Day 29, Owatonna to Winona, 90.2 miles

Best: Donuts from Blodows in Winona

Worst: Aftermath of last nights Mexican Dinner

Most Unexpected: Finding another bank designed by Louis Sullivan in Winona

Last night we went out for Mexican food.  The sign said real authentic Mexican food. Maybe in Minnesota, but certainly not in Mexico.  Really can't say much about the food (if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all).  A few of the Big Riders went tequila crazy, but it didn't affect them on today's ride.

Cool night temperatures, and my sleep was interrupted by a train again.  The tent doesn't do much for sound attenuation. We rode our bikes to the HyVee for breakfast, and my stomach said it wouldn't eat until I did something about getting rid of the Mexican dinner, so I obeyed my stomach. Sorry HyVee.

The ride today was in temperatures no higher than upper 60's, and you might find this boring, but we had another awesome tailwind.  We did the 90 miles and arrived in Winona by noon.  I felt pretty good today, who wouldn't getting pushed across the country, and engaged in some playful racing with Paul. We flew through the typical landscape, and then found some hills and trees and a pretty view.

When we got to Winona, we had donuts ready to eat.  Early this morning I had called Blodows and placed an order for 12 maple long johns, and Lynn was gracious enough to pick them up. 

The donuts were extremely tasty, and as a result I got on my bike and went to the store myself and bought a glazed donut.

Thats my donut on the counter next to the helmet. The clerk seemed real interested at this point. 

After getting really sugared up, I went down to the Mississippi levee to check out the puny river.  The levee park had been recently flooded, and the water was barely below the lower levee.

I stuck my hand in the river and watched it slowly dissolve. I cruised downtown and found a familiar building.

If this looks like yesterdays picture of the bank in Owatonna, you are right.  The big news is that this bank was open, so I went inside and asked a couple of tellers if the bank had been designed by Louis Sullivan and she said she thought it was by Norman Rockwell. Norman Rockwell?  They found a brochure and sure enough it was by Sullivans firm.  The stained glass really shows up from the inside.

This is the ceiling glass.

We are staying inside at the Winona State dorms, and will be eating at the campus cafeteria.  Just in case, I bought an extra donut, a bismark, for dessert.  So much for losing weight on this trip.

We got interviewed for a local newspaper today.  We meaning not me.

Whoever puts a wooden train in front of their house dserves their name in a heart.

Only seven miles to home.

Going through the valley to get to Winona on this gorgeous road.

A typical Big Rider from a previous year.

One last look at Bloedows. 

Clouds, wind turbines, and a wind you can't see.

Day 28, New Ulm to Owatonna, 73 miles of easy living.

Best:  How do you beat 70 degree weather in Minnesota in July?

Worst: GNATS

Most Unexpected:  Getting to Owatonna before 11:00

Big Riders leave big shadows!  Especially at 6:00 in the morning.  I felt sandwiched today looking ahead into the rising sun, and behind into the descending almost full moon.  I just couldn't figure out how to take that picture.

We stood around outside our dorm at Martin Luther College eating breakfast and literally being bombarded with gnats.  Yesterday they were all over as well.  Even the locals were saying how many bugs are out.  The gnats were trying to enter any orifice they could find, and gazillions of them overwhelmed our puny defences.  In the midst of these hordes of gnats, a few mosquitos in gnats clothing snuck in and pulled out their pint of blood.  I fled the breakfast and got going as fast as I could. Everytime you stopped at a stop sign (yes bikes do stop) or a signal, the gnats, who were called by their relatives in New Ulm, would swarm in.  Eventually this bombardment ended although I did eat a lot of protein for the first hour or so. 

Unbelievable weather with the temperature in the 70's and the wind being a light tailwind.  I just know we are being set up for something real bad.  We learned their is a polar vortex approaching us which sounds ominous, but indicates we are going to get maximum temperatures in the 60's for the next several days.  What month is this? 

We cruised through the relatively flat roads, and relatively means they were really flat. Unfortunately the roads were not flat in terms of the riding surface.  The first part of the ride was bumpy, then we hit a new section of highway14 which was smooth and wonderful up to lunch.  Then the remnants of some major nuclear bombing appeared before us and out bikes got pounded, pounded, and pounded some more. I know, I am such a whiner after having great temperatures, wind, and flatness, but my blog would be really boring if I didn't add something.  Otherwise the blog for today would be one line saying, I got up, rode the flat roads with moderate temperatures and good wind until Owatonna where I am now sleeping.

Yesterday's picture of the two couples in the bar, the two ladies were sisters.  In person they looked very similar, especially after having had a few beers at the brewery.

When I woke up from my ride, I found I was in Owatonna and stopped at the Scream for ice cream.  Unfortunately because it was around 10:30, the store was closed, so I went downtown to admire the bank building designed by Sullivan, Frank Lloyd Wrights boss, and called home to check in. 

I made it to the fairgrounds where the worst showers in the world live along with unimaginable things growing in the worst showers in the world. Fortunately we got access to the Four Seasons Centre where we used the showers used by ice hockey teams. These restrooms will close tonight, so when I brush my teeth and get ready for bed, I will be going down in the dungeon where the restrooms reside. Say a prayer for me.  

After setting up my tent, which I must say is awesome, showering, and drinking fluids, we headed back to the Scream where I had the following:

This is green apple ice cream with a boatload of caramel sauce, whipped cream, peanuts and a cherry.

We did have a minor detour today.  We were rolling down the road following the q sheets (directions) in a group of five when the last person, Lisa, said we were supposed to turn left at the signal, not go straight.  She was the only one who saw the Dan Henry's on the ground.  Dan Henry's are painted symbols on the ground usually consisting of a circle with a line coming outside the circle in the direction you are supposed to travel.  If not for Lisa, we would have missed the detour and gotten stuck in construction which is why it is not majority rules in determining which way to go. 

You will be pleased to note that I had my first pluot of the trip. (obviously not much to report about today)  Marich Chocolates sent us another care package in New Ulm and I am now a firm believer in eating chocolates while riding the bike.  

This is Loon(y) lake named after me.

Kenny, Kevin, and Jenn indulging at the Scream with appropriate symbols.  I had stopped by here just after 11:00 after killing time downtown to find out what time they opened up, and the server was aware we would be coming back later.  I think the bike would be comfortable to ride in Minnesota with only the top tube giving it a lot of flex for the potholes/cracks. 

The fairgrounds where we are staying.

The approach to the dungeon bathroom showers.

Avert your eyes, this is the dungeon facility.  In an effort to help you sleep tonight, I offer the following picture captured on today's ride.

Sleep well.

Day 27, New Ulm rest day

Best:  Schell brewery tour (well actually not the tour but the beer tasting after)

Worst:  Missing out on Chicken Pot Pie at Lola's

Most Unexpected:  Thunder and lightning and rain just before I was going to ride my bike to Schells

Leisurely wake up at 6:30 and took off for Lola's downtown for breakfast.  I ordered the breakfast sandwich after finding out the Pull-a-parts were still rising.  The sandwich was a buttermilk biscuit with eggs and bacon between.  I took my kindle to read and was joined by Kevin and Jenn.  After they left, the waitress came up to me and told be the pull a parts were ready (like a cinamon bun but small pieces put together and a creme chesse frosting),  After consulting with my stomach which said it was full, the brain said fiil er up, and I had my second breakfast which explains why I didn't eat lunch.  Back for a sorely needed bike cleaning and drivetrain relubing, and just when I was prepared to ride my bike to a brewery tour, it started to pour.  Terry's dad, Red, came to the rescue and drove us to the brewery.  We just missed getting on the 12:00 tour as Kevin's relatives were visiting, and we let them go first through the door.  They promptly bought all of the remainng 10 tickets for the 12:00 tour so we went on the 1:00 tour.  About 25 minutes of a really weak tour, but then they made up for it with a lot of different beer tastings.  Between the four of us we had quite a lot of tastings.  At the end when you take up the bottles, they give you a full size glass of whatever you want.  In addition, I asked for a full glass of their root beer which I had after the beer.  Wobbling out, Red drove us downtown back to the Turner Hall and we had a hamburger and I skipped the beer.  The original plan was then for me to go to the movies at 4:00 and then go to Lola's for their chicken pot pie, but I was stuffed so opted to go back to the dorm to recuperate (and sober up).  We got driven back to our dorm by Chuck who we had met coming out of the Turner Hall the night before, and we sat next to tonight. We had great conversations with people both at the brewery and at Turner Hall. I am planning on catching up with my reading after this blog, eating some candy, and then settling in for an exciting ride tomorrow. Todays ride consisted of riding to Lola'sand back. It  felt good to be off the bike. 

At the Schell brewery lookin through the magnifying glass the wrong way.  

Self portrait.

Real portrait.

I put this together in the gift shop.  Caption reads Ant wins wrestling competition with a remarkable takedown at the end of the period.  Subsequently the gnome was eaten.

This was a few of the bottles the four of us drank at the beer tasting before ordering a full beer.  Kenny, Terry, Red and I managed to taste a lot of beer.  The couple down the table kept shipping us their almost full bottles after they did their 3 oz each, and we helped oblige them.  

Kenny with his new bike shirt.  Note both hands are full of beer.

Kenny's new shirt from the front showing the tag still attached.  This tag stayed on even at dinner at the Turner club.

Talking with Becka's dad who came to see her at the brewery.

The two couples who I enjoyed chatting with at the Turner Bar.  They escaped New Ulm but were back to see their parents.  Can you guess who is related to who?

Day 26, Tyler to New Ulm, 93 miles

Best: Extra 7 mile detour  (you don't really believe this do you)

Worst:  Highway 14 sucks in Minnesota

Most Unexpected: Turn Halle Ratskeller

Last nights dinner was Lasagna.....Again.  We slept in the school cafeteria in warm humid conditions with a loud fan trying to make it livable.  Not the greatest nights sleep, and others probably less so as I was sleeping on top of my sleeping bag with just my shorts which would cause nightmares for just about anyone.

We rolled out knowing our 86 mile ride was going to be an extra 7 miles due to a detour.  The winds were favorable, but the detour made sure that we rode into a headwind.  After getting off the detour we rode with a strong sidewind.  How strong you ask.  See the picture below.

We made pretty good time, and obviously much better than if this was a headwind.  I did not enjoy from miles 50 to 70 as it was just monotonous and a lot of work to keep going.  Thank goodnesss I was riding with Kevin and Jenn to keep me from lagging.  Lots of corn, enough to tempt me into the following picture.

This is probably the last corn patch we will see on this trip.  My daughter thought I should compose a poem on my ride, so here it is:

Riding through the corn

Is really bor'in

There were some interesting things to see on the trip and they are below.  We rode on Highway 14 and it was a terrible surface 2 years ago, and nothing has been done to improve it.  The j/b/m was real high and there were holes big enough to swallow a bike.  Once we got through Sleepy Eye, we turned off and got onto a decent highway for the final miles into New Ulm. (in case you forgot, j/b/m measures jolts to the butt per mile.  In this case the jolts were spaced about the same, but the displacement was much greater resulting in maximum force to the nether region of the anatomy)

After moving into our dorms on the Martin Luther campus, we headed off downtown to the Turn Halle Ratskeller which is the oldest bar in Minnesota.  It started out as a gymnasium and the idea was imported from Germany, but shortly thereafter the bar was installed to help the gymnasts really achieve flexibility.  It was a great experience, and after a couple of beers, I rode back so I could go to dinner at 5:30 to eat at the school cafeteria.  Lasagna again.  Just joking, we had chicken but the best part of dinner was the ice cream.  The ice cream was in large tubs with a multitude of different flavors, and it was semisoft.  It was just like if you bought your ice cream at the supermarket, and then after bringing it home you took the top off of it and ate the part that was not hard.  I of course have never done this. 

Cool murals on the barns.

We are in Minnesota and still Laura Ingalls Wilder signs appear. This time they claim to be the home that Laura Ingalls Wilder was born.  Who cares is what I say.

Even Linus loves Sleepy Eye where the streets are even worse than Hwy 14.

A good section of Hwy 14. Note the cracks that appear every 15 feet.  The shoulder would disappear and then the road became abysmal.

What do you think the owners of these bikes are doing?

The secret entrance to Turn Halle.

The bartenders inside the Turn Halle.  The bartender on the right gave us all a calendar with the ladies of the Turn Halle not wearing clothes for each month.  She was on September and was covered by an a newspaper.  I got her to sign the calendar. 

Paintings inside the Turn Halle were done in the 1880's.  This is Heidelberg castle.

Everything you needed to know about Turn Halle. Fascinating.

I went to pay for my beer with my wallet I had taken from my bike bag and I couldn't find the wallet.  I assumed I had left it in my bike bag.  When I went back to the bike, I found my wallet on the ground where apparantly it had fallen out somewhere between the bike and my pocket.  It had been lying there for more than an hour, and the money was still in it as were my credit cards.  I love Minnesota.  I unfortunately did have to pay back the person I borrowed the money from to buy the beer.

Wait a minute, you mean there is more corn than the last patch with my bike and me in the picture?