Be Thankful

To Alexandria, Minnesota -- 54.9 miles, 12.6 mph, 925 ft

Another day, another 55 miles. It has, at last, started to warm up, which is really nice. Though, I'm sure we'll soon be complaining about the heat! In any event, knowing today’s temperatures would be in the mid-80s (30C), we made a point of getting an early start.

Don had discovered the $6 lunch at Dairy Queen during his ride along the Mississippi, so we happily stopped there for our midpoint lunch in Sauk Centre.

Like the end of the ride yesterday, the route today continued on the Lake Wobegon Trail. The trail extends over a hundred miles from St Joseph to Fergus Falls, and we are definitely getting a little spoiled with the smooth pavement and lack of cars. We particularly enjoyed the signs posted every mile along one section.

1. Be fair
2. Be kind
3. Be understanding
4. Be honest
5. Be thankful
6. Be a good sport
7. Be a good friend
8. Be joyful
9. Be generous
10. Be gentle with others
11. Be positive

I could probably use a reminder on a few of these from time to time. And, after the president’s announcement to pull out of the Paris accord yesterday, I wouldn’t mind if Donald Trump took a ride along this path either.

Even with the flat terrain of today’s ride, our legs are getting sore again and the higher temperatures made us happy to stop for cool drinks. With the relative quiet of the hiking/biking trail (snowmobile in the winter), Kylie and I decided to revive the British Museum podcasts we had started to listen to last year. When we started it seemed like we would get through the hundred episodes in no time. Ironically, the first podcast we listened to was about Alexandria, which happened to be the name of the town we were headed to today.

Afternoon nap, outside the hotel

This evening we received some unwelcomed news that Jamie was actually hit by a car while riding her bike in Minneapolis this afternoon. Thankfully, the injuries were fairly minor -- bumps, bruises, and a broken toe. Sobering news. Thankfully, we will be off the roadways for one more day tomorrow.

Storm clouds at night