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...