Middleton to Delafield

Leaving Middleton was much easier than arriving, as a member of the church where we stayed rode with us into downtown Madison. The bike trails in Madison are great if you know where you are going, and more than a little confusing if you are trying to find your way by cue sheet.

We ventured through the Saturday morning farmers market in Madison walking our bikes and admiring the wonderful food and flowers. Alas, I couldn't figure out how to carry raspberries in my bike bag. On the bright side, I found the stand that carries homemade doughnuts that taste just like the ones my grandmother made. Upon reflection after leaving the Square, I realized the only bikes I had seen were others in my group. Maybe local protocol, or even common sense, says one should park the bike before venturing  in to a crowded space. 

We rode east out of Madison and connected with the newest bike trail in the state to make  our way to Delafield, for a total of 75 miles for the day. The riding conditions were perfect, with a high of only about 80 degrees and low humidity, making the day much less tiring. I even had the energy to give my bike a much needed shower before I took one 

      Saturday on the Square in Madison

    Lunch along the trail. Our support van and great support team meet us every day. 

      My afternoon rest was in this lovely shady spot. 

Baraboo to Middleton

Blue skies make for nice pictures, but gray skies were welcome today, as we were a bit more comfortable riding.  We had a leisurely morning and didn't leave Baraboo until after 8 am, which felt like sleeping in compared to previous days.  We passed  the Circus World Museum on our way out of town and wished we time to visit.  A couple of good climbs leaving Baraboo helped us rediscover our climbing legs, followed by a great down hill swoop to the Wisconsin River.  It was fun to cross the river on a ferry, a trip I loved as a child.  And of course we had to find treats along the way.  I am happy to report that I have corrupted some of the group, who decided morning ice cream was a fine idea.  I was happy to find a bakery and turned down a chocolate doughnut in favor of caramel, the local specialty.  It was excellent, but I wished I had capacity for the chocolate one, too.

Fortunately, we had a short day today, only 40 miles, as we all found the directions for the final few miles intok Middleton very confusing.  Would that the Google phone app had a bike option.  We all found our way safely to our destination by a variety of routes, but no one managed to follow the cue sheet.

I went out to dinner tonight with friends and family from Madison and Middleton, a fine conclusion to another fine day.

Ferry cross the Wisconsin River

My friend Ziva indulging in morning ice cream

Ceci showing me her playhouse

Why bikers get confused

Sparta to Baraboo, Wisconsin

Another fine day on the trail, long, hot, dusty, and beautiful.  We covered 78 miles, including walking through three tunnels, and six miles before our final destination, we stopped to tour at the International Crane Foundation.  We were riding out by 6:15 am, and my first treat came at 9 am.  It's not often you can have pie a la mode at that hour and feel you have earned it.

We were on rail trails for about 56 miles of the trip, including the Elroy-Sparta trail, which was the first rail trail in the country, converted for recreational use and opened in 1967.  The surface of all these trails is packed limestone.  I was worried about riding them with my skinny-tired road bike.  However, the surface is well packed, with very little loose stone, and none of us had any problems or accidents.  We welcomed the shade, saw many wild flowers and wildlife, including skunks, sandhill cranes, turtles, and lots of goldfinches.

The International Crane Foundation, located about six miles outside of Baraboo, is dedicated to preserving the 15 species of cranes and their habitat around the world.  We heard about the efforts to preserve and protect the whooping cranes, whose numbers were down to only 21 in the 1940s, and now are up to six hundred, with substantial numbers living in the wild.  It was a thrill to see two of these magnificent birds close up for the first time in my life.

Catching up

Between weak wi-fi connections and busy days off, I'm behind on my blog.  On Monday, July 15, we rode from Frontenac to Winona, Minnesota, with a brief foray into Wisconsin and back.  We were within sight of the Mississippi virtually the whole way, with spectacular views of water and bluffs.

We had a day off on Tuesday, a bit early in the trip, but Winona, MN offers a lot to see and do.  My down day was more wearing than the biking days, I think.  The town has a good, small art museum; my favorites were a Georgia O'Keefe and a Jamie Wyeth.  In addition, as a result of wealth in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, there are many architecturally interesting houses and public buildings, and several feature outstanding stained glass windows.  The photo is of a Tiffany window in one of the banks.  And to top things off, our visit coincided with the Great River Shakespeare Festival, and we were able to get tickets for a production of Twelfth Night.  Some of it was Shakespeare meets the Three Stooges, definitely played for laughs with some good comic acting.

Did I mention it is hot out here, too.  We hit the road at 7 am this morning to cover the 57 miles to Sparta, WI  and are aiming for 6 am tomorrow to beat the heat.  Fortunately, today we were on shady rail trails most of the way, and I wear white "arm coolers" which I wet down frequently, while also drinking lots and lots of water.  And of course, there's nothing like a chocolate soda at the end of the ride to give me good memories of another fine day.  I had to drink some of it first  to give me strength to take the picture.

Northfield to Frontenac

Fifty-two beautiful miles today.  Leaving Northfield, pop. 20,000, was much easier than getting out of St. Paul.  We are immediately on nice country roads, stopping to see some of the native fauna.

The highlight of the day was a twenty mile rail trail between Cannon Falls and Red Wing, Minnesota.  It was well maintained, shady, and had lovely views of the Cannon River, as well as flooding from recent rains evident on the other side.  One rider from our group came through much later in the day and had to make his way through about 150 feet of flooded trail! He and his bike were fine.

Our first two stops were on college campuses, and each campus had a modern wind mill, as well as beautiful patches of restored native prairie grasses.  Tonight we are at a former Ursaline convent, now a retreat center, where we have a labyrinth in the back garden.

First day on the road

We are finally officially on our way to Boston!  We set out under gray skies after a night of thunder storms,  but the skies cooperated, and we stayed dry all day.  Our route took us twice across the Mississippi, with a ride through Fort Snelling.  The fort was the site of a shameful chapter in our history, the internment of Dakota Indians in the 1860s.  We continued on to Northfield, where we are very comfortably accommodated on the St. Olaf campus.  Our total mileage was only 40 for the day, with lots of red lights on the bike path.

Here's the whole group, about to set out.  As you see I fit the demographic profile.

Looking around Fort Snelling

Shake down day

I have been on the road for almost two weeks, visiting family and friends in southern Wisconsin and in Minneapolis.  Yesterday, I moved over to Macalester College in St. Paul and met up with the group heading for Boston.  We stayed around the Twin Cities today, giving people who just arrived a chance to get oriented and make sure their bikes were performing properly.  As I had been well guided by my cousin over the last few days, I led a small group on some of the fantastic bike ways in the area.  Below, you see us in front of F. Scott Fitzgerald's birthplace in St. Paul, on the Greenway thru downtown Minneapolis, with its lovely bridge, and my treat for the day.  We rode about 28 miles in a nice loop, the last circle ride for a while.