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We left Muscatine, Iowa before dawn and followed a nice bike trail to the Mississippi River bridge. The bridge was constructed in 1972 and had a small shoulder. This was the fifth and final time that we crossed the Mississippi. We had a stiff wind out of the South that became stronger as the dayContinue reading “Day 41 Spilled Milk”

Today was a relatively short ride from Maquoketa so we didn’t leave until 7:30 am. The highlight of today’s ride was having Goose (Tom Miller) and Chris Rhodes ride with us. They met us in Bennett, Iowa and rode ~24 miles to the finish in Muscatine. Chris, Goose and Chad went to grade school, highContinue reading “Day 40 Lawn Mower on a Stick”

We spent the day in Maquoketa, Iowa while following our rest and recovery guidelines. Yesterday when we arrived in Maquoketa we were surprised by the arrival of our spouses. It was good too see them again after more than 5 weeks on the road. We went on a short drive to Stone City, Iowa whereContinue reading “Day 39 Rest Day”

Today was a short day as we made our way South and East from Dyersville, Iowa. We only passed through one town, Cascade. Our destination was Maquoketa where Herb and our Mom lives. Our biggest fan was on the porch waiting for us. Herb’s neighbor and riding buddy, Brian, rode out about 20 miles fromContinue reading “Day 38 Round Hollow Dairy”

Today’s weather was favorable and the ride was relatively short so we didn’t leave Marquette, Iowa until 8 am. First we had to climb up and out of the Mississippi River valley. The cliffs lined the road. We went through several small towns that had no pretenses about being small. Watson, Iowa had exactly twoContinue reading “Day 37 Is This Heaven? No, It’s Iowa!”

We left at dawn this morning and could hear the duck hunters doing their thing on the Mississippi River. After about 10 miles we took the Wisconsin Great River State Trail through the Trempealeau National Wildlife Refuge. It was a crushed limestone trail and very rough in spots. We were hoping to see wildlife butContinue reading “Day 36 Hood Scoops”

Today we left Hastings, Minnesota and followed the Mississippi River on the Great River Road. The river runs in a Southeast direction. All day long we could see the river and train tracks on the right side. And huge bluffs with rock outcrops on the left side. There were lots of small towns along theContinue reading “Day 35 Rock in the House”

Today we left Waconia, Minnesota under clear skies and began peddling towards the twin cities (Minneapolis and St. Paul). We rode on several bike trails through both cities. In Minneapolis parts of the trail were divided for bikes going in each direction – just like the interstate. There was also a third trail for runners/walkers.Continue reading “Day 34 Polka Dot Pure Milk”

We spent the day in Minneapolis, Minnesota while following our rest and recovery guidelines. Isaac and Nicole let us use their van so we drove from Waconia into the city. Our first stop was the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden. The most famous piece is the Spoonbridge and Cherry pictured above. The cherry is also a fountainContinue reading “Day 33 Rest Day”

Today was another great day for riding a bicycle. There were light winds, clear skies and cool temperatures. Fog was hanging over the road and fields as we left Redwood Falls, Minnesota. We rode on a gravel road for about 15 miles. It was smoother than the cracked pavement that we had earlier in theContinue reading “Day 32 Ark of the Anthropocene”