that my road turned left. I just kept following the main road through town, like I did in the previous three towns, and before I knew it, I was crossing the Mississippi. Again. Dang it! I accidentally went to Minnesota. Sigh. I turned around, went back through Nelson, still didn't see the cheese factory, and was back on track. It was only about a six mile detour...

In the evening, I stopped in Fountain City for a convenience store snack. Holy diver! This Kwik Trip has fruit, vegetables, and yogurt! Nice. I ate my grapes and tropical smoothie outside, and was preparing to climb back on my bike when someone in the parking lot told me about the severe storm warning that was headed this way, and pointed to the giant black clouds coming from the same direction I had come from. I thanked him, found a garbage shelter in which to stash my bike, and ducked inside a bar for a Michelob Amber Bock. I frequently encounter this beer on tap, and have been pleasantly surprised by it. All this time I thought I was a beer snob, when it was really all about color. I'm a beer racist.

By the time it became obvious that those clouds were an empty threat, it was too late to reach my intended destination before dark, and I wasn't sure there was much between here and there. I chose to backtrack (blurg!) a couple of miles to Merrick State Park. They charge $14, and all they have are portable toilets with no sinks. If there's one thing I have become accustomed to on this trip, it's that if I have to pay any money to camp, I should at least get indoor plumbing, and if I paid more than $10, I should get a shower. I could ride all the way to the other, classier campground at the other end of the park where I heard tell there might be showers, but I don't want one quite that badly. It's really all about principle. I'm a little cranky about the way today turned out, partly because I rode 50 miles and ended up 35 miles from my destination, and partly because I spent more money than I wanted to. I'll just think about how I spent no money yesterday, and maybe that will console me... And tomorrow I'm supposed to have a tailwind and sunshine, so maybe I can make some better miles.

...

So after I wrote that last bit, and before I could post it because my dang reception here is all sketchy, I got two strong reminders of why I should love the trip I'm on, and not the one that could have been.

The first was that I had seen two hep-looking women around the campground when I was looking into the shower situation. While I typed, I was kicking myself for not asking what they were doing tonight. Then they walked by my campsite, so I asked. They said they were going to make a fire, and invited me over. We had an excellent evening of conversation and fire.

The second was that on my way back to my campsite, I got an amazing view of the stars. I've spent a lot of nights in well-lit city parks, but this state park has no lights, and is several miles out of the nearest town. Not only are the stars stunning, but there are frogs and birds all around, so I have a beautiful natural soundtrack of something other than those insipid mourning doves that sing all day and all night at the city parks. Ah! It is great to be able to love what I have, and not what I wish I could have had. It is yet another case of rediscovering something that I knew to be true in my head, but had a hard time keeping it in my heart, and in the forefront of my thoughts, during a challenging time.

Serendipity is so much better than route planning

Thursday, 24 July: I got going early today, and it's a good thing I did. The headwind picked up from a nuisance to a pain, and it was tough going. I kinda wanted to take the day off, but I hate doing that when I'm camping for free in a park, so I rode on. I still managed what I think was a fairly respectable distance, under the circumstances.

I got to highway 35, which is scenic. It reminded me a bit, in geography, of riding through the Columbia Gorge, but the vegetation was decidedly deciduous. At the junction of my lonely, pleasant county road and 35, I met a group of five cyclists from the twin cities who were on a two day jaunt through Wisconsin. We rode to a nearby rest stop (wayside rest, as they are called in this part of the country) and they gave me some good tips about bike trails in Wisconsin that I might take. They took off, and I chatted up some motorcyclists, also from the twin cities, who were out for a day ride. I rode on, and talked to the mayor of Maiden Rock, who was picking up trash on the road. I said something a while back about how litter-free the roads have been, but this was the first time I had actually seen someone picking up trash.

Later, the motorcyclists from the wayside rest, Jim and Judy, passed me up. They were waiting for me about a mile down the road, and asked me to dinner in the next town. Awesome! I met them up there, and they bought me beer and food. I was planning to go a bit further today, but decided maybe I should just camp out in this town. We had a good time talking. A guy named Harley Charlie (also originally from the twin cities, what the heck?! He and Jim and Judy knew some people in common) showed up to eat, and I invited him to join us. He was a pretty interesting guy, and he invited me to crash on his couch, which was about a block and a half away. A wise man recently told me "you're travelling! Always say yes!" so I did. We had some more good conversation back at his place, then I got a shower and camped out on the couch. Nice.

Wisconsin is hilly

I wonder if that is why the adventure cycling route avoids it like the plague?

Wednesday, 23 July: After ten hours of sleep and a water-spilled-in-the-tent mishap, I finally started pedalling today. My ride started out crossing the bridge into Wisconsin, then riding up a giant hill that almost killed me. I went to the tourist info center and picked up a map, and the helpful woman there gave me a route suggestion, which I took. It was a pretty nice route, except for the first few miles, which were on a busy road with a lame shoulder, but I knew what I was in for, so it was okay.

The combination of a late start, many hills, a headwind, and few camping options meant I had another short day. Not a half day, just a bit shy of where I would have liked to be. I may have to revise my definition of a good day's ride yet again, because of the terrain.

I am back to free camping in a city park. Whew! I had to pay two nights in a row, and I was starting to hate it. I made a pretty good dinner that all of you cheap and lazy vegetarian backpackers and touring bikers might be interested in: I boiled the noodles from a pack of Easy Mac along with some freeze-dried vegetables and freeze-dried TVP. Then I added the sauce packet, a single serving stick of cheddar cheese, and some pepper and stirred until melty. It was camping-good. I'm not sure why I keep writing about dinner lately. Maybe because I'm trying really hard not to go out to eat, and I stocked up at that hippie store in Bemidji on food that is more interesting than canned beans, so now I'm thinking more about cooking.

Yesterday my brother pointed out how much I have mentioned mosquitoes since I got to Minnesota. I think this subject tops the weather for things to talk about here. In the last two hours or so that I have been in this park, I have heard two people mention them. Yesterday I rode past a church that had one of those letterboard-thingy signs out front that said "Why didn't Noah swat the two mosquitoes?" I should have stopped for a picture.

On a more serious note, a member of my Seattle crew was recently hit by a car while biking. He broke his arm, which is no small potatoes, but at least nothing happened to his valuable valuable face. Or that ultra-zany brain of his. So I wish him a speedy recovery, and implore all of you-- whether driving, cycling, or walking-- to be ultra vigilant on the road. Especially when turning.

Maybe I should sleep while I'm still alive...

Tuesday, 22 July: The combination of a headwind and not sleeping very well for a few consecutive nights made for a lame riding day. There is a pretty cool state park about half a day's ride from where I spent last night, so I just went there. I like that a half a day's ride now is the same as a pretty decent day's ride at the start of the trip.

On one of my roadside breaks, I was passed by a guy from Denmark who was doing the adventure cycling northern tier route headed for Seattle. He had deviated from the course, and so was on the same road as me. He has already done the Atlantic coast and southern tier routes. He said he had done some touring in Europe, but it was always shorter trips, because there are so many little countries. I guess maybe he wanted to avoid some of them? I dunno. I got the impression that he liked biking the US because it is so vast and relatively empty. I told him he would love Montana.

Speaking of adventure cycling, I checked out this part of their route, and it really doesn't go where I want it to, so I'm gonna stick with winging it. As if winging it were a thing that you could plan to stick with...

I got the last non-electric (meaning cheaper) campsite at the park, although it still cost $20. At least their bathrooms are nice and clean. I wish state and national parks charged by the person, rather than the site, because I would think their biggest expense would be the hot showers and bathroom use. I don't think I should have to pay the same amount as the family of six camped next to me. But I guess I'm still occupying a whole campsite that could have been used by more people. Okay, more parks should have hiker/biker sites like at Glacier. That would please me.

I went for a nice little loop hike around the park and nearby town, then ate the second of the two "Kitchens of India" heat-and-eat meals I bought at the natural food store in Bemidgi. Man, were those things good. It was totally worth lugging them around for the last two weeks while I wasn't camping and didn't need them. They were really well spiced, with just enough burn for my taste buds, and didn't require any doctoring with pepper or cheese or onions, as my meals so often do. I'm going to keep an eye out for more of those. Yum!

Well, off to bed early, for a change.

There are too many people in Minnesota

It's tough to find a town that is small enough to let me camp in their park.

Monday, 21 July: After three days of talking, eating, swimming, croquet, minigolf, Skip-bo™, talking, and eating with my cousin and her family, I rode off into the sunrise. Well not when it was actually rising, but, you know, east. I was planning to go see another cousin in the twin cities, but I couldn't get ahold of her, so I rode east on 95, a ways north of the cities. It was an uneventful ride. Toward the end of the day I started looking for a place to camp. The towns along the road were either too large or too small to camp in. I stopped at a county park along the way, but there was a sign that expressly forbade camping. I was thisclose to breaking the rules, but chickened out at the last minute. (Goody two-shoes! I haven't camped illegally this whole trip!) It was a huge, wooded park with lots of trails that seemed little used but well maintained, so I probably wouldn't have gotten caught. I was a bit worried about the type of person who would find me out there, though, just off the highway not too far from a larger town, and there was also no bathroom and ridiculous swarms of mosquitoes, (there were also wetlands there) so I moved on. I called a campground about six miles off my route, and the helpful woman I talked to suggested I call the fairground in Cambridge, which was just a few miles further. She told me they normally allow camping, although they were setting up for the fair on Wednesday, so they might say no, but I should tell them I was on a bike. She even looked up the number for me. She also said something about the route that the cyclists are normally on that suggested I may have meandered my way almost back to the adventure cycling route. I may check that out, since I still have no set route to Chicago, and it's a bit more populous over here than it was going through Montana and North Dakota, so I'm feeling less comfortable with choosing my own route.

I called the fairground and they took pity on me, so I came on over and set up camp. The fair set up was in full swing, so there were lots of loud trucks and things and carnies everywhere. Shudder. They told me it was $17, and when I exclaimed at the price, they knocked $2 off for the "fair discount." I should have kept exclaiming, but I didn't want to be a cranky-pants, since they weren't technically allowing camping anyway. I can't believe that the normal price is $17. The bathrooms are kinda grody, and there was barely any water trickling out of the rusty old showerhead. They had just painted the bathroom door, and left it propped open a bit, so there were more mosquitoes inside than out. I had to kill at least five of those varmints while showering. It actually wasn't too buggy outside, so that was some consolation. My plans of blogging and going to bed early were blown when I started chatting with a carny who is kinda into biking and has done a bit of touring himself. Oh well, I can sleep when I'm dead.

Muggy, but no severe storms

Thursday, 17 July: I rode south today, to my cousin's house kinda near St. Cloud. The day started out cloudy and super muggy, so I was dripping with sweat in about two seconds. There were a few sprinkles of rain, and then the clouds broke and the sun came out. This seemed to make it a bit more bearable.

Just south of Little Falls, I got a whiff of one of the foulest (fowlest?) odors I have ever been forced to breathe. I looked around for a livestock truck or some roadkill, but I didn't see anything that could be causing that smell, and it continued too long to be some small thing I had passed. Then I saw the sign for the "poultry processing plant." Processing. Way to sugar coat it. If any of you are ever given the option of either riding by a "processing plant" on a hot day or taking a ten mile detour, I would suggest the latter.

A few miles south of there, I found the new Soo Line trail, thanks to some information from the helpful people at the Brainerd Lakes rest stop. This is another rails-to-trails trail. It is pretty new, and is not a state trail, which is why I had a tough time finding info about it on the net. If it wasn't for that woman on the Paul Bunyan trail, I never would have known it existed. It was serendipitous, because it cut across diagonally toward where I wanted to go. It was pleasant and car-free, and I think it saved me a couple of miles because of the angle. It also went across the Mississippi River and I got a view of Blanchard Dam. I haven't spent much time on this trip looking at the industrial side of our country, and for some reason I got all excited to see it. It's not the biggest dam ever, but it's pretty large, and from my perspective out on the lovely tree-lined bike trail, it seemed like this giant thing that man built, just plunked down in the middle of nature. I got to thinking about how many of these there are all over the country, providing power for us to light up the parking lot at the car dealership and the mall. Every now and then I check my Garmin for all points of interest surrounding my current location, and there is nearly always a dam or two within ten miles. And it's not as if dams are our only source of electricity.

I made it to my cousin's house during dinner (my timing is exquisite!) and met her family. It has been a pathetically long time since we've seen each other. But it's never too late to reconnect.

It would have been dumb to ride today

Wednesday, 16 July: Many days, there is a prediction of "scattered" or "isolated" thunderstorms for a few hours in the afternoon, with a twenty or thirty percent chance of rain. On these days, it is always nice and sunny, with a few big clouds that only rarely actually rain on you. Today, however, the prediction was just for "thunderstorms" all day, and I woke up to very cloudy skies. This is what it was like the day I ended up hitching a ride through North Dakota. Yuck. I turned on the news, and there was a severe storm warning in the direction I was heading, with sixty mph winds, so I stayed put. The kind and generous woman I'm staying with said it was fine if I stuck around, so I did. In the evening, we went and played some mini golf and had a fun time. We were going to go see the animatronic Paul Bunyan, but that place closed too early, and it's pretty far out of town, so I think I will miss it. Sorry, mom.

I'll leave tomorrow, I swear...

A day of firsts

Tuesday, 15 July: For the first time today, I went over eighty miles. Just barely. I wouldn't have gone quite that far if the last ten miles of the really cool bike trail I was on had been on my Garmin. Most of the trail was on there, but the end part where it suddenly veered away from my destination didn't show, so I didn't realize I was taking the long way until too late. Oh well, at least I got to have a new personal best!

I survived the storms last night at the lovely Trails RV Park just north of Walker, MN, but they kept me awake for a bit, so I didn't get as much sleep as I had hoped for.

The beginning of my day was pretty rough, as the trail detoured away from the road through the Chippewa National Forest. It was beautiful and serene, but brutally hilly. As I moved south along the Paul Bunyan Trail, it leveled out and became a little more developed. Every town had a little park built up around it, and usually there was a tourist information center there also, with restrooms. There were signs to direct you to food, lodging, and bike shops.

I rode a few miles with another cyclist, and when I told her where I was headed, she told me about a bike trail that may cover about half of my ride tomorrow. I'm not sure, though, because it's hard to find any info about it on the internets, so I think I will stop by the local bike shop tomorrow to inquire. My curiousity is piqued.

I pushed myself hard to get to Brainerd, because my Montana contingent had put me in contact with their friend, who generously put me up in her spare room and fed me a ton of pizza and fruit. Yum! She is really into archery, and has actually killed a black bear and a deer with high velocity pointy sticks! That is awesome. Meeting Susan was the gift that keeps on giving...

I got my first tick today, but it was a big one, which is apparently not the worrisome kind. I guess it's the little deer ticks that carry Lyme disease. But still: gross gross gross!

I got off the couch

Sunday, 13 July: More chillin'. We went swimming (briefly) at the lake. It's been a cool summer, so the water wasn't super warm, and although the sun was out, the 30 mph wind made things a bit chilly. Then I sunbathed for a while, but the kitten decided I was a jungle gym, which was cute until she accidentally scratched the stuffing out of my legs. I went inside.

Monday, 14 July: I finally got back on the road today. It was a beautiful day, not too windy, and no tornadoes. I rode into Bemidji and had lunch with my Aunt, cousin, and stepsister at a nice little deli/coffee kind of place called the Wild Hare. It was yum. I also got a few more sculpture pictures. Bemidji is a pretty funky, bike friendly place.

I headed east from there to hook up with the Heartland/ Paul Bunyan Trails, which are part of the rails-to-trails projects that are happening around the US. This will take me all the way down to Brainerd, which gets my vote for best name ever, then I'll have to get back on surface streets to see my cousin near St. Cloud. It's a nice trail, kinda like the Burke-Gilman in Seattle, but waaaay less crowded. It's all tree-lined and pretty, with minimal exhaust fumes. My only complaint is that there aren't many places to camp, at least not on the part I've been on. I stopped at one RV park resort place that wanted $28 a night! They were kinda full and busy, and the price seemed non-negotiable. I inquired about cheaper options down the road, and the woman said the next RV park was $50 a night, and that there was nowhere to camp in the next town. This all sounded a bit implausible, so I moved on. The next RV park I came across is a brand new place without many guests. It is beautiful and quiet. They wanted to charge me full RV site price ($33, not $50), but when I looked ready to move on, the woman decided that some money was better than none. She asked how much I wanted to pay, about $15? I've never been good at wheelin' and dealin', so I answered honestly that most RV parks charge me $12 for tent camping. Done. Although this is by far the sweetest RV park I've stayed at. It even has a pool.

The woman I talked to (I think she is an owner?) grew up in Bemidji, and lived in the Seattle area for about five years. Wacky.

While I was still on Hwy 2, I think I saw a pair of bald eagles by a small lake. One of them took off as soon as I stopped, and the other one hung out long enough for me to get out my camera, and then took off. He couldn't have waited two seconds longer...

Still more civilization

Thursday, 10 July: It was a nice afternoon, so I actually left the house, with its indoor plumbing and comfy beds, and went for a ride in the surrounding countryside. I went out to the local ski hill and walked up it for a nice 360 view of the lakes and woods nearby.

Friday, 11 July: Stormy and windy. Stayed indoors, doing nothing. I was planning to leave tomorrow, but weather.com is predicting strong winds all weekend, which is never good news for me, so I think I will stockpile a couple more days of family time before moving on...

In the evening a tornadic storm blew through just a few miles from the house. It rained super hard, but I saw no twisters. It was funny, because that was the least windy part of the day. I was expecting the rain to be blown against the windows, but it fell straight down.

Saturday, 12 July: I stayed inside, watching the wind blow like crazy while I made granola and cookies. Yum. Now it will be a while before I miss baking again.

Still nothing to report

Tuesday, 8 July: After staying up late talking, my stepsister and I went out to breakfast this morning, and chatted until she was ridiculously late for work. Oops!

I rode my bike (first time since the third!) to downtown Bemidji and got some photos of sculptures and my free map of Minnesota. The free highway maps are often larger and more detailed than the regular state road maps you see in the store. The Minnesota map even shows bike trails! Sweet. Then I went crazy ape bonkers at Harmony Coop, the natural food store. They had a pretty good selection, and after drooling over the Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese for awhile, I raided the bulk food section, and now I have a nice variety of veggie protein sources.

Later, my Aunt picked me up and we went to her place outside Bemidji, to hang and snack on the pound and a half of fudge I bought in a crazed craving frenzy yesterday. And some hummus I bought to, you know, balance out the fudge...

Wednesday, 9 July: More chillin'. I'm in no hurry to leave my Aunt's house, since there is some stormy weather predicted for the next couple of days. Today I considered going for a walk or riding my bike or, you know, leaving the house at all, but it just didn't happen. Maybe tomorrow.

I may never ride my bike again

Sunday, 6 July: More straight up chillin', and then my Uncle drove me down to see my Aunt and cousins in Pelican Rapids, since he was headed past there for a work thing. I have no qualms about hitchhiking when it involves seeing family. We stayed up late talking. It was mellow and good for the soul, as was the time with my Uncle and his girlfriend.

Monday, 7 July: I hitched another ride today to my stepsister's place in Bemidji. There's a lot of fun sculpture around town, as well as big Paul Bunyan and Babe statues. There will be upcoming flickr pics, I'm sure...

I've seen a few minutes of tv in the last couple of days, and I've learned two things:

1. Cell phones are a high fashion accessory, not a convenient communication device.

2. Gum is a very valuable dental tool.

Ow, my ears!

Friday, 4 July: Today was jam-packed with fun Fourth activities. I spent the day with my Uncle and his girlfriend, who grew up in the area and seems to pretty much know everyone. It helps that she is related to many of them, as she has 13 siblings. Dang! I had the pleasure of meeting her mother, who is a cut-up.

We started with biscuits and gravy, thanks to Jick's deliciously decadent cream cheese filled recipe. We went to the parade in Greenbush, then had a picnic in the park with some of Uncle's Girlfriend's family, who were fun and nice and introduced me to my new favorite ambrosia: cookie salad. That's right, cookie salad. It is vanilla pudding, cool whip, pineapple and mandarin oranges, topped with crumbled fudge stripes cookies. I couldn't get enough!

After the picnic, we went to the motocross races, where only one person was taken away in an ambulance. I heard later she had broken her rotater cuff. Then we went to the stock car races, where there was a spectacular mini sprint accident involving three vehicles, two of which flipped. Mini sprints are teeny tiny little ultra light cars with motorcycle engines, and they go super fast, so when they get airborne, they can really fly. Only one person was taken away in an ambulance. While there, I was spotted by a sweet woman who I had randomly met on the road to Roseau the day before. She had also been at the parade and motocross. Her fiancee races stock cars, and his grandson races motocross. The grandson had had a small crash with someone else that day, and sprained his wrist.

We stayed after the races for the fireworks, which were right out on the track area. They were super close, and huge, so that was pretty sweet.

Saturday, 5 July: Greenbush Rescue Pancake Breakfast Fundraiser, then some straight up chillin'.

Please enjoy this essay I wrote when I was about fifteen miles into Minnesota, while keeping in mind that I have met a lot of really kind, generous, helpful people since I wrote it.

Four Fingered Wave

When I left Highway 2 and headed into the far north of North Dakota, the frequency of four fingered waves increased until there was mutual waving with every single driver I passed. It made me think of a rural drive with my friend Jackie, when she invented "the wave wave," where you wave your fingers in sequence to make a little wave, like sportsfans in a stadium.

As I approached the border between North Dakota and Minnesota, I noticed the wave return frequency diminishing. On the Minnesota side, it was probably around ten percent. I had crossed the border jubilantly-- I was returning to the land of my birth! I was only a day away from seeing my Uncle, after 59 days of not seeing a single person I knew! But the lack of return waves started to get me down. "This is the stock I come from?" I thought. "These stoic hermits who pay no attention to anyone outside their own head?" Well, that wasn't exactly news to me, but a reminder of how difficult it has been to shed that frightened, inwardly-focused little girl I have been for most of my life, and how easy it would be for her to return if I didn't keep trying.

By milepost 8, I was ready to stop waving altogether. It was another reminder, a powerful one, of how much other people can affect our mood, and vice versa. It's why most of the people in a given city act differently from most of the people in another city. It's why the towns of Munich and St. Thomas, both in far northern North Dakota, both of similar size, located about 70 miles apart, can feel so different. It's why everyone in Seattle is polite, but not friendly, and everyone in Boston is friendly but blunt (Seattlites would say rude). When everyone around you behaves a certain way, it's very easy to join the crowd. When in Rome...

Of course this was all very easy to extrapolate to my differing relationships, or lack of, with various people in my life. When I reach out to someone and get rebuffed, or just plain ignored, it's way too easy for me to say "whatever. That person is not worth my time and energy." Then it becomes a vicious cycle, where I give up and don't respond to others when they reach out; where I apply the actions of a few to many, and decide no one is worth it. Then I'm left with nothing.

So, to all you infernal hermits: fine. Ignore me. Don't make eye contact. I'm going to keep waving my happy ass off.

Wooo, Minnesota!

Wednesday, 2 July: I rode into MN, fighting the wicked wind of the north the whole way. About fifteen miles into the state of my birth, where my whole family is from, I stopped for one of my roadside snackbreaks. Someone stopped to ask if I was okay. I looked over at him, the first person in the state to talk to me, and it took me a second to answer. The guy looked so much like my dad and his brothers! I said I was fine, he went on his way, and I called my dad.

I got to Karlstad, MN, and was feeling pretty high on life, both because I was in MN and because I was only one day away from seeing my Uncle. I went to the American Legion hall and ordered a whiskey, as well as a round of whatever the two people at the bar were drinking. I didn't pay for a drop of booze or a bite of food the whole night. The people in that bar took care of me. An old farmer kept trying to convince me to stick around for a while, and it seems like a nice place, but I am really looking forward to seeing family after 59 days of not seeing anyone I know.

Also, I had the noteworthy experience of meeting my first black person of this entire trip. Yo, they got mad diversity all up in here!

In Minnesota, the signs when you enter towns say the population. It's nice to know when you come in approximately how big it is.

Thursday, 3 July: I'm currently en route to my Uncle's place in Roseau. It's only 42 miles with a tailwind and a smooth road. It's practically a rest day. I'm pretty stoked about making it there in time for the Fourth. I hope you all have a great holiday, filled with friends and family.

Ich bin ein Municher

Monday, 30 June: The wind, even when it is somewhat helpful, still dries me out enough that I wish I had a stillsuit. I went north on Hwy 20. It was pretty easy pedalling, and I was really glad I had left 2. The road was narrow, but there weren't too many drivers, and they all gave me a lot of space when they passed. I rode past some small lakes, or big ponds, and there were a lot of birds. All of the townlets were small, and full of happy people. There was minimal roadkill. I stopped at a bar for some cold juice, and chatted up the bartender about the camping opportunities in upcoming towns. He recommended I go a few miles off my route, to Munich, ND, because it has a nice park. Garmin, and a woman I talked to on the way, agreed that it was the only town in the area that had more than a handful of houses and some silos. It was a pretty long day, and then I got to the park and what?! It's $13 to camp here?! There had better be a shower! There was, so I set up, cleaned up, reapplied deet, and headed to the bar to get the proper change to pay for camping. I was grumpy, hot and hungry when I got to the bar. It was $2.50 for a can of PBR, and they were only serving frozen pizza. Still grumpy, I ordered a pizza and wolfed down the entire thing. During the wolfing, the bartender brought me another can of beer, courtesy of someone at one of the tables. He didn't look my way, or attempt to talk to me, so I drank gratefully without looking the gift horse in the mouth. As I was leaving, I thanked him, and he said they were just wondering who I was, since it was such a small town and strangers stuck out like a sore thumb. I introduced myself, and they invited me to sit and have another beer with them. Well, alright! It was a group of five guys and a woman, who was so sharp and funny I high-fived her within about thirty seconds of sitting down. They were a load of fun, and when they heard I was camping in the park, one of the guys-- who looked like a smaller, coherent version of Don Vito-- said he was on the park board and I didn't have to pay. That fee is for the rich people! Awesome. We had a couple of beers, and I immediately felt comfortable being my mouthy self, cracking jokes at other people's expense. It's how I show affection, but not everyone gets that, so I often have to rein it in around new people. It was nice, because so much of my time on this trip has been spent talking to strangers and feeling like I am on company behavior. I finally dragged myself away to sleep, before all hope of taking advantage of tomorrow's west wind was gone. On my way out, the guy who bought me the first beer insisted on giving me some "gas money." He shoved $100 into my hand, said "tell everyone Munich, ND is the place to be" and shut the door in my face while I was protesting that I couldn't accept that much! It didn't take that to convince me that Munich is the place to be. I had a great time there. So if you are ever up that way, be sure to stop in at the Munich Bar! There is a bowling alley and a few stores, not to mention the nice big park. Also, the good people of Munich would like you all to know that they have electricity, indoor plumbing, and even the internet, all the way out here in northern ND.

And minimal roadkill.

Tuesday, 01 July: As much as I wanted to take a rest day in Munich-- heck, I wanted to stay for their Fourth of July celebration!-- I got back on the road today. As God is my witness, if I have to beg, borrow or steal, I will never waste another tailwind again. I soft pedalled on Hwy 66 for most of the day, and made killer time with the help of the wind, and some nice downhill bits. It didn't seem that strong, and I wasn't sure how much help I was getting until the road turned south for a mile or two, and my speed dropped quite a bit.

Some guy pulled up beside me and offered me both bottled water and money. People are so nice out here! If I were a less scrupulous person...

It was super hot and muggy, so I stopped at a bar for some juice. I asked about camping in upcoming towns, and ran into that thing I've seen before: people who have no friggin clue what is in the next town over. It's ten miles away! The town you live in only has like two things in it! I can't believe you have never checked out what's in the next town over! Okey doke, I'll just keep riding and see what I find.

I made it to Crystal, which has a park, but I didn't see bathrooms, and I thought I could make it further. I decided to continue on to St. Thomas, which seems to be a smidgen larger, though still under 500 people, according to my map. This seems to be the right size of town to have a decent park for camping. While in Crystal, I once again stopped at the bar for juice. The sweet friendly bartender chatted me up and gave me the juice, and one of those thingies that you soak in water and put on your neck to keep cool, for free. She is a fascinating woman, and her son does this yoga slacking thing that involves doing yoga while balanced on a slack rope. Yeesh! He's also into a bunch of other interesting sports, so we talked about that for a while.

When I headed out, I discovered the wind had suddenly changed to a strong wind from the north. Boo. I should have just stayed in Crystal, but now that I had decided to go further, my mind was set. It was only about ten miles further, and I managed it without too much pain.

In St. Thomas, I was directed to camp in this grassy field right off the main road. The way the trees are planted around it makes it more of a wind tunnel than a field when the wind blows north/south. There are no bathrooms or even garbage cans. It is right by the park, but is separated from it by this moat thing. I worked my way around into the park to investigate, and found a building that looks like it used to be bathrooms and a covered picnic table area, but is now all boarded up, with no picnic tables, and graffiti on the covered pavement. I talked to some more people, who said that there were no bathrooms, and camping is allowed in the wind tunnel, and there used to be a bridge across the moat but they took it down cuz, "ya know, teenagers." Um, okay. I found a spot that was mildly sheltered from the wind and set up. Cooking seemed like it would be challenging in the wind tunnel, and I considered going into town to a bar or restaurant to get some food and try to chat with some locals, but the moat made it seem like a really difficult process, and I felt the need to stick close to my stuff. Maybe I've been spoiled by all of my happy free camping experiences, but there is just something off about a town that chooses to let its park facilites go to crap and sequesters visitors from the town. I stayed in my tent, cleaning my ASP, which was starting to get a little rusty from riding in the rain, and was sticking a bit. It's in primo condition now. I'm going to go to bed early and get the heck out of here first thing tomorrow.

Wednesday, 2 July: Jonny's back. Today there is a brutal and chilly north wind (from Canada!) trying to blow me off the road. The shoulders slope here (like mine), so I try to stay on the actual road as much as possible. At least it isn't all hot and muggy.

No day off for me, because I obviously didn't want to stay in St. Thomas, and I had no idea what the wind predictions were, and I have this notion of getting to my Uncle's place before the Fourth of July. It's a tough ride, but I got an early start, and I'm just going to chug along and make as many miles as I can today. Right now I am resting in Drayton, which is right by the border of ND and MN, and has cell service. The weather site, which has been pretty right on as far as predicting wind goes, says tomorrow will be easy.

I'm hoping I will have service when I arrive, but I kinda doubt I will before then.