My Mississippi River Ride

The Cigar Run To The Border!

2007-06-24T09:38:00.000-05:00

The last two days of the ride went from Itasca State Park to International Falls, and across the border to Fort Frances, Ontario, with an overnight in little Northhome, Minnesota. Thanks to Katie Hawes for the tip on traveling "beside the road". The first day was drop dead gorgeous, with pleasant weather and tailwinds. The second day looked dangerous, but the rains never came and the winds, a quartering head-wind, were just strong enough to make a challenge, but not too strong to be fun. Georgia drove the car the entire two days because of her earlier injury, and what a fantastic sag driver. One morning she met us on the road with a personalized tray of hot drinks: coffee for Janet, decaf tea for me, and hot chocolate for Edith. Now that's what I call support! Here a few pictures of the big finish, and no more lengthy reports! Thanks for sharing my ride with me!

There was an extra set of "Bo-Peep" signs, so WomanTours graciously loaned them to us for my red "Bo-Peep!"

I officially turned over the new Bo-Peep keys to Georgia!

This is the Mighty Mississippi, Big Muddy, somewhere between Itasca and Bemidji. Way up here, the powerful river is neither "Mighty" nor "Muddy", but it is certainly pretty!

Edith is allergic to peanuts, so she used some of the remaining WomanTours rations to make her daily "treat", a raisin sandwich.

Approaching a sag stop, somewhere up north.

Georgia borrowed a menu to "invite" us in for a break at the restaurant in Big Falls, where we indulged in caramel rolls with our morning "tea" break. While sitting at a booth I looked at a bench far across the road. I couldn't read the writing, but I announced to my friends, "I believe that bench says 'In Memory of Wayne". Those of you who ride the Klobuchar ride may remember Wayne's World in Baudette, and some of you might even remember sitting on a bench in Big Falls a couple of days later....I wasn't sure if this was the right town, but....

Indeed it was.....somewhere in my non-digital photos there is a picture of me and several other cyclists sitting on this same bench, a few years ago!

We rode the last couple of miles into International Falls with Mervyn, a fifteen-year-old who last year rode with his father from Pensacola, Florida to International Falls, self-contained, in 29 days! Kind of made us feel like we hadn't really worked too hard! Mervyn and his dad now ride recumbent, though he was on an upright this day. Mervyn, by the way, is a walking, talking testament to the value of home-schooling. Thanks for joining us Mervyn--you really made our arrival in the Falls a very special moment!

Georgia greeted us at the Holiday Inn with a red "carpet"...

We went to Canada for dinner at the Rendezvous, which is where I ate lunch when Klobuchar went through I-Falls years ago, the same year we enjoyed Wayne's World in Baudette and that bench in Big Falls! It is a lovely restaurant, with excellent food, but Janet decided to polish off her last WomanTours peanut butter sandwich. After eating those sandwiches for 40 days or so, I think we'll all lay off peanut butter for awhile!

Here I am at the Rendezvous, with my New Orleans bike jersey, my Vicksburg earrings, and my Most Determined award. Do I look happy?

Couldn't get a Cuban, but I did find a Havana Seed cigar. It wasn't very good, but we went through the ceremony anyhow. I think this may be the last cigar I smoke!

We were all a little sad looking at our bicycles on the rack...seemed weird to be pulling them instead of riding them!

In the morning, we rolled out the red carpet again, this time for Georgia, sag driver extraordinaire and a great new friend. Georgia, Janet, and Edith all inspire me--though the reasons they inspire are varied, the message I read into their experiences, courage, and wisdom, comes out the same--life is good, so go out and live it while you can!

Back in the townhouse in Maple Grove, I curled up on Annie's makeshift bed with her cuddly stuffed toys--exhausted and happy!

The End

Award Ceremony (June 17)

2007-06-24T08:40:00.000-05:00

We had a "banquet" the last night, dinner at the trailer with a few extra treats. Don't ask me what they were, as I am back in the real world now and my brain isn't functioning too well. (What else is new?)

Linda R.'s husband met her at the finish line with a cool sign made by her son. Even though they live in Virginia, I believe they will be my company for clever magnetic signs! Linda's son is very creative! A cycling turtle! That's my kind of sign! He also made the Bo-Peep signs on the Subaru; where did he find cycling sheep?

This is Laurie, who sported the Sheriff's badge on more than one occasion during the trip...once to scold Georgia for a rather daring challenge to Homeland Security. Laurie gave out several awards through the evening.

Linda received two awards. One, the Diet Coke, is from Barbara A who rode with Linda through most of the trip. Some of us are powered by Power Bars, some by caffeine, some by Pie, and some, apparentlyk, by Diet Coke! Laurie awarded Linda the Rookie of the Year Award for her amazing growth from a 20-miler to an 87-miler in just five weeks! Linda is also wearing the necklace that the group gave her when we gave the sag riders their gifts. Linda's says "Everything is Possible." We all thought that was fitting.

Laurie gave me the "Most Determined" award, prompted by two days in particular, the day she swept me in at end of the 109-miler, a 13-hour day on the bike for me, chased by the sunset, and the day into Hannibal with those horrible hills. The award has matches around it, for my use in lighting that cigar I intend to smoke in Canada. Laurie said I made those rides without whining once, which may be true, but I sure made up for it on the way to the Headwaters the day before!

Jenna, our youngest rider, got the "What If" award, for all the "What If" games she played, mostly during map meetings. "What if I want a ride after 30 miles?" "What if there is a tornado?" "What if...." I don't remember them all, but they were very funny. Jenna was always the last one on the road in the morning, and she steadily and seemingly without effort glided by us. She is a strong rider and could have been the first in every day if she wished, but she enjoyed her stops and she enjoyed her ride, even if she was with a bunch of old ladies!

Judy M. got the "Best Dressed?!" award for her fashion sense. Judy and Holly had a lot of fun showing off their "fashionable" attire during the ride. The morning after the banquet, Judy put the little pom pons in her hair, but my flash wasn't working, so the photos are no good! Too bad, because it was very cute!

Stephanie got her award for the most bike troubles, which included several broken spokes. The "Roll it in the River" award reflected her desire to do just that with her bicycle!

Judy N.'s award is for the "Most Flats in One Day!" (five!) Not the most total, but certainly the most upsetting. I don't think she got any more flats after that day, but she had seven total, and its a wonder she didn't roll her bike in the river!

AT THE HEADWATERS! (Still June 16, and also June 17)

2007-06-23T07:40:00.000-05:00

On arrival at Douglas Lodge we learned that there is a lovely six mile trail from the lodge to the headwaters, so we decided to finish our Mississippi portion as originally designed, on the 16th. Linda R and Judy N joined us, as did Jenna. Jenna had already been there, but she had never ridden a century, so the extra 12 mile round trip would achieve that goal!
The trail was beautiful, and it seemed to be running downhill the majority of the way. I just couldn't imagine climbing back six miles, and insisted that I was NOT biking back to the lodge. "I said I'd bike TO the Headwaters," I insisted. "I never said I'd bike back! I'll ask someone to drive my bike and me back."
Once we got there, we were thrilled to see the big map outside the visitor center--it is a huge three-dimensional topo map of the river, from the Gulf to the Headwaters! I saw it before the trip, but it was a lot more fun afterwards. We headed for the water and were surprised to learn that we were not allowed to bring the bikes down to the lake. We had planned to dip our tires in the water, and Jan decided she was not going to be stopped--she popped her front tire off the bike and carried it down to the lake!
Edith walked across the rocks with no trouble at all, but I found my legs were too shaky, so I walked across without the path. The water felt so good, I just jumped all the way in! I felt great afterwards, but I still didn't want to climb a lot of hills. Janet swore I had misread the hills, but Judy and I were adamant that it was going to be six miles of mostly climbing. In the end, Edith told us we simply had to bike back, so Judy, Linda and I sighed and got on our bikes.
And what a surprise--Janet was absolutely correct. We had a great ride back, more down than up in fact! The scenerey was great and it was a fabolous end to a lovely day.

The next day was a rest day, and we woke to a major downpour. Everyone lay in their cozy cabins and lodge rooms listening to the rain and thinking, "I'm sure glad I don't have to get up and bike!" My biking buddy from Minnesota, Karen V., drove over from Grand Rapids and went on a boat ride with the while group. Karen had just finished the Klobuchar ride, so it was fun to share stories. That night we had our final banquet. It was very sad to say goodbye to everyone. There were lots of awards--the group gave Georgia, Ann, Jan, and Stephanie (our Sag drivers), and Vicky (the cook's assistant) necklaces in thanks for their great support. The cook, Linda, got a WomanTours tee shirt from WT in honor of her satisfactory completion of her "probation" with the company. Our waistlines can all support their decision to keep her. She sure can cook! There were several individual rewards--I'll put them in a separate blog.

Good food, lots of laughs and a few tears, and then off to bed. Most of the ladies will get on the bus at 7:00 tomorrow morning, and Edith, Janet, Georgia and I will head for the border!

Happy trails,

Dusty

Pine River to Itasca State Park! Yippee!!! (JUNE 16)

2007-06-22T06:10:00.000-05:00

We did it!!! All the way up the Mississippi to the Headwaters. We finished the official WomanTours portion of the ride with beautiful weather and, wonder of wonders, two days of accurate cue sheets! What a beautiful ride we had. Of course, four of us still have two days to go, but this was a huge milestone and we relished it. Edith and Janet rode with me today. I think they wanted us to end this portion of the ride together before we set off on our big ride, and it was sure fun to have them, though I know they slowed down considerably to stay with me.

We biked the Paul Bunyan trail again to Akely, where we stopped for morning tea (Edith got that routine started and I sure have enjoyed it) and found an okay little cafe. Barbara A. was meeting her husband, Gary, in Akely. While we were biking up the river, Gary was biking self-contained from their home near Tahoe with a friend. The friend left in Mankato to fly home, and Gary continued to Park Rapids where he waited for Barbara. On the last morning, Gary met Barbara in Akeley and they biked back to Park Rapids on the Heartland Trail, planning to ride to the park together in the morning.

Janet, Edith and I planned to ride the rest of the day with Linda R., who has been Barbara's biking partner the entire trip. Did I tell you before about Linda? She had not ridden more than 20 miles a day before this trip! I'm sure she didn't know what she was getting in for, but what an amazing trooper she has been. Several of us talked to her on day one and suggested she consider the first couple of weeks as her training weeks, and that's what she did, riding part days until she could build up her strength for full days. Linda spent the trip setting personal mileage highs day after day. I think her longest day was probably 87 miles. What an accomplishment!

We thought it would be fun to join Linda on the last afternoon so she wouldn't ride into the park alone after Barbara left, and so we could share her excitement. She didn't stop in Akely, but we thought, no problem, we'll catch up with her. By the lunch stop in Hackensack, we finally found her, riding with the sisters and several other fairly fast riders--but they were leaving as we biked in! Linda had been keeping up with all those ladies all afternoon!!! She really became a great rider in these few weeks!

We weren't willing to abandon lunch in order to join the group, so we stopped and ate and had a great time at the cafe. I know Edith and Janet could have caught up with the other group before the park, but they continued to ride with me, so we missed Linda's big entrance.

We rolled into Itasca at the East Entrance and headed straight to the lodge, thinking that perhaps we would ride to the Headwaters in the morning. We found Linda there with her husband, Rick, and the cool sign he had brought to welcome her in. His son had made the sign and it is really cute. He also made the Bo-Peep sign which our Subaru sag sported throughout most of the trip. I was particularly excited by Linda's Congratulations sign, because it sported that cute turtle!

More about the grand finale in the next post. For now,

Happy trails,

Dusty

Little Falls to Pine River and a Surprise! (JUNE 15)

2007-06-21T21:23:00.000-05:00

We rested in Little Falls for a day and I took advantage at last of the opportunity to update the blog. In other words, I spent most of the day on the couch in the lobby with my laptop and a Perkins muffin! In the evening we took a cab down to Little Falls for dinner. Someone had told us that Little Falls had nothing for offer except the Lindbergh museum. A lot of people did check out the museum and said it was well worth the visit. Little Falls turned out to be interesting--I hadn't been through the actual town in decades, as the highway bypasses Main Street, so I was pleasantly surprised. The Black and White restaurant was the only alternative to fast food chains and Perkins, and turned out to be a real special treat. They had elegant meals as well as reasonably priced specials and it was very casual. Most of us had walleye encrusted with something (can't recall now) and garnished with a strawberry salsa, and it was great. (Yes, it is all about the food.) The young couple that own the place look like teenagers, but they know how to treat customers, and the husband is great chef. I had been surprised several days earlier to realize that almost no one on the trip had ever heard of walleye. It is such a staple in Minnesota and surrounding states that I wasn't aware how local it is. Most of them had to see it on the menu (and on my plate) several times before they were willing to try it, but they were all pleased with the results. I guess the name is a turn-off--another of those things we take for granted!

The ride to Pine River was a lot of fun. Edith and I rode with the sisters and one of Jan E's friends, Mary, into Brainerd and several of us stopped by the Coco Moon coffee shop a bit off route. Brainerd is 13 miles from my home town, so I really enjoyed riding through as we approached the end of our journey! From Brainerd, we hit the Paul Bunyan Trail, a smooth, straight paved trail through the woods; I've biked it in the fast, including a day with John and several friends when it rained the entire day. In fact, it is so straight that some of the WomanTour riders found it a little boring. Sue and Frankie told us that they had just expressed that sentiment out loud to each other when the sky opened up. They decided to keep such thoughts to themselves in the future.

The rain was a real downpour, complete with lightning. At least, the other riders all reported lightning; I didn't see it, but then the rain was so heavy that I could barely see the trail in front of me. We pulled into Nisswa, a small tourist town, soaking wet and getting wetter, and ducked into a bicycle shop for shelter. Luckily, they didn't have any jerseys with their store name on it, so I didn't spend any money! When the rain stopped, we hurried over to the Adirondack Coffee Shop for lunch and enjoyed a relaxing warm up and a tasty lunch. After lingering awhile, we started out biking again, but after a few minutes the sky opened up again, and this time I believe the rain was even worse. Edith and I kept riding in and out of downpours for the rest of the day, but Sue and Frankie, who left town a half hour or so after us, only experienced an occasional light drizzle! Weird! I put my camera away when the first rain started and never took it out again that day, so there are hardly any pictures of this day.

The Trailside Motel in Pine River was very hospitable. I had visitors that evening for dinner and they let us drag chairs into their tiny lobby and take over the place. A friend I have known since the third grade, Sue Georges, lives very close--I haven't seen her since our 20th high school reunion! My mother came from Crosby, 25 miles or so from Pine River, with my nephew Lee, who was visiting from California, and his mom, Wendy, from Des Moines. I knew they were all coming, so I wasn't surprised when Linda, the cook, mentioned that they had stopped by already, but I was surprised when she said other relatives had called, and she had invited them to dinner. Turned out to be my aunt, Carolyn, and her husband, Bruce, who drove over from Grand Rapids. Whew! It was quite a crowd! It was great to see them all.

By this time, I am really feeling odd--did we really bike this far? Is it really almost over? Mixed feelings: I won't be sorry to stop spending every evening checking tires and getting ready for the next day, or to stop waking up early and packing to rush off every morning--but I also don't want the biking to end, and I don't want to say goodbye.

Happy trails,

Dusty

Cambridge to Little Falls, miles, anyone's guess!

2007-06-14T13:30:00.000-05:00

PHOTOS: TOP TO BOTTOM:

The classic red barn and a nostalgic look at farms of the past.

This pretty puppy barked at us, but at least he didn't chase us!

Linda, in front of the Ramey Grub and Pub. We like to go where we are welcome!

Jenna (the young pup in the group) rests after a long day.

Patty was better today, and said she wanted to bike slowly and lollygag with Edith and me, but she was off like a rocket and we didn't see her again until Little Falls. We had a good day, but there were not many "lollygagging" opportunities. The area we rode through astonished me. I have watched all the roads between Minneapolis and Brainerd "bloom" with homes and businesses over the years, but this place was just plain rural!

I noticed on the cue sheets that we were supposed to turn on something called 5S/SE. Hmmm. SE is a funny name for a road in Minnesota. Everyone told me I was nuts, county roads are often named with letters, but I sure never heard of such a thing in Minnesota. Sure enough, when we reached Milaca, we turned on 23. There was no sign of a 5S or an SE. We were looking for a cup of tea, but I threw Edith and Barbara M. for a loop when I turned into the floral shop. I had spotted the "COFFEE" sign outside, so we took a break there. I'm glad we did, because Georgia soon showed up to tell us that the bridge at our next turn was washed out! She had already found the alternate directions. Guess what, extra miles, how unique! We added a few more through the day, as the cue sheets continued to be misleading. 87 miles when all was said and done, instead of the planned 77. There were at least three casualties: Vicky was knocked off her bike by a dog; that was bad enough, but she fell in the grass, and she is allergic to grass. She soon had a reaction and her face and tongue swelled up, but she kept riding! Georgia's possible broken rib was hurting terribly and the road was really rough, so she was finally persuaded to get in the sag wagon. And Patty was six miles from Little Falls when she just plain collapsed on the side of the road, apparently dehydrated from having been sick for two days. Whew, Stephanie, the sag driver, had her work cut out for her, fetching wounded bikers and trying to help us all find our way through the bad directions.

Anyway, all's well that ends well. The ride was pretty. I stopped a local woman and asked for directions. She obliged, and then told Edith and I to go to the creamery and have an ice cream cone and put it on her bill! We had just finished lunch, so we had to decline, but wasn't that a sweet offer?

I pushed hard to keep up with Edith, and the last ten miles were really tough for me, but I knew I had a rest day, so no worries! Only two more riding days for the group, four more for the "Cigar Runners"!

Happy trails,

Dusty

Stillwater to Cambridge, Minnesota, 50 miles

2007-06-14T12:55:00.000-05:00

Edith usually rides with Patty G., but Patty was sick yesterday and today, so she caught up with me mid-morning, and announced that she would "lollygag" with me once again. We had several miles of lovely, flat trail--actually, more miles than the cue sheet seemed to think we would have. Another happy surprise, although it was confusing. At the end of the trail, in Harris, we were rewarded with Scoops, a very cute little ice cream shop. Check out the picture--don't they look serious about their treats?

Before reaching the ice cream stand, I spotted this yellow truck in the parking lot. Of course, I had to take some pictures for Janet BEE!!!

There were probably many other highlights of the day, but I'm afraid my brain has gone blank, so that will be all for now!

Happy trails,

Dusty

Red Wing to Stillwater, Surprises all around

2007-06-12T21:03:00.000-05:00

The morning started out on a bright note. I was walking out to the breakfast trailer just as a car pulled up and a little boy jumped out and ran towards the trailer. "Gramma!!!", he shouted, and leaped into Barbara's arms. It was a movie moment! Barbara's daughter, son-in-law and grandsons were attending a wedding in Minneapolis, and when they realized how close they were to Barbara, they changed their plane reservations and drove down to spend the day with her. Pretty cool!

We headed out for what I thought was a 58 mile day. Another drop-dead gorgeous day, with moderate hills, tailwinds, and sunshine. Edith got a late start so she caught up with me and instead of zooming off, stayed and rode with me for the rest of the day. Of course, she did a lot of waiting, too. We had a great time, stopping off for treats and chats with the locals. We met a golden retriever named Lady and three llamas. Here's a picture of Edith trying to get a smooch from Viton (I have no idea how that should be spelled). The llamas had just been shorn, and their owner called them "big French poodles." He was trying to mow the lawn, but apparently WomanTours cyclists had been stopping by for photo ops all day long.

Half way through the day, step-son Scott called and asked if he and his two-year-old daughter Marissa could stop by and say hello in Stillwater. (Oh, gee, what do you think I said?)

Just as we were turning coming up to Bayport, about mile 48, I told Edith that I needed to find a restroom before we headed into the last ten miles. Laurie pulled up just then, and as we talked about the turn we were making, I suddenly realized that we were only a mile from the end. I'd been thinking all day that we had a 58 mile route, but in fact, it was only 48! Way to read the cue sheet, Dusty! I was most happy.

Edith and I got to town in plenty of time for me to clean up before Scott arrived, and since we were on our own for dinner, Janet and Edith joined us for dinner downtown. I've been to Stillwater many times, but it is new to Janet and Edith, and it is always fun for me. Little Marissa has an independent streak--she does not want to be carried--she wants to walk on her own. But when you put her down, she refuses to take your hand, and since Stillwater is busy, we simply had to carry her!

Stillwater is a river town, with the traditional steps leading straight up the hill! Allie, remember climbing in to the top of the town up the big steps in Hot Springs? I asked Marissa if she wanted to walk up the stairs, and of course she did, but after about 20 steps she wanted to be carried. Jan, Edith, and Scott had followed us, so of course we had to finish. I carried Marissa up the steps and it was a challenge! Here's a picture of Marissa and I, standing on the rocks overlooking the Mighty--St. Croix River!

Heading for the Headwaters!

2007-06-12T20:56:00.001-05:00

As we pedal through Minnesota, I realize that the headwaters are getting very close. Only three more pedaling days before the ride officially ends, only five more days for those of us who are continuing on to the Canadian border. I thought you might like to see what the river looks like at its birthplace, our destination, Itasca State Park. This picture is of Annie, as she walked across the Mississippi river just a few days before I left for New Orleans.

Wabasha to Red Wing, 32 miles

2007-06-12T20:25:00.001-05:00

There were lots of good things about today. It was only a 32 mile ride. The cue sheet really couldn't be wrong, as we were on one road all the way to Stillwater. The terrain was beautiful. And, since I was in a big hurry, I was glad that I have biked this ride in the past on the Klobuchar ride and didn't feel a need to stop. I left at 6:15, the first one one the road, probably for the first time, and I stopped only twice, to use the roadside "facilities", aka bushes. I whisked through Wabasha and waved at Lake City, recalling a long ago sailing trip with Earl and Carol Hall, then past Frontenac, where John and I attended a wedding several years ago, and into Red Wing. I missed the hotel on the first pass, and arrived almost at the same time as Vicky and Marilyn. Vicky, Marilyn, and Lois are the "hard core" riders on the trip. They are fit, fast, and never stop to lollygag along the way. Even though they probably left an hour after I did and still caught up with me without breaking a sweat, it was still fun to be in town a moment or two ahead of them! I'm sure its the last time I'll be first in town, so I have to relish the moment!

We had coffee at Caribou while the hotel was getting rooms ready. Lois skipped coffee and hit the beautiful Red Wing/Cannon Falls trail. She did the whole thing, making hers a 72 mile day. I was eager to shower as soon as possible, for the best reason this was a good day. I was anticipating several visitors: Stepson Tony, his wife Cara, and two of their four children, Collin and Jack. We hit the bike shop (Two year old Collin was very excited by the bikes--he loves anything with wheels, though he loves them more if they have motors--tractors, trucks, bobcats, motorcycles, boats--Tony and Cara are going to have to keep a tight leash on this little guy!) Jack is only three months old and right now he is mostly interested in his bottle! We headed up to town for lunch, and soon my sister Mary and her daughter Annie joined us--this is Annie of "Annie's Blog". Then a few minutes later my brother John walked in! All in all, a very fine day for me.

I was really happy to see Mary, as she has had a very tough time while I have been gone. I hesitated to bring it up earlier, but while I was in Memphis, Mary went in for a stress test due to pain in her arm, and had a heart attack during the test. Three stints later she was sent home with clear arteries, but it has been a very scary time for her (and us), and it was great to see her and know she is okay.

When I first heard that Mary was in the hospital, and before I knew I wasn't going to be flying home, I was fortunate to be sitting in the laundry room with Ann, who is a physician from Fargo. Ann is retired, but I'll bet she was a great doctor, because she sure knew how to explain things to me and calm me down at the same time. She spent a lot of time with Mary in Red Wing, too, and I know Mary appreciated her input.

I didn't take any pictures on the run to Red Wing, but you won't be surprised to know I got a shot or two of the family! Here are just two--I'm running out of time for blogging, as usual. The first is of Tony and Collin at the bike shop--you can't start 'em too young. The second is me with my brother and sister, John and Mary.

All for the moment!

La Crosse to Wabasha, 60 miles, oops, 72 miles

2007-06-11T17:13:00.000-05:00

I don't know how we can be so lucky, but the weather continues to be fantastic. I've only gotten soaked twice, and only for a few miles each time. Now the weather is sunny, warm, and dry. And we've been experiencing tailwinds! This day was tailwinds all the way, rolling hills, and just plain lovely. Also, it was our first jaunt into Minnesota, and that was kind of strange! Suddenly I'm in familiar territory, visiting places I've visited before. From here on, I will be in places I've biked before, if not on the exact roads, at least in the general area.

We started the day on the Three Rivers Trail, or the Trempeleau Trail. (I'm not sure of the name.) It is crushed, packed limestone, but it was a little soft still after the big rain two days before. Flat as a pancake and pretty as the picture you see here! That's Janet Bee and Georgia, riding up the trail.

At Trempeleau, we all headed for a recommended cafe, but found it wasn't open yet, so most of the group took off. Georgia and I decided to go back to the little coffee shop we'd spotted earlier. We dawdled there until Laurie, the sweep rider, caught up with us. Oops, last ones on the road! A few minutes later the sag driver for the day, Stephanie, stopped and gave us directions, as the cue sheet was confusing. Off we went, armed with the knowledge that we had just added ten miles or so to our day! It turned out to be pleasant miles though.

We stopped in Winona, a very cute little town, but the route in was chilling! We've crossed a lot of bridges on this trip, and in spite of my fear of heights, I haven't been bothered by any, but this was a bad one! Note the chain link railing along the pedestrian/bike path. The rail slants out, toward the water, and the trail is rounded, which gave me the feeling that if I slipped I would slide into that chain link fence, and, frankly, it didn't look all that sturdy! Georgia just got off and walked it. I wanted to, but I figured that just gave me more time to worry, so I gingerly rode across. Yikes, I don't ever want to do that again!

Ann went in to town to see the Eagle Center, but I think everyone else decided to wait until morning. Tony, Cara and the boys are coming to Stillwater tomorrow, so I'll head out early to try to get to town before they do. Mary and Annie are coming in the afternoon and staying for dinner. It will be fun to see the family!

Happy trails,

Dusty

Play Day in LaCrosse!

2007-06-11T16:27:00.000-05:00

We had a great time in LaCrosse. We wandered over to "Grounded", the coffee shop that Vicky recommended. She spent a lot of time there on a previous ride through LaCrosse. Todd, the owner, was delighted to meet Janet Bee, __ and me. He told us we couldn't sit by ourselves, and introduced us to some locals. We had so much fun talking with them, and I was delighted to learn that the women were members of a Turtle Club. This rose from them deciding that they didn't want to wear purple when they got old. They want to be turtles instead. They have a whole list of great turtle attributes. Turtles aren't afraid to stick their neck out when necessary, they have a hard exterior, but a soft interior....and so on. Anyway, I am now an honorary member of the LaCrosse Turtle Club. Pretty cool, huh?

Todd got really excited when I told him I live in the Black Hills. Turns out Todd thinks Wall, South Dakota, is one of the greatest places in the world. His family goes way back with the Husteds, the family that founded Wall Drug. He has been trying to convince his wife, Deb, that it is a worthy vacation destination. I promised Deb that if she agrees to go to Wall with Todd I will pick her up and take her on a tour of the Hills.

LaCrosse is very close to the Trempeleau Trail, a packed limestone trail, and it is a very biker-friendly town. It is also a very attractive town. Most of the old buildings are in great shape and the downtown is "bustling". I especially liked that big fish! Of course, LaCrosse is a college town, which helps support the little cafes and shops.

I may have already told you about Stephanie, who manages to find some of the best places, primarily because she makes sure to meet the locals. Well, she wasn't in LaCrosse more than a few minutes before she managed to get all 30 of us invited to a party at the Wine Guyz. Naturally, a few of us showed up. We were also celebrating Jan from Washington's birthday, and since Jan and her sister Pat (from Minnesota) like a glass of wine in the evening, I got her a Wine Guyz ball cap for her birthday.

In the morning, Janet and I went right back to Grounded for coffee, and we were greeted like old friends. And later on, after visiting the clock shop and wandering the streets, I was hungry, so back I went to Grounded. In town less than 24 hours and already a regular. I had a massage and a pedicure, so I felt very good at the end of this day!

Happy trails,

Dusty

Prairie du Chien to La Crosse, WI, 62 miles

2007-06-07T15:49:00.000-05:00

We started this day with trepidation, for the weather forecast was for bad thunderstorms and tornado potential, later in the afternoon. I had two missions: to arrive in LaCrosse before the storm and to enjoy the ride in spite of the urgency. We had brisk tailwinds, mostly gently rolling hills, beautiful scenery, warm weather. We couldn't have asked for a better day. I would have enjoyed stopping in the little towns along the way, New Vienna, Stoddard, and Ferryville, but that would have threatened my first mission, so I pedaled fast and the winds made it easy! I got to town by about 11:00, checked out the bicycle shop, and joined Pat, Jan and Clark for a light lunch.

Annie, I will stick to calling the bluffs "bluffs". In fact, I have biked some bluffs that are as big as mountains, but bluffs have their own personality and are often harder to pedal than mountains, because they don't have switchbacks to give us a break! You were correct though, in assuming we wouldn't be pedaling up the serious bluffs today (we hit a few yesterday). I'm sure we haven't seen the last of them, but if the route somehow avoids the bluffs on the Minnesota side, I won't complain! Lovely to look at, vicious to pedal.

The route into LaCrosse took us through beautiful residential areas. For those of you in Minneapolis, we went through what I presume is the "Kenwood" or "Old Edina" version of LaCrosse. The town is delightful, and we are looking forward to dinner tonight and celebrating Jan's 66th birthday, followed by a day of rest tomorow. Patty and I have scheduled massages, and I hope to visit the clock shop.

It is hard to believe that there are only, what, 10 days left? It is also hard to believe we will be in Minnesota day after tomorrow! I hope to see some family while I am passing near the Twin Cities, but I know I'll also see some of you after the trip. Hey, Hot Springs friends, I miss you all and can't wait for coffee and donuts!

Happy trails,

Dusty

Dyserville, Iowa, to Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin

2007-06-06T16:14:00.000-05:00

Today was only 48 miles, and we had strong winds from the south. It was truly a beautiful ride the first part of the day, but we were all quite aware of the notation that after the town of Guttenburg there was a "big hill". Hah. What a misuse of the language.

Before Guttenburg, there was indeed a big hill, and Annie, that's another town we have to visit. The pre-hill hill was big but not terrible. Guttenburg was a charming little town by the river, and as I biked along the river park drive, I saw two young boys on bikes. "Awesome bike," one called out, and a few minutes later they came racing down the road to catch up with me. Both boys were carrying fishing poles! They talked awhile, and I took their picture as we rode. (If I ever can get photos off my camera, I'll put their picture here.) It was so much fun to see young boys coming back from their fishing trip, and showing off by riding hands-free. They loved my bike but I loved them a lot more!

The hill of of Guttenburg was horrible. Steep, long, exhausting, but I did it. The rain started as I crested the hill, but it wasn't terrible. Yet. We hit McGregor as the rain was getting heavy, and we hustled to a cafe to warm up and dry off. We had a great lunch. (John, Annie, you would both hate the place, but Annie, you'd love the town.)

Oh, yes, forgot to mention, before McGregor we hit another bad hill, and after having already climbed the BIG HILL, that one really hurt me a lot. I really didn't think I could finish it, but getting off somehow seemed harder.

Anyway, after lunch, we only had a couple of miles, but somehow they were the worst. The rain was pelting and terribly cold. As we approached the bridge, a sign warned cyclists of dangerous railroad tracks, and I took note and tried to approach them at a right angle. I should have just gotten off and walked, because I slipped and hit the ground. Luckily I had leggings on (it was SO cold), so I only have minor road rash and the bike seems fine. One toe was white and had no feeling when I arrived, however.

Now, I have to check my laundry. Later I'll tell you about the birds!

Happy trails,

Dusty

Maquoketa to Dyersville, Iowa, 64 miles

2007-06-06T15:52:00.000-05:00

Remember, I mentioned that the folks in Illinois were less than outgoing? Well, happily, we biked in Iowa today, and here the people have been returning my enthusiastic waves. Not so many, nor so gregariously, as the southern people, but certainly an improvement.

We had headwinds again today, though not so ferocious as the day before. The hills were pretty tough, especially nearing Cascade, about the halfway point. Annie, that is another town you and I will have to visit someday! We had lunch there, and I ate everything in sight. We were at a cute little coffee shop and the staff was rapidly crossing items off the menu on the blackboard as we ate up the groceries. There was a young man working there, bringing out food out as the cook furiously worked to prepare it. After we'd been there for sometime, one of the bikers asked him a question. He explained that he didn't know. "I don't work here," he said. "I just came in to fix the ice maker." Yup! He was a repairman, making his rounds, and the owner had somehow persuaded him to turn waiter/bus boy for a couple of hours!

After Cascade, the ride was much improved, with gently rolling hills and, if I remember correctly, some tailwinds. The change was rather dramatic. Sort of like walking across Broadway from Washington Heights in Manhattan, to Spanish Harlem. It is like walking into another world. (Or at least it was, the last time I was there, which was long ago.) The terrain had been farm country before, but after Cascade it was FARM COUNTRY. Red barns and fields and cows and pigs. The sights, the smells, the sounds, were farm, all the way.

Many of the riders were eager to go to the movie site where Field of Dreams was filmed, none more than Judy. The photo is Judy wearing her FOD tee shirt, which she bought at the site. I loved the movie, but I wasn't all that curious about the site, and I was anxious to get in as early as possible, as I feared the return of the migraine. It made a brief appearance first thing in the morning, but then it left me alone until 2:10, just as I pulled into the sag stop. I took the pill and the headache went away, but I wanted to be in the hotel with my ice bag if it came back.

As we approached Field of Dreams, I told Laurie I was going to go on to Dyersville. "First though," I told her, "I'm going to eat my lunch." I know, I already ate lunch, but that peanut butter sandwich was still in my bag. I spotted a nice shade tree and a grandma and granddaughter, so I stopped and asked if I could have a picnic under her tree. Grandma said that was okay and I know the little girl wanted to stay and talk, but Baba, the dog, was having none of it. He just wouldn't stop barking, so I moved on.

Now, Annie, I don't plan to exhaust you with tales of Dyersville, but it actually was interesting. Our hotel was next door to the National Farm Toy Museum. I actually got in in time to shower and tour the museum. A special treat was running into Marilyn, who introduced me to LeRoy, a friend of hers and Mary's from Floyd, Iowa. LeRoy grew up on a farm, so he was able to tell us a lot about the displays in the museum. It was a lot of fun.

Now, if you think 109 miles was a long way to bike (gosh, that seems like a lifetime ago), listen to what LeRoy did. He and a group of cyclists crossed the country several years ago in three weeks. They averaged 140 miles a day! AVERAGED! Gives me the willies just thinking about it, but over pie and ice cream he told us about a ride some other guys did where they biked 240 miles one day!!! After we "ooohd and aaahd", I said, "Gee, can you imagine how long it would take me to ride that far?" Laurie choked on her cherry pie, and Laura said "four days later, Dusty rolled in." Sigh. Bucky and I get no respect at all.

The big treat of the day was after the museum and before the pie. LeRoy piled a bunch of us into his van and took us to the Dyersville Basillica. The front door was locked, but we went in a side door and walked in to the seemingly empty cathedral. Just as we started down the center aisle, the organ began to play. We all stopped, feeling a bit awed, and then the choir began singing the Lord's Prayer. It was incredible. The basillica is beautiful, elaborate carved confessionals, pews carved with a variety of woods, the stations of the cross in relief and great detail around the walls. But best of all was that incredible choir. Thanks LeRoy, you made Dyersville a highlight of our trip.

Until tomorrow.

Dusty

Burlington to Muskatine to Maquoketa, 60 miles, 61 miles

2007-06-06T15:42:00.000-05:00

I don't remember much about the ride into Muskatine, except that it was pretty and I think the biking was reasonably easy! Shucks, you can always read Mary Palmberg's blog, she has all the details! I do know that that was the day that Mary's friends from Iowa City joined us, all good company, I even managed to ride with them a bit.

The ride into Maquoketa was my toughest this trip. We had headwinds all the way, ferocious headwinds, 15-25 mph, and when we didn't have headwinds we had crosswinds. Bucky doesn't like crosswinds. They try to pick him up and lay him down in the ditch, with me on board. Headwinds are generally easier on Bucky than on any other bike I've ridden, including the other recumbents, but these were so strong that it was hard to appreciate any possible advantage the low profile gave me.

As is often the case, I ended up the last one on the road. Those tiny handful that I can keep up with or out-pedal (okay, less than a handful), had wisely chosen to board the van or the Subaru, so it was me and Laurie, our sweep rider. Laurie is our guide on this trip, and she also rides behind us all day to "sweep us off the road" if we don't make it in by dark.

At a little after 2:00, I felt the beginnings of a migraine. I pulled over and took a pill, and warned Laurie that this could be the end of me. A few miles later I approached an intersection. The cue sheet said turn right on Route 1365, and this intersection was 136 South. Common sense said turn right, but our cue sheets have been terribly inaccurate, so I stopped and pulled out the map. I was just starting to add up the miles remaining in the day when Laurie pulled up. We have had several days where the mileage was off; always, of course, more than planned. However, to my great delight, this mileage appeared to be shorter than the cue sheet promised. Laurie looked it over too, and the verdict was unanimous. The ride was nine miles shorter than listed!

On a day of pain, headwinds, and a pending migraine, that was great news. I rode in, showered, got out my ice bag, tossed some laundry in the machine, and sat. Thankfully, the migraine went away....for this day, anyway!

Later,

Dusty

Wounded Warrior Project

2007-06-03T17:39:00.000-05:00

Oh, I've forgotten to tell you about the WWP effort. I have managed to "plug" the organization to a few reporters, and one radio interviewer. I have no way of knowing if anything made it to press or on the air. However, one lovely woman back in Mississippi (I think it was Mississippi, I'll have to look it up later to be sure), asked for the address so she could mail a donation, and a fellow rider who asked for anonymity made a nice donation the other day. I took the WWP sign off my bike the other day, though, because of the visibility problem. With all these rainy days, it seemed prudent to put some highly reflective material in place of the sign. Recumbents are tough to see, since the brightly colored jerseys designed to make us visible are hidden by the tall bike seat.

Okay, time for dinner, really, this time!

I miss everyone and look forward to getting home to friends and family. Being in Iowa makes the end of the trip seem very, very near!

Happy trails,

Dusty

Creative Juices (a lack thereof)

2007-06-03T17:34:00.000-05:00

Since I am a writer, it is sort of embarrasing to look at my own blog. I am amazed at how difficult it is for me to wrap my head around words on this trip! I brought my novel with me (a hard copy), thinking I could at least edit in the evenings. Hah! I sent it home with John, along with the yarn I was going to use to crochet Rachel's scarf. Usually, when I have time to think, while driving from SD to Minnesota, or while pedaling 90 miles across country, I think about my novel. I use the time to sort out a problem with a plot line, or develop a character. (Of course, the writing in my head is always considerably more entertaining than the words that actually make it to the computer later).

On this trip, though, I can barely think of words for the blog. The novel is buried so far in the back of my brain that I have a hard time remembering the characters' names! Please forgive the incompetence, and please don't judge my writing by the blog. In other words, if I ever publish that never-ending novel, please, BUY THE BOOK!

Southern Hospitality

2007-06-03T17:25:00.000-05:00

From the beginning of this trip, I have been most impressed by the people I've met along the way. I loved pedaling through the Louisiana farm country, waving to the people on their porches, stopping to talk to children and little old ladies and the men and boys who were so fascinated by my funny bicycle. Even the "cool" teenage and twenty-something boys and men would wave back (of course, with the cool dudes, it was just one of those half-waves, the "I'm almost too cool to acknowledge you" sort of wave, but it counts.)

However, as we headed through Missouri, I began to notice fewer and fewer people outside enjoying the pleasant weather. And I especially noted a lack of children! The weather was grand, school was out for most of the kids, so where are they hiding? The last couple of days I've noticed another kind of sad phenomena. As I bike, I wave at most everyone I meet, including the passing cars, and in the southern states, 90% of the drivers and passengers wave back. But these last few days, (mostly biking on the Illinois side of the river), I have a tough time getting a wave out of anyone! I think we're down to a20% success rate with cars, considerably better with the people outside working or on the porches.

We are also cycling through more prosperous areas of the country, which makes one wonder, are the kids all inside playing with their game boys, or whatever the current electronic wonder machine is called? For crying out loud, kids, get outside! Ride your bike, go fishing, get some fresh air! Pretty soon you'll be too busy working to play!

Burlington, Iowa, yesterday!

2007-06-03T17:07:00.000-05:00

How could I forget? Annie researched Burlington and told me to be sure to go to Snake Alley. I had my opportunities. Mary Palmberg invited us all up to dinner at a friend's house, high on a huge bluff overlooking the river. Annie, you would love the neighborhood, the houses up there are remarkable. After dinner, Mary invited those who wished to join her on a walking tour of Burlington, which would include Snake Alley, but I was too tired to walk and went back to the hotel. I was SOOOOO tired, more tired than I have been the entire trip, but I lost track of time and didn't get to bed until almost midnight. The next morning I woke up tired! I went with the rest of the crowd to the bike shop. I had left Bucky there the afternoon before for a complete tune-up and brake repairs. Boy, he sure rode great on the way back to the hotel. Of course, I bought a few new toys while there, including some much-needed flashing lights and other reflective gear. Everyone had been telling me I wasn't visible, especially on the rainy days. Bichel's Bicycle Shop in Burlington is the best! Bucky has never been in such good condition.

I decided not to go to dinner with the crowd last night, as I worried it would get late and I knew I needed some sleep, so instead I joined Catheryn, Frankie and Sue for an early dinner at Martini Grill. We went down early and at last I got to Snake Alley. It really is a remarkable street. The descent down that bluff was too steep for a horse and carriage, so this twisty little road was built of bricks placed at angles and deliberately bumpy so the horse could "get a grip." We walked up, and it was a surprisingly easy walk. Whoever engineered that street knew what he was doing.

Dinner was magnificent. Santa Margerita (I know I spelled that wrong, there's an "H" in there somewhere) Pinot Grigio (John, eat your heart out), steak, Sesame-coated Tuna Sashini (Tony, eat your heart out), and key lime pie with cocounut (John, I know its sacrilege, but it was actually good.)

We got home early, I went to the BP station for water (riddle me this: where do bees go to the bathroom? Answer at the end of this blog) and was in bed and snoozing by 9:30. Finally had a really good night's sleep and really needed it by now!

I still can't get a picture up on this blog, so will try again tomorrow.

Answer to the riddle: at the BP! That riddle is courtesy of Janet Bee, one of the riders who will be making the Cigar Run with me. Don't you love her last name?

This trip has been marvelous, and I think my legs are getting stronger every day. I'm really pleased that I have been able to ride all the miles. I did sag the other day for ten miles, but it was because we hit a highway with no shoulder and wall-to-wall truck traffic. Ann played the guilt card when I said I was just going to bike it, reminding me that it was not only dangerous, but not fair to the drivers to have to wait for me, since there really wasn't any way for them to pass safely. Of course, she was absolutely right on each and every count, but I spent a few hours being very depressed, having managed to bike every single mile up to that point. Pretty silly thing to be unhappy about, right? Of course right!

Tomorrow is about 70 miles or so. I don't know the terrain yet, but the weather has one major problem. Brisk winds from the northwest! Yikes, stripes, that won't be fun. We can't complain about weather, though. We've had very little rain, though we've had a lot of threats. A tornado came through the Muscatine area a couple of nights ago, so it surely could have been much worse!

Okay, nearly time for dinner, and I think I want to put on some warmer clothes, as it is a little chilly out.

Bye for now!

Dusty

June 3, 2008

2007-06-03T15:46:00.000-05:00

Today we arrived in Muscatine, Iowa, too early to see the sunsets Annie described, and of course, as usual, our hotel isn't anywhere near the scenic area. I had time to go to downtown Muscatine, but decided against it, as I have actually been to this lovely town before. I was able to see the historic downtown area from the bridge as we came in. It was fun to look down at the very area where Karen and I finished our RAGBRAI adventure last year. Somewhere on the website there is a picture of the two of us at the grand finale festivities, complete with loon helmets!

The computer at this hotel doesn't allow me to download pictures, so I can't test out the process. I have had trouble for the last few days pulling the pictures off my camera, so I saved them all on my ipod and started fresh--but now I don't know if that will solve the problem!

This was a lovely ride, in spite of some rather brutal headwinds. We pulled into the Casey's in Keithsburg, and found Stephanie chatting with a local guy who was filling up his four-wheeler. Leave it to Stephanie to find the local cafe--we had an interesting stay there--and just as we were getting ready to leave the sky opened up for awhile. We got on our rain gear, and magically, the rain stopped, and we stayed dry the rest of the day! It was our good fortune that we weren't in Muscatine a couple of nights ago, as a tornado hit town and did a fair bit of damage. Guess Annie didn't find that information when she did her research!

Anyway, no point in going on about Muscatine--what fun is a blog without any pictures????

Happy trails!

Dusty

Grafton IL to Hannibal MO to Keokuk IA to Burlington IA

2007-06-01T23:28:00.000-05:00

Folks, I have gotton so far behind that I'm going to do some quick highlights of the last four days and leave it at that! Hopefully I'll be able to keep up now that our days are going to be shorter!

Grafton to Hannibal was the second BIG DAY of the trip. It was billed as 93 miles, but Laurie broke the news early that it would be more like 97. Then, the night before the ride (I guess she didn't dare tell us sooner, for fear of mutiny), she told us that it was going to be very, very hilly. The hills would not be rolling, but rather, roller coasters...the kind of hills where you have no chance for momentum. The other problem was that we were heading to Hannibal, and a lot of riders really wanted to explore the home town of Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain). You can't ride 97 miles and arrive before the museum closes at 5:00. Well, most of us can't.

That meant a lot of riders opted to bike to Clarksville and shuttle in to Hannibal. I agonized most of the morning, thinking I could not make the whole ride. My legs were like lead pipes and I just couldn't warm up in the chilly, rainy, morning. (Except, no one else thought it was chilly.) In the end, I put on my leg warmers and kept pedaling. The big hills didn't start until the last 25 miles, and then they started with a vengeance. Two of them were realy doozies, and a lot of people decided to shuttle rather than face those monsters, but the van was pretty full, and I decided to give it a try. In the end, I'm sure glad I did. After the first two, the rest were long and sometimes dreary, but doable, and our reward was some fantastic downhill runs. Laurie, our guide and sweep rider, had to hang back with me (she could have done the whole thing in half the time without me), but I think she had a good ride, too. The fast riders that didn't opt for sight-seeing got to town by 3:00 and I made it by 4:45. I was thrilled, as that was a tough ride on a recumbent, but I am glad that I proved that recumbents can, indeed, climb hills. Slowly. Like a turtle.

Hey, its pushing midnight, and even though tomorrow is a rest day, I shouldn't be up, so I'm going to call it a night and try to get back to pictures and prompt updates soon. Bucky the Bike got a tune up at Bichel's bike shop, so I'll pick him up tomorrow, go for a spin around town, and be ready to roll again. I think the next stop is Muscatine, IA, which was the last stop on RAGBRAI last year. I'm getting into familiar territory!

Happy trails,

Dusty

St. Louis, MO to Grafton, IL, 42 miles, give or take.

2007-06-01T23:12:00.001-05:00

One disappointment on this trip has been the discovery that we really aren't seeing all that much of the river. In Louisianna, the river was close by, but hidden by the levees most of the time. The Natchez Trace took us away from the river for a couple of days, and it seems that we only got a glimpse on those days when we had a bridge or ferry crossing.

That's one reason this particular day was so special. Another reason was that we were on bike paths most of the day! What a treat. The only real flaw for me was the couple of miles of gravel on a path that was under repair or construction. We had to walk our bikes or risk flat tires, so most of us chose the walk. I didn't even really mind the flat tire a couple of miles from the hotel, as the day was so good overall.

I'm sure I must have a photo from this day, but I am so far behind and having lots of trouble downloading photos, so I'm going to put in this photo of Stephanie, taking advantage of someone's porch swing. Stephanie is famous for meeting interesting people and for taking her sweet time getting from point a to point b! She spent a long time on this swing, and lucky for me, because I left my helmet sitting next to her when I headed out. A few miles later, Jan and Pat caught up with me and asked what had happened to my helmet! Luckily, Stephanie and another biker rescued it for me!

St. Louis, a Not-So-Restful Day, May 28, 2007

2007-06-01T22:31:00.000-05:00

Shortly after arriving in St. Louis, I discovered that my phone had mysteriously stopped working. My day to sight see or blog or rest or get a massage just fizzled! I spent the morning begging Verizon to help me out, and, to make a long story short, they did. The Verizon store in Southtown bent over backwards to get me a replacement. I lost all my data, and I won't be able to get that back until I get home, but at least I have a phone, calendar, etc.! In the process, I met a wonderful cab driver who moved here from Iraq several years ago, and we had a great conversation about everything from the war to the price of real estate in St. Louis. After spending fifty bucks on cab fares and sundries to get this all resolved, I went for a walk to the Gateway Arch, hoping to "de-stress". (The arch, by the way, is actually much more interesting in person than in postcards.) I wandered down the steps and saw the carriage drivers waiting for tourists like me. Larry, the man you see in the picture with Elvis, the Percheron, apologized when he told me the price. $45.00 for 30 minutes for just one person was, indeed, a lot to spend on a carriage ride. Eighteen minutes for $25.00 hardly seemed worth the bother. But suddenly it occurred to me that since I didn't have time for that massage I'd planned on, I'd still be money ahead if I took the carriage ride. Right? So I decided to splurge and enjoy my own, personal, private carriage ride. And what a treat! Turns out, Larry is from Fort Pierre, South Dakota! He was very happy to talk to a fellow Dakotan, and I was fascinated by his story of going from jockey to carriage driver! I believe we talked more about our lives than about the buildings in St. Louis (but I did get to see the oldest building standing in St. Louis), and I think that 30 minutes was very inexpensive therapy. I felt great when I was done, I even got a hug from Larry, and I was ready to ride another day! Thanks Larry, you made everything better!

Ste. Genevieve to St. Louis, 42 miles? 64 mile?

2007-05-29T17:33:00.000-05:00

This was one of the best days of riding so far--we traveled the Bluff road along, well, the bluffs, of course! The scenery was magnificent, the weather was....well, mostly great....the route was flat. The route sheet left much to be desired. We spent a lot of time stopping and trying to figure out where we were. Anne from Fargo drove the SAG wagon today, and she was running like crazy to keep track of us and help us figure out where we should REALLY be turning! The route was also 13 miles longer than planned, and that meant that some of us got caught in a rainstorm about ten miles from the finish. Oops.

We got soaked, but at least the lightning wasn't cracking near us. The women who beat the storm by minutes said the lightning was wild around the hotel, so we were really quite fortunate.
This lovely photo is of me, pedaling, and was taken by me, while pedaling! I am still trying to figure a way to get my photos to Annie for the website. Nothing seems to work!

Happy trails,

Dusty

Cape Girardeau to Ste. Genevieve, MO, May 26

2007-05-26T21:46:00.000-05:00

After nearly 900 miles of mostly flat terrain, we finally had a day of hills! Sixty-five miles of hills! Jackie called them "gently rolling hills". Hah! Jackie owns Woman Tours and has a talent for marketing. She is with us for a few days while our primary guide, Laurie, is on vacation. (Michelle, our fantastic cook, has gone off for a month long vacation, so Linda has taken her place. She's brand new at this job, and has big shoes to fill, but dinner was tasty tonight, so I don't think we'll go hungry!)

Back to the "gently rolling hills" Jackie mentioned. They were rolling, and for that I am grateful, but they were not all that gentle. Judy and I (and a whole lot of the other ladies) really struggled in the morning. We just couldn't seem to get our legs working. However, after a stop for pie and ice cream in Perryville, I thought maybe I should get a tee shirt made that says "POWERED BY PIE". I felt much, much better. (I'm not speaking for Judy).

Things were zooming along until we suddenly dropped out of the hills, down a long, steep, lovely hill, and found ourselves on the flat land in a headwind. Aw, no big deal, it wasn't much of a headwind. Then we rounded a corner. Then we looked ahead and saw trees and a road, rising out of the flatland and up, up, up, up......

We hoped it would turn out to be another road. Surely, it couldn't be our road!

Alas, the hill was soon before us. We stopped for a moment to use the grassy green facilities and to ponder the task before us. "Let's just live here," I suggested. "Right there in the meadow. We can build a little cottage."

We decided against that option. We also decided against returning to Perryville for more pie. (Maybe the strawberry-rhubarb would get me up the hill...?) Instead, we headed for the hill. And made it. Later, I met with disbelief when I said that the recumbent had made it up the hill, but it did, under pedal power. I even had to stop 2/3rds of the way up to pick up my water tube. At least, I think it was on that hill. Hard to say, they all began to run together.

At the top of the hill, Judy eyed the Subaru with lust in her eyes, but we did some fast-talking and persuaded her to get in those last eleven miles. She did it, too, and was still standing the last time I saw her!

It was a lot of fun to have John with me, and a luxury, because he drove me downtown to see historic Ste. Genevieve. I so rarely get to see the towns, so I really loved being able to do that.

Once again, I didn't take many pictures, but John waited for us in town and took pictures as we biked in. The chick on the funny looking bike is me. The chick in the yellow jersey is Judy, who hails from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. And I am very sleepy. Tomorrow, we can't catch the ferry to Illinois (enroute to St. Louis) until 9:00, so breakfast isn't until 8:00. Sleeping in, yippee! Goodnight!

Charleston to Cape Girardeau, MO, May 25

2007-05-26T21:21:00.000-05:00

This was a great day, not only because it was only about 50 miles, AND we had tailwinds again, AND it was flat again, but also because I had a visitor. John drove out to see me, after visiting Car Henge and Chimney Rock in Nebraska (the start of the Oregon Trail). He showed me photos of both. I'm only interested in seeing one in person!

The murals in "the Cape" as the locals call the town, are quite impressive, and the town itself is charming. John and I had dinner at the Royal N'Orleans. I didn't take any pictures, as I didn't want to waste any time getting to town to see John, but John took some, and he has a much better camera with him.

Judy and I rode as fast as we could all day, so we arrived before John and went straight to the bike shop. It doesn't bode well for Bike Friday that the only cyclists in the shop for repairs were three of the four Bike Friday riders. However, the bicycle shop was great. The staff was great and even the customers were helpful. With the help of Larry (a local cyclist who offered us rides back to the hotel and joined us for dinner) and another customer, I got my seat adjusted properly so now my leg doesn't hurt. Thanks to the bike shop guys, my brakes work again! I bought a new pack for the bike, as I was tired of playing pack mule (and replaced my BRAND NEW jacket that I bought for the trip--the zipper broke the second time I wore it). Now, instead of a rack and panniers and a hyrdation pack, I have just one pack with everything in it. Of course it was made to hang on a person's back, not on the back of a recumbent seat, so I spent some time figuring out how to strap it to the bike. (Thank God for the StrapAll velcro straps that I use for just about everything!)

It was great to have John here, and I slept better than I've slept for the entire trip. Felt almost like home!

Dyersburg, TN to Charleston, MO, May 24

2007-05-26T20:49:00.000-05:00

Reel Foot Lake and Rueben Bennet were the highlights of the day. Reel Foot Lake was created when an earthquake hit the area in the early 1800s (sorry, I am too lazy to dig out the fact sheet). The quake went on for several weeks and when it was all over, a new lake was born. The cyprus trees you see in the picture grow in the lake, all around the perimeter. It was a misty day, the lake was dark and a bit eerie and mysterious. We saw turtles as we strolled on the boardwalk that took us down to the lake--and over the lake. A heron stood in a quiet grove of Cyprus, and didn't move a muscle as I watched and waited.

In Mississippi, a lot of the corn is already tall enough to function as an emergency "little biker's" room, while some fields are just a few inches tall. By the time we crossed from Tennesse to Kentucky to Missouri, the corn was perhaps knee high. I guess "Knee high by the Fourth of July" is a meaningless benchmark down here.

Rueben Bennet from Dorena Missouri joined us on the ferry ride that took us from the Kentucky side of the river to the Missouri side. He told me that sweet corn will be ready in June, but field corn will take longer. Rueben and his wife ran the little corner store you see in this picture. Rueben is a WWII Air Force veteran. He served in the Pacific theatre, but also spent a lot of time driving equipment from Montana to Ellworth Air Force Base in Rapid City! He told me that his war experiences were valuable, but he sure wouldn't want to do it again. Rueben was fishing this morning on Reel Foot Lake, and when he left the ferry he rode home quickly and told me he'd be outside his house waving as we went by.

I forgot to stop and have my picture taken at the "Welcome to Missouri" sign. I guess I got so excited about the tailwinds I just couldn't stop pedaling! After a couple of miles, when I couldn't see any other bikers coming (most are much faster than I), I turned around and headed back, thinking I had missed a turn. Soon enough, I saw Patty G. heading my way. Of course, they had all had the good sense to stop at the sign for the obligatory state crossing photo.

Soon enough, I pedaled by Rueben's corner store, and true to his word, there he was with his dog, waiting for us. I said one last goodbye to my new friend and went on my way. Tailwinds and flat as a pancake all the way to Charleston!

Zamaya, Future WomanTours Customer (still May 23rd)

2007-05-23T19:05:00.001-05:00

Goodness, I almost forgot to put a picture of Zamaya on the website. The bikers met her in Henning, after touring the Alex Haley museum. She and her little brother were out for a little ride (he was in a stroller) with

Grandma and Grandpa. Sorry the picture isn't so good. (Grandma, if you send me an address on the comment section, I can probably make the picture bigger and send it to you!)

Zamaya really loved our bikes and she didn't seem to think we were too crazy. Grandpa was sure she would remember all those biking ladies for a long time. I gave her and her brother each a Wounded Warrior Project bracelet (I'm almost out) and a sticker.

Didn't get to talk to any other kids today. This was the day that all the men liked my bike and thought it looked too easy--I should have let THEM try to peddle it up a hill. There is more about today's ride on the previous blog!

Happy trails

Dusty

May 23, Covington to Dyersburg Tennessee, 45 miles

2007-05-23T17:12:00.000-05:00

Today we stopped in Henning, which is the childhood home of Alex Haley--we stood in the very kitchen where Haley first heard the stories of his ancestors, told by his grandma and his aunties. The mayor led the tour, after we talked a guy in town into calling him and asking him to open up early for us. He said he would, but he didn't show up until 10:00, the usual opening time. Patty says that is early--southern time means that the 10:00 opening wouldn't have happened until 10:30 anyhow.

John, maybe you shouldn't read the rest of this post. Just bring a little pet carrier with you when you come to see me.

Okay, don't tell John, but I met this great little black lab, Sally Sue, and her Mom, Shirley, and when Shirley wasn't looking I slipped Sally Sue in my bike bag. Shirley found Sally Sue on her road, tossed out by someone, about six inches long, barely born, didn't even have teeth yet, scared and nearly starved to death. Shirley took her in and now she's happy and healthy and loved as much as a puppy can be loved.

Today was the second prettiest ride so far. Yesterday was the prettiest! Well, wait a minute, there's the Natchez Trace, that was awfully pretty. Oh, lets face it, its such a beautiful country, how can you pick the best?

Anyway, had a good ride, lines are long for the computer, so I'll hand the computer over to Linda P.

Happy trails,

Dusty

May 22, Memphis to Covington, Mississippi, 63 miles

2007-05-22T19:33:00.000-05:00

I guess you can tell how I spent my day today! Actually, the picture is at the END of the day. I spent a couple of hours fixing all the little problems that aggravated me during the day. Luckily, none of them involved major delays, and I had a great ride. And a long shower.

The folks that live betwen Memphis and Covington sure do like dogs. Or, they like to own dogs. Some of them were confined in fenced yards, but way too many had obviously been trained from birth to chase down cyclists. I was most fortunate to be riding with Judy N. from Canada, who carries a mean self-defense whistle. Stops those snarling mutts in their tracks!

These folks are also fond of horses. We really enjoyed them, especially the palomino draft horses and the lovely appaloosas. I have pictures, but for some reason they won't download right now.

The terrain was rolling hills and more shade trees even than in Minnesota lake country. I have never seen such beautiful trees as I see in the south, with canopies that provide shade to an entire house. Shelby Forest was incredible. All in all, a fine day, in spite of the aggravating bike adustments.

Tomorrow will be a short day, with plenty of time for a tour of Alex Haley's home. Now I have to get off the computer, others are waiting!

Happy trails!

Dusty

May 19-20-21, Clarksdale to Memphis Tennessee

2007-05-21T17:29:00.000-05:00

Folks are waiting for the computer, so one quick blog and I'm off. We biked 62 miles to Clarksdale, then 91 to Memphis the next day. That was a lot of miles in three days, so we are plenty tired, but we rested today in Memphis.

In Louisianna, the men all called me 'baby', as in "Aw Baby, you can't bike that far" and "Oh, baby, whats your husband doing all this time?" The women and children all say "Maam". Even the teenagers, even when there isn't a grownup listening!

That continued in Southern Mississippi, but as we headed north, the kids didn't say "Maam" as often and the women call me "Baby" too!

Yesterday I stopped in a little town and asked some young boys on bicycles where I could find the grocery where I was supposed to meet the others. One boy offered to take me there, so we biked along together and they stayed and talked for quite a while. The boys all want to know where I got my funny bike and did it cost a lot of money. They are all so sweet.

We were warned to be careful coming into Memphis, as we would be going through an unsavory neighborhood, but guess what? A lot of people still waved, the men all called out that they liked my bike, and no one bothered us. I sure wish I had time for more thoughtful writing, but I don't, so that will have to do for now!

May 18, Vicksburg to Indianola, Mississippi--THE BIG ONE!

2007-05-21T17:22:00.000-05:00

I CAN'T BELIEVE I BIKED THE WHOLE THING!

Yup, 109 miles, long miles, in headwinds! Flat, true, but boy did that wind slow us down. The great thing is that at the end of the day, I felt okay! Tired, but not particularly sore and still smiling! Judy and I were the last ones in. A few sagged, but most did the whole thing, and no matter how many miles we went, we deserved our applause.

Here's an example of the fine facilities we've found along the way!

After we showered and put on our street clothes, we staggered to the Wendy's, and several of us were in there eating, laughing, and rejoicing. As we were leaving, a woman walked up and asked us what we were doing. We told her about our trip and she said, "Oh, I just knew ya'll were doing something fun, just by the way you were lauging!" We've noticed that the women think the trip sounds great. Men just think we are crazy!

May 17, Rest Day, Vicksburg

2007-05-21T16:49:00.003-05:00

I've had to accept the sad truth, that I am not going to do much sightseeing on this trip! I spend so much time pedaling, working on the bike, eating and sleeping, that there is little time left over to explore the towns we travel through. We had a rest day in Vicksburg, so I spent the morning cleaning my bicycle after the prior day's rain. I learned from my more experienced cycling friends that it is wise to frequently check the tires for slits and bits of glass and stone. I found several on my tire, so I picked out the sharp stuff and filled in the holes with rubber cement! Then I explored quaint downtown Vicksburg. We had fried green tomatoes and fried green pickles at Rusty's. Clark, a southerner born and bred, pronounced the fried green tomatoes the best she has ever eaten! They were my first, and they were delicous.

I also loved the murals that have been painted on the levee. The artist was painting one while we were there, and it is quite a process. I didn't get out to the battlefield, just wandered the town and wandered back.

Then I had the real treat of the day; I took a cab to New Health Chiropractic for a massage (thanks Lucy). After which I stopped in and did one 'round' at Curves, where I found Curves Divas are just as nice as Meandering Mississippi divas. I was walking back to the hotel (a long walk), when Lucy and her little dog Daisy came by, and they gave me a ride 'home'!

All in all, a good way to 'prep' for the big day....107 miles tomorrow, to Indianola, Mississippi!

May 16, Vicksburg, MS, via the Natchez Trace!!!

2007-05-16T22:37:00.000-05:00

This was the day I've been waiting for! We traveled to Vicksburg via the Natchez Trace! We were on the trace for about 60 miles, and what a treat. It was as beautiful as I had hoped and I loved every minute of it...well, almost every minute. When we biked out of Natchez and hit the trace, I suddenly felt like my legs had given up. I could barely pedal that bike! I got off a couple of times to see if my brakes were rubbing--I'd been having some brake trouble a couple of days earlier. It took me forever to get to the first stop--I was slogging along at eight or nine miles an hour and if the scenery hadn't been so lovely I would have been miserable. There were a half dozen women or so at the rest stop, and they started to pull out. A few minutes later, I joined the last few and was pulling out when I noticed that my tire was low on air. Oh, oh...very low! I had a slow leak and had probably been biking on almost no air all morning. You'd think I'd know enough to check the tires when the bike was sluggish.

After we changed the tire, I headed out and I was a rocket. Instead of 9 mph I was biking along at 15, 16, 20 mph! And, though it took me 20 miles, I eventually caught up with all those women that had left from the rest stop just before my flat tire!

We got a really good rainstorm today, but no lightning, and it was warm enough to keep us comfortable. Today was an 82 mile day. No wait, Laurie said it was going to be more like 84. Ooops, sorry, turns out it was 87. And the last several miles were plenty hilly. All in all, though, I feel really good. I have a few moments here and there where I wonder how I'll get up that next hill, but I've finished every day feeling strong. Now...ask me how I feel after 107 miles on Friday! Oh, forgot to mention, this was margarita night...seems WomanTours provides margaritas every time we cross into another state! I can live with that. Tomorrow is a day with options; I'm opting out of biking!

May 15th, Rest Day, Natchez

2007-05-16T22:21:00.000-05:00

The Briar's Inn in Natchez is big and beautiful, on an enormous hill overlooking the river. They were not prepared for all these women and bicycles, but they graciously called in reinforcements and took grand care of us. We were pretty happy to have our luggage carried to our rooms for us! What luxury! We met Emily and Winston, the St. Bernard's that live in the very big house next door.

We took a carriage ride and tour of the town with James, and later on took the bus down to, well, eat, eat, and eat some more at Biscuits and Blues. There's Edith---with an awful lot of food for one tiny little woman! The food was hearty! Gumbo and catfish We had a couple of hearty thunderstorms in Natchez too. So far, very little rain while on the bike, but some wild storms. Here's another picture of the whole crowd...doing Sunday, 85 miles to New Roads from Donaldsonville, along the way Clark, Stephanie and I met a great family in Placquemine. Curtis Gooze, Brandon and Robert gave us water and barbeque! It was Mother's day, and Curtis was getting ready to feed whoever happened by...and that turned out to be us. We ate and then he insisted on sending us off with ziplock bags full of more food! Yikes, made for a long but grand day.what? Eating, of course!

May 14th, New Roads to Natchez - Mississippi!

2007-05-16T22:08:00.000-05:00

Some Mother's Day! This crazy bike tour company made us ride 85 miles to New Roads--on our bicycles! Along the way Clark, Stephanie and I met a great family in Placquemine. Curtis Gooze, Brandon and Robert gave us water and barbeque! It was Mother's day, and Curtis was getting ready to feed whoever happened by...and that turned out to be us. After we sampled a little of this and a little of that, Mr. Gooze insisted on sending us off with ziplock bags full of more food! Stops like that are what the trip is all about! Unfortunately, they also make the day very long. We were pretty tired when we got done, but man, that barbeque was tasty!

May 13th, Mother's Day, Donaldsonville to New Roads, LA

2007-05-16T22:03:00.000-05:00

I met Bobby and Smitty at a gas station just north of Laura's Plantation. They were typical of the folks I've met along the road...helpful, friendly, and concerned for our safety. Also, I've noticed the men are all wondering what my husband is doing while I'm gone! Smitty and Cheryl from the LaPlace Best Western win the prize for most accurately predicting today's mileage. The prize is, of course, our undying gratitude. Today was 47 miles, good weather, flat terrain, minor headwinds. Laura's Plantation was the amazing and the tour was the best I've ever been done...Laura's is a Creole Plantation. If you are thinking Scarlet O'Hara and Rhett Butler, think again! This was a fascinating place. Norman, the owner, urged us to urge all our friends to visit. They need to pay for the major renovations they made after 80% of the plantation building burned down. This place is well worth a visit.

Tomorrow and the next day are 85 mile jaunts. I probably won't write again until the rest day in Natchez. I am so excited to bike the Natchez trace after the rest day!
Bye for now, and happy trails,

Dusty

May 11th, La Place, Best Western Hotel

2007-05-16T21:52:00.000-05:00

You can't beat the hospitality in the South, and our hotel in LaPlace was fantastic! There is nothing fancy about the Best Western in LaPlace, but you couldn't ask for better service. We were greeted with little baskets filled with goodies like fruit and cereal bars. Cheryl at the front desk (that's Cheryl in the middle, I wrote down the other ladies names but can't find them now!) seemed happier to see us than we were to be there, and that was going some. The LaPlace was just about the friendliest place I've been--remember it if you ever get down this way!

May 10th and 11th, New Orleans to LaPlace, Louisiana

2007-05-16T21:44:00.000-05:00

We spent orientation day (and much of the previous day) getting our bicycles adjusted at Bicycle Michaels. (And eating!) Tim, the mechanic there, had his hands full, with women in and out, interrupting him every five minutes and second-guessing his adjustments. Hey, we were nervous. These bicycles have to carry us 2000 miles over the next 40 days. Of course, we couldn't leave the shop without investing in new jerseys! We're showing them off here while we wait for the ferry to take us to our starting point, eight miles north of New Orleans. Left to right, Jan B, Patty G, Dusty, and Linda P. This was a 37 mile day, pretty easy!