Day 29

Minnesota has a mix of the best and worst roads that we've seen during the Big Ride.  Honestly, some of the milled (pavement ground for a new layer) in Montana were better than a few of the finished roads here.  There are deep cracks or expansion joints every 10 feet or so that jolt your arms and smash your jewels on the seat.  A few minutes later you are on a smooth shoulder enjoying the scenery.  Amazing.

The scenery in this part of Minnesota is more of what I expected.  We traversed rolling terrain than was mixed with trees and streams, then entered big agricultural valleys.  The up and down made for tougher riding than we have seen for days, but the view was worth it.  The farms seems well kept up and many were very beautiful.

Brad was feeling old so a couple for the riders bought him a 90th birthday balloon.  He towed it behind his bike for 30 miles this morning before trashing it.  I called it his anti-drafting device--no one dared follow him closely for fear of the thing would wrap around your neck.

Mike and I stopped at a tavern called Brewski's in Utica, Mn. to celebrate reaching 2000 miles.  Mike is from Utica, NY so he bought several t-shifts for his buddies back home.  The owner was very nice and let us take a few pictures behind the taps.

It turns out that we were a couple of miles short on our calculations and the ride coordinators painted the 2000 mile mark on the road.  We celebrated again by darting in and out of traffic to get out pictures taken there, too.


Tomorrow morning we cross the Mississippi into Wisconsin.  The next day I get to see my wife, Callene, in Madison.  I can't wait.