Another multi state day :) Riders left Stillwater - with the route somewhat in question. Tom was packing up and missed the photo! Left to right -> Chuck, Jerry, Roy & Craig. You can tell by the dress, another cloudy & somewhat cool day.
Anticipated road work/closures ahead meant a deviation in the prescribed route. A little tricky, but everyone made it to breakfast - everyone, that is, except ME! Guess who got lost. Actually, not lost, just mis-placed. I finally met up with the group in Afton - not too much worse for the wear! The route continued along Stagecoach Trail/Hwy 21 to Port Douglas where the St. Croix and Mississippi rivers meet. We crossed the St. Croix river into Prescott, Wisconsin.
State number two
Following Route 35 South along the Mississippi
We had some good views of the river along Route 35 -
Diamond Bluff, Wisconsin overlook:
A stop at a winery along the way, a few extra bottles to pack for the trip home :)
We continued the route, toward our next river crossing - at Redwing, Minnesota - arriving in our third state for the day. Well, okay, we really were only in two states today - but back and forth!
Did you know Redwing is a great place to shop? No, not shoes, pottery! Yes, there were purchases made, who could pass up such great pottery.
Another good day for driving and cycling.
As a follow up to our dinner with my long time friends, Charlie and Pat, I don't think any of us have changed at all! We had a great visit catching up on the last 27 years, promising not to let another 27 years pass before another visit.
Patty no longer lost on the road.
NOTES FROM TOM: Most notably, a dry day. Showers were forecast, but never materialized. Not a lot of sun, and some headwinds, but nothing serious. The hills we anticipated were oversold--they weren't long. There were a couple of steep places--10 to 12%, but short. Total distance was 48 miles, so not a long day.
Lots of blooming lilacs which smelled wonderful. One near dog attack. This guy headed for me from in front of me, but missed and went behind me. By the time he got turned around and headed my way, I was pedaling my buns off and his owner was screaming at him. A close call, but no damage.
Crossing drawbridges can be spooky, depending on the road surface on the section that raises. We crossed one today which was a metal grating, and those can be treacherous when wet. Today it was dry, and there was a solid surface about 18" wide on the outside, so we were able to ride on it.
Once today I was on a road with about 4" of pavement to the right of the white line. I see a sign that says "Shoulder Narrows" and I thought 'really, how much narrower can it get?' Although the roads were skinny and fairly bumpy in places, there was almost no traffic, so all in all it was a good ride.
Looking forward to another dry day tomorrow.
Tom.
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