Mother Nature was cranky today!!!!!!!
We enjoyed terrific views of the river this morning but were surprised to see chunks of ice floating along. We passed 3 dams within just miles of each other....the Mississippi is definitely working hard! Unfortunately, we battled head winds all day long.....we really did earn every inch! I don't think we have ever worked so hard. At times it was a struggle just to stay on the bike. Having said that our spirits were constantly buoyed by people wishing us well and safe travels....kind, but I really just wanted someone to give me a ride.
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| Dam on the Mississippi River |
In addition to the wind, we faced rain and sleet in the morning and then the temperature went to about 80 degrees....I truly believe that Mother Nature just wants to remind us who is in charge!
Rob's navigational skills have been impecable ....until 1pm today! At exactly 1:05 pm we veered right and the MRT went left...WHO KNEW? Of course, we didn't realize our mistake for several miles as the signage in Minnesota can be extremely confusing. The same road has a street name, a county name and a State name...and then what the locals call it. We have struggled to get a detailed county map so we have basically been flying blind.....our only indication that we were travelling the right direction was the intensity of the southern wind! To make a long story short we ended in Buffalo.....about 20 miles west of our target. The good news.....we didn't fight!
The highlights of the day.... first surviving -second has to be St. Cloud, home of the St. Cloud Huskies! (their logo looks a lot like the Montreal Canadiens logo, but we wont hold that against them.....GO Canucks! (next year of course!)
St. Cloud stretches for miles along the river, with beautiful old homes (giant front porches), American flags proudly on display and tree lined streets. It was exactly how I imagine small town America.
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| St. Cloud, Minnesota |
Giggle of the day: We passed a public storm shelter......thinking back....we should have camped there!
View Bicycling directions to Buffalo, MN, United States in a larger map
Hey Jane and Rob,
ReplyDeleteWe love reading your adventures!!!...but even though there's no sun...“Laughter is a sunbeam of the soul.”
Now here's some history for your travels!
Get Singin' xoxoxo
In 1814 we took a little trip
Along with Colonel Jackson down the mighty Mississip.
We took a little bacon and we took a little beans
And we caught the bloody British in the town of New Orleans.
We fired our guns and the British kept a'comin.
There wasn't nigh as many as there was a while ago.
We fired once more and they began to runnin' on
Down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico.
We looked down the river and we see'd the British come.
And there must have been a hundred of'em beatin' on the drum.
They stepped so high and they made the bugles ring.
We stood by our cotton bales and didn't say a thing.
Old Hickory said we could take 'em by surprise
If we didn't fire our muskets 'til we looked 'em in the eye
We held our fire 'til we see'd their faces well.
Then we opened up with squirrel guns and really gave 'em ... well
Yeah, they ran through the briars and they ran through the brambles
And they ran through the bushes where a rabbit couldn't go.
They ran so fast that the hounds couldn't catch 'em
Down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico.**
Luv, Rena, Les and Lesley
Heh Coes....we LOVE that song .... it is often our inspirational music - we sing it together (NOT in harmony) every time we face a big hill! LOL Thanks for you comment and the giggle. We are going to need it as the forecast for today is high winds and 90 degrees. xoxo
DeleteLove your endurance. The wind was HOWLING here yesterday, the rain going sideways. Paul and I thought about hopping on our bikes in your honor to be one-with-the-pain, but then we thought, that's silly. It's much more fun vicariously enjoying nasty cycle weather through you! :):):)
ReplyDeleteKeep it up, makes our cycles here seem a little small but hey you gotta start somewhere!