Today's 90 mile ride didn't seem as long as previous rides in Montana or South Dakota. We followed the Elroy Sparta Trail and the 400 Trail. On the trail, we walked our bikes through three tunnels. The tunnels were originally for trains and were completed in 1873. The tunnels were so dark that we needed flashlights to guide our walk. What an awesome experience and another great day to remember.
Cycled only a few miles to the bridge over the Mississippi River. On the other side, we entered Wisconsin. Most of the day was spent on bike trails. The limestone surface was actually much better than some of the roads we've been on during this trip. With no cars and no barking dogs, while cycling on the trail, we were very relaxed. When we entered our final destination of the day, the town of Sparta, I discovered that this town is "the bicycle capital of the nation." The first rails to trails, 101 miles long, was completed here in 1976.
How about the price? Of course, it is the year 1902. The bicycle actually costs less if ordered without the wheels according to the ad.
Relaxing day. I walked around town and enjoyed viewing all the stained glass in various public buildings. In the afternoon I could not resist taking my bike out alone and circling Lake Winona. The black eyed Susan's and purple cone flowers surround bike path.
The golden era for the town was from 1870-1900. As a result of wheat farming, the lumber industry, and train transportation, the town flourished and grew in the early years.
Cycling into Winona, we stopped at the Maritime Art Museum along the Mississippi and then continued onto the levee before reaching our final destination. Winona is located on a sandbar in the Mississippi. You can tell by this photo that we are happy to be here. Tomorrow is our day off, and I can tour the "Stained Glass Capital of the Nation" on foot.
While walking through Winona this evening, I was amazed to see such charming homes. This "find" was on a porch on Main Street as we walked to the lake.
Upon our arrival, we cycled to the levee to see the replicas of these historic ships.
We had an early start today, even though it was a short 46 mile ride. We started early because the heat index was 100. The winds were out of the south and in our face with gusts of 20-30 MPH; thunderstorms were predicted in the late afternoon. Lunch was at 11 a.m. and we had lots of extra time to hang out in Mantorville at the farmer's market. Notice that I am carrying corn on my bike to eat later upon our arrival in Kasson.
Today we cycled a total of 70 miles, with 40 of these miles on the Sakatah Singing Hills State Trail. For the first time on the trip, we didn't have to worry about cars on the road. We could just relax and enjoy nature all around us.
When leaving Sleepy Eye, I spotted a stained glass store and met Mike Mason, the owner. He has a huge store and teaches, works on commissions and repairs, and is the largest distributor of glass in the five state region.
The terrain was flat for miles, so it was an easy 64 mile ride. Loved the name of the town, Sleepy Eye, named after a lake that was in turn named for a Dakota Indian chief Ish Tak Ha Be (Sleepy Eye). We ended in New Ulm, a German town, but on Sunday the stores were closed. The church where we are staying was locked, because the minister forgot that we were arriving today. We were invited to use the B&B next door for showers and prefered their showers to our cabana!
In the middle of our 62 mile ride, we stopped in Tyler, Minnesota, for the Danish Festival. We ate danish pastry and aebleskivers, marveled at local handcrafters, and watched a dance demonstation. After last nights tornado warning/storm, today's perfect weather was a gift.
Along the road, windmill "arms" are stored for repair. We are inside one of the propellers which I measured. This 40 feet long, 8 feet high propeller seemed huge, but I was told that this one is quite small. Others, on previous trips, have been measured as long as 90 to 120 feet!
The scenery changed as we approached Bookings, only 21 miles from the Minnesota border. Lakes and farms with corn, wheat, and alfalfa added greenery to the terrain that was bleak before. Tonight there is a tornado watch and it is getting very dark outside. The ride today was 83 miles and we fought the headwinds again.
In 2003 the town was wiped out by the strongest tornado in the world. The wall that was left is of the original Town Hall.
DeSmet, South Dakota, is the home of Laura Ingalls Wilder, author of Little House on the Prairie series, that I read as a kid. The stories are based upon her life in the late 1800's.
I know the sign reads "Welcome to Huron" but we entered yesterday from a different direction and did not see the pheasant until our departure.
It stormed during the night and was very cloudy this morning. In a town nearby, the rainfall set a record of four inches per hour.
The 82 mile ride started early to beat the predicted rain and winds. Along the route I saw the road for miles in front of me and the most magnificent cloud formations. All I could think about was God and how God had created this universe of beauty. For me, cycling though South Dakota was inspirational.
This photo is of our support vehicle with our new driver, Blaine. The trailer is always a welcoming site at lunch and when we bed down at night.
The ride today was 76 miles without much to see except beehives and interesting "rainbow roads" of purples, reds, and jade. It appeared as if the colors in the road must have been the result of stones used from the Badlands.
The winds were strong today, making riding difficult. It threatened to rain all day and finally, after lunch, there was a downpour on our way to our final destination, Ft. Thompson, a Sioux Indian reservation. Two miles before the reservation, the terrain changed as we crossed the Missouri River.
Six of us decided to add the Badlands to our route today, increasing our total mileage to 102 miles.
For about 30 million years, layers of mud, sand and gravel were laid down upon one another. In those layers are fossils of prehistoric animals. About one to four million years ago, erosion began to outpace the deposits, leaving colorful spires resembling castles. These were the magnificent structures that we saw this morning that, for me, has made this a special day. Perhaps this is the Glacier National Park climb that I missed.
Wheat fields and unoccupied land was the scenery for the next 60 miles. I could not photograph the enormous number of grasshoppers that joined us on the rest of the ride! It was definitely the "year of the locust."
Today's 55 mile ride lacked trees or mountains but we did see billboards for the famous Wall Drug! This evening a storm approached. I have never seen sky or cloud formations like these before. All I could think about when the wind and rain came thundering down was what would I have done if I had been on my bike.
I had never heard of Wall Drug. Have you? The Husteads started this drug store in 1931 and it is still run by the family today. Dorothy Hustead came up with an idea to increase their pharmacy business. She realized that people driving through the hot prairie must be very thirsty and put up signs - Free Ice Water! People flocked to the store and the rest is history. The store is over a city block square. You can find anything at this store from western boots to fossils to a traveler's chapel.
This is our second layover day to rest before we continue through South Dakota. Today a few of us lunched with Peter and his daughter. Peter cycled with Nancy and Ken in the year 2000. After college he decided to teach on an Indian reservation and has been here for ten years. We learned a lot about life on a reservation and began to understand the plight of the American Indian first hand.
Ziva and I do miss our grandchildren on the trip. We were delighted to play with baby Charlotte. I loved her beaded moccasins and her adorable smile.
On our way back to our hotel, we discovered the two-block long Art Alley and could not stop photographing all the unique graffiti on the walls. Graffiti was all over - on dumpsters, electrical boxes, buildings, stairs. Not an inch was left unpainted in the alley.
Rapid City is known as the City of Presidents. Meet Thomas Jefferson. Other presidents are on corners everywhere.
Just couldn't resist getting on the bike trail around Rapid City this morning. Our destination was this Norwegian church built on the hillside, a reproduction modeled after a "stavkirke" in Norway. It is hard to believe that this wooden structure is made without any nails!
