Day 31 A Honey of a Place to Bee

Today was a beautiful day for riding a bicycle. It was cool, the sky was blue and we had a wind at our left rear for most of the day. The full moon was out this morning.

Our first stop was in White, South Dakota. Everyone in the store was talking with a Minnesota accent. Then we had 30 miles of windmills. It was the longest wind farm(s) that we have ever seen.

Next we crossed into Minnesota and sure enough, the road was closed.

Unlike South Dakota, the Minnesota construction crew didn’t mind if we used the highway. The construction was only about a mile in length.

Minneota, Minnesota’s name is from the Dakota language and means “much water”. They had a large lake in the town. It used to be quite a place if you look at the signs on the old buildings.

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Minneota also has an annual Boxelder Bug Festival. Maybe that is a sign of how much the town has shrunk.

Cottonwood, Minnesota had one of those little water towers that was painted and well kept. It reminded me of a famous water tower that used to be right outside my classroom.

A common sight in the Midwest are test plots in fields. Different types of seeds are planted so that farmers can see how the crop performs in the “real world”. Here is one of many that we saw today.

I have always liked the Dekalb brand because their logo is a flying ear of corn. They have been using it since 1936.

Tonight we are staying in Redwood Falls, Minnesota. They have a waterfall on the Redwood River. Richard Sears sold his first watch from near here, marking the beginning of the Sears and Roebuck Company.

Between the hotel and Pizza Ranch restaurant there was a pedestrian bridge. How convenient. So we had all-you-can-eat pizza and ice cream.

Stats

• Arlington, South Dakota to Redwood Falls, Minnesota.
• Distance: 123.2 miles (198 km)
• Climbing: 2508 feet (764 m)
• Temperature: 46 – 64°F (8 – 18°C)

Sundry