TODAY'S TALES: 

Right out of the motel we faced a 10% climb out of town...whew!  I thought we left the Tetons a couple weeks ago!  To say it was a knee breaker so early in the morning would be an understatement and with only about 2 blocks to warm up, it was also a lung buster.  I was riding today so Karen and I could blast into Rochester to route everyone through a complicated bike path system to the motel.  We left the motel in box to get ahead of the pack...I just didn't want to hammer for 100 miles...at least that was the plan.  We ended up pushing the pace pretty well all day...so much for a plan.  

Again we were blessed with just a perfect day to ride...light wind and cool temperature.  Usually when we come through this part of the country, it's pretty toasty and the humidity is pretty high too...especially for folks in these parts.  Last year even the locals were saying it was awful, but when the humidity gets in Alabama like it does here, our furniture starts to crack from lack of moisture.

We gave the riders an option of riding a nice bike path around the city of Rochester to get them off a busy road to the motel.  Well, this bike path system isn't user friendly and is pretty complicated so in spite of our efforts to mark it, several got lost a couple times.  Karen and I had covered the distance just after noon and were hustling to mark the path before the riders got into town.  It takes awhile to stop and put down markers at every intersection and by the time we were just getting to the end, the front riders started to bump up against us.  We'd been a little farther ahead of the front had it not been for a culvert being out at mile 65.  Karen and I had to talk to several locals to check our options to get around it.  As it worked out, the vans had to detour a mile or so, but the riders were able to do a little cycle cross through a corn field to get around.  At this point in the ride, a little construction isn't going to stop this bunch.

All in all I think it was a pretty easy day...when did we ever think we'd call a 100 mile day easy?  Plus, I think everyone would agree that Minnesota farm land is beautiful.  I know I've said it before, but the farms are magnificent diamonds set in emerald fields of corn or soybeans. Each farm is a gem:  neat and tidy, houses painted, lawns mowed right up to the outbuildings, hanging flower baskets and large flower gardens, and shade trees.  As we departed into the eastern sunrise, the dew was heavy and for a few miles we were in and out of fog which made the reflection on the foliage serene.  Everywhere you looked there were tree islands sheltering silos, barns, and farm lots.  Meadowlarks sang their summer songs in the early morning as we pedaled to our destination.  When people ask me why I ride a bicycle across the nation, it's days like this that draw me to the road.  You can just let your mind wander as you pedal through changing scenery...or you can solve all the world's problems, depends on whether you're Type A or Type B, though come to think of it, I don't think I've ever met a Type B cyclist.

We kicked out another day and all finished and are ready to do it again tomorrow.  We'll start a little later since we don't have to beat the heat.  We're looking forward to a better bike path tomorrow...at least it's easy to navigate...good thing or I would be lynched.  M

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