A fairly early wake up for a rather shortish day.  We all filed over to a Perkins about a mile from the motel after we loaded for breakfast and fellowship before our planned departure time of 7:00ish.  People are starting to get into the routine and are starting to feel comfortable with how we do things, but we still have a hic-cup now and again to keep it interesting.  Unlucky for the staff, no one did anything in the "Duh" category during loading so we missed our morning entertainment. 

The weather God smiled on us today...overcast, light winds, and beautiful scenery!  Well, at least at first.  Before too long, we began to get into some foggy conditions...not bad at all, but the air was thick enough that you couldn't see the Minnesota side of the river.  When it is clear, the river is awesome.  Today it was good, but everything had a haze to it.  By the time we got about half way to Prairie, the thick air began to let the moisture fall...not heavy, but we got wet for about 30 minutes before it cleared up again...then...the sun began to peek through until we got to town...well, almost.  As Karen and I turned of the main road we started to get a bit of precip.  We were about 3 miles out of town and about 5 miles from the motel.  Just before entering the city limits, we got into a downpour...quack, quack.  Instead of stopping to eat at one of my favorite eating establishments, we decided to go ahead and swim to the motel and get cleaned up before eating.  There were several people still out even though we had lollygagged most of the morning taking photos of the scenery.  Today was a smile day in spite of the rain...nice roads, good scenery, and much cooler temperatures than normal.  Above right, Nancy cruises by one of the many beautiful vistas along the river where we always see boat loads of fishermen every year.  The men in the boat were envious of Nancy as she rode by their boat and were wishing they were on a great bike ride down the river...Nancy was thinking, "Where can I get some night crawlers?"

The terrain was flat for the most part except for a few times it climbed up on the side of the bluffs that skirted the river.  However, most of the day, the terrain was the same...the river on the right, the road in front of us, and the ever present 300 foot bluffs to our left (photo left).  It was pretty tough to get lost today...all you had to do was stay between the bluffs and the river.  No one really wanted to explore Wisconsin to our left today...I wonder why?  I mentioned in rap that there was a scenic overlook about 18 miles out they could pedal up to see the river.  In the past, only the brave of heart have taken me up on that but today there were several who braved the half mile of 15% slope to the top...nice job folks, I'm proud of all of you and sorry the visibility was less than expected.  Was it worth the effort?  A couple of years ago when I was in the van, it even balked when it saw the slope in front of us.  For those who braved the ascent, it was good practice for the 3 climbs they will have the day after tomorrow.

Many of the historical markers in this area were financed, researched, and placed by a private individual.  They tell the story of the early days when the whites and Indians (when they weren't in their Winnebagos) were less than friendly to each other.  The interesting thing about the markers is the state of Wisconsin posts a disclaimer on each of them disavowing the author's crude and pointed text about the events.  They applaud his historical accuracy and acknowledge the importance of his contributions, but many view his political incorrectness as a sore point so Wisconsin maintains its uninvolvement.  In some places they even have an official state marker signifying the same event.  Interesting to see the difference in the PC point of view. 

Today's ride does bring back significant memories...in 2001 we departed LaCrosse on 9/11.  Of course it was a shock to us as it was to the whole nation and it spoiled an otherwise beautiful day that year...of course we realized there were people that had more on their mind than a ruined "perfect" day of cycling.  Our emotions were mixed as was the nation's...disbelief, rage, sorrow, concern, and helplessness were but a few of the thoughts we had in our group.  But most of all, we all came to realize how precious life really is and how important it is to live life to it's fullest while we can...isn't that why we do this sort of thing?  My mother asked me last year why we would even consider riding a bicycle across the country.  I told her it was because we could.  As I rode along the river today, my thoughts were with the families affected by that tragic day.  Time will heal, but it will take awhile.