A really pleasant day

September 10, 2023

Day 4: Cold Spring to Little Falls

THERE ARE DAYS, and then there are days. Today definitely classifies as A Good Day, despite the fact that it involves the departure of two of our group. Terry and Colleen leave us today, since as I understand it at least one of them has to get back to work.

Colleen and Terry leave the group today, after too little time. I hope our paths cross again someday.

Joe at breakfast. He grew up in Baltimore so we have lots to talk about.

We've got an average day, distance-wise, with very modest elevation gain or loss. There's no reason for an aggressively early start, so we take our time getting the van loaded and ourselves underway.

Enjoying one of the high-speed, high-banked curves on County Road 50.

Not far from the swans, we encounter another form of wildlife not ordinarily asociated with Minnesota, at least in my mind.

There's a fenced enclosure with a half-dozen or so elk in evidence. There may be more but these were the ones easily visible from the roadside.

For much, if not most, of the day we'll be on bike trails, notably the Lake Woebegon Trail. We ARE in Minnesota, after all, so it's altogether fitting that we should ride a trail named in honor of one of its better-known citizens.

We're headed north and east today, which happens to be the direction from which the wind is coming. So there's that. For quite a bit of the distance, though, the trailside trees do a pretty decent job of breaking up the moving air and leaving us to ride in peace.

It's also overcast and cool to start- in the middle 50s- so arm warmers and my windstopper vest are the preferred kit. It doesn't take too many miles, though, before I decide to shed the vest, lest I get too sweaty and it becomes counterproductive at rest stops.

Our van has established our rest stop in Bowlus, a bit over an hour's ride up the trail, but it was that small sign in the lower left that caught my attention.

Words to live by, no matter the setting.

As usual the group gradually spreads out over a few miles. For once I'm neither the trailblazer nor the lanterne rouge, just a rider somewhere in the middle of the snake.

Nobody's in a desperate hurry and there's no threatening weather; in fact the slower we ride the more time we have to appreciate the warming afternoon after the clouds dissipate.

There are lots of people on the trail. Day riders, mostly, but one woman on a fully-laden bike is headed the opposite direction. As per custom when touring cyclists encoounter one another we stop and chat for a moment. She's headed where we've come from, and we're headed for the point from which she began her day.

Approaching and entering Holdingford, I stop to chat momentarily with a trio of local citizens out for a day ride. They have taken note of the fact that I'd stopped to photograph a unique sculpture alongside the trail, and point out a mural I'd managed to overlook.

A bit of autumn color is starting to show.

Minnesota's longest, or second-longest (?) covered bridge, just outside Holdingford.

Part of an interesting sculpture assemblage on the edge of town.

Another part. I like to think this is the sculptor, pausing to take in and admire his handiwork. But I don't know that to be true.

All of the figures have faces cast from local folk.

Each "panel" depicts some aspect of life in the area.

This very friendly young cat was looking for skritches. Mawr, mawr, mawr...

I appreciated getting a bit of kitty love, and I think the kitty enjoyed our brief encounter too.

A beautifully-kept or restored vintage tractor came rolling past.

This is J R, who's lived lots of places and done many things.

A nod to the railroad that I presume used to run on what's now the Lake Woebegon Trail.

They recommend a cafe just a half mile up the trail and I'm tempted to join them, but am reminded that our own people are expecting us seven miles farther on, in Bowlus.

Part cafe, part art exhibition. Owned by a devoted cyclist, to boot.

Arriving at the rest stop, we find there's also a cafe here in Bowlus, and that it's seemingly very cyclist-friendly. A D, our organizer, suggests that this would be a good lunch opportunity so we troop inside.

He's not wrong: the cafe people are friendly and welcoming, the food's very good, and the atmosphere congenial.

From lunch it's only a dozen miles or so, maybe a tad more, to our hotel in Little Falls. We leave the Lake Woebegon Trail, but not before we reach the Mississippi River and the Great River Road.

Looks like some TLC might be a good idea here.

This is a lie. I've gone about 100 feet onto the bridge that carries the trail over the river, taken the photos above, and turned around.

We finish the day, for all intents and purposes, on the Great River Road. It's pretty open, leaving us exposed to the breeze, which is still directly in our faces.

Open country panorama. We're gradually leaving the corn and bean farming area behind, but not the head wind.

PI stop for a photo and get popped off the back of a quartet of my companions. It takes several miles for me to close the gap, by which time Rose is alone and struggling a bit so I pull in ahead of her and offer a draft. She gladly accepts, and we continue our way north.

More species not native to Minnesota. At least, I assume they aren't native.

Not far from the end of the day we pass Lindbergh State Park and the home of Charles Lindbergh. We pause for a photo of the historical marker, and also to reorganize our drinks bottles, then press on.

In Little Falls we meet a very busy street scene: there's a craft festival in progress this weekend, and the vendor's booths are spread along almost a mile of the main drag, on both sides. There are people milling about everywhere, so we must be extra-vigilant as we pick our way through town.

I've arrived at the bridge in Little Falls. This time I do cross the Father of Waters.

But not before looking behind me and spotting this mural.

We reach the hotel, only to learn that they are quite a way from being ready for us. The craft festival has had them full up, so the housekeeping staff have been stretched thin getting rooms turned over.

No matter: we ensconce ourselves on the hotel's front porch and hold court until our rooms are ready.

Carol, our daily angel, has cleverly laid claim to the porch for our use while we wait for our rooms.

Nettie's injured hand is all kinds of interesting colors, but it means she's probably at least a few more days from being able to ride.

I'd love to have this bad boy. What style.

Once we've been to our rooms and showered, we reconvene on the porch for the daily rider's meeting, then head to dinner. The closest place is a Perkins, just two doors down. When we get there, however, there's a sign on the door alerting us that due to staffing issues they're closing at eight. No problem: it's not yet even six so we have plenty of time.

Except there is a problem: they're short-staffed so there's considerable confusion and delay in getting us seated. So much so, in fact, that about half the group elect to cross the highway to where several fast-food chain options await us. We go our separate ways, as our tastes and preferences dictate. I eat with my roommate for the night; we've not spent a lot of time together so I appreciate the opportunity to begin to rectify that.

Over dinner we discuss a range of topics, from social media to information security and what ill effects it can cause, to where we've lived, and others. It's an enjoyable hour or so, then we return to the hotel. There's a guest laundry facility just down the hall from our room, and we've been alerted that there's no similar amenity at tomorrow night's hotel so now seems the right time. (We'll be in the next town for two nights, taking a rest day on Tuesday.)

While his and my laundry are getting done, he catches up on his electronic life and I work on this.

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Today's ride: 53 miles (85 km)
Total: 202 miles (325 km)

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Gretchen CarlsonI'm soooo enjoying your journal!
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8 months ago

Keith AdamsTo Gretchen CarlsonThanks, Gretchen.
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8 months ago