The final leg of our plane ride was smooth sailing. We really appreciated David being outside the terminal when we arrived. Both Tim and I were really excited to see Jamie again (she was at David and Julie's home) and get back to our home. But... I guess we were in-store for one more adventure. For all those who think that the gas light means you have at least 20 miles before you run out of gas.... be aware. Unfortunately, the car wouldn't run anymore and we were not such a pleasant spot on the freeway. Fortunately though, we have AAA roadside assistance and were back on the road in about 45 minutes.
After our reunion with Jamie,
we thanked David, Julie and Sophie for taking such good care of Jamie and our home.
It really was wonderful arriving home about 2 hours later; the house was clean and orderly, and the garden was growing like a weed. It's clear that this area had been socked with sunshine and heat because the pool temperature is 93 degrees! Not so refreshing, but it feels great to be home!
We enjoyed a delicious breakfast with Ron and Tricia at a local cafe before heading to the airport. Everything went smoothly and we departed on time heading for our layover in Denver.
Idle time on the plane allowed us to reminisce some adventures during our trip.
Here are the basic stats: We road a total of 1796 miles (17 of those miles were on a rest day). Our average milage per day was just over 68 miles per day. Our shortest travel day was 43 miles, the longest milage day was 100.2. We always were seeking the MRT (Mississippi River Trail), but most often in the southern states the MRT was the same as the Great River Trail (often Hwy 61). Even though this was our "ride along the Mississippi River", it seems that we actually saw the river less than 20% of our riding miles.
We golfed 7 times during our trip always using our telescopic adjustable loft golf club. It turned some heads and sparked some great conversation.
Roadkill changed in prevalence as we traveled north. In LA and MS - armadillos In the mid states - turtles In the northern states - raccoons
We didn't actually keep track of how many flats we had, but thinking back... it must have been about 20! In addition, we had one broken chain, a broken chain tool, a worn out pump, we had to rotate of tires and yet still needed to replace one of Tim's tires, we also had to replace my cycling cleats, adjust break cables, and purchase a new bite valve for my Camelback. Not bike related, but yet significant ... Tim got a replacement pair for his lost pair of glasses.
We went through 2 1/2 bottles of sunscreen, yet we acquired a definite cyclist tan.
The plane is loading in Denver... so we will truly be on our last leg.
Can't believe our last day of cycling is done! Hooray, we accomplished our goal. :-)
This morning we got ready to depart knowing that it would be the last time to pack our panniers, to sleep in a hotel bed, to pedal to our daily destination. The feeling was good. We enjoyed a nice breakfast with Carol, Tim's mom, before saying our heartfelt goodbyes.
The ride today to St.Paul was pretty simple, but we did get a little turned around trying to navigate the many bike paths. We stayed on the Mississippi River Trail most of the morning.
It was great finally seeing the St. Paul skyline off in the distance.
We were welcomed to St. Paul (about 40 miles into our ride) by Ron, Tim's friend for about 30 years. He guided us along the paths to some wonderful scenic overlooks then to his home for the final 12 miles of our journey. A little relaxation time including a beer, burger, and fun conversation with Ron and Tricia on their back patio was perfect. Then it was time for our next task: breaking down and packing our bicycles.
After we cleaned up and settled in a bit, we were given a grand tour of some of the highlights of St.Paul/Mineapolis. I was so impressed with number of people embracing the gorgeous weather by being active in the endless park atmosphere. It was awesome. We stopped by Lock and Dam #1 and got to witness the gates of the lock open for tourist boat.
We drove through beautiful neighborhoods as we toured a number of city lakes, stopping for a yummy picnic prepared by Tricia and toasted our safe completion of the journey with margaritas .
After a relaxing dinner, we continued our tour, and I continued to be amazed with the beauty, activity and energy of the people and surroundings. Another park that had live music and lush grounds, also had a place to get a tasty treat. We carried our ice cream cones as we checked out the falls of Minnehaha.
We took a peaceful and hike to the mouth of this large stream, where it flows into the Mississippi River. It was special touching the Mighty Mississippi River after following it for the last 5 weeks.
We really appreciated not only staying with Ron and Tricia, but also them taking the time to share some of the best that St. Paul/Mineapolis has to offer.
We said our good-byes to the family and waved farewell as we mounted our bicycles this morning. Unfortunately, they couldn't get rid of the that easily since shortly after leaving the parking lot I discovered a flat front tire !
Once we finally got on the road, we peddled past places that refreshed Tim's memories; including his childhood home.
Everything about the weather was perfect; nice temperature, very gentle breeze and nothing in the forecast that indicated a change.
During much of the day, the river and railroad tracks were on our right and the lush green bluffs or farmland was on our left.
Our first stop was in Wabasha, where Grumpy Old Men was filmed.
Wabasha is also known for their extraordinary National Eagle Center, the beautiful riverfront gardens that pay tribute to Native American Wapahasha.
and we really enjoyed the great bicycle friendly coffee shop that gave a us a dose of caffeine and energy to continue.
We then made our way to Lake Pepin that surrounds Lake City, the birthplace of water skiing. We didn't see any water skiers but we did see plenty sailboats docked up.
Our lunch stop was made famous by Alton Brown of the Food Network Channel. The Whistle Stop, in Frontenac, was fast, friendly, and plentiful. We left feeling full.
Red Wing was only about 10 miles down the road. Here we checked out the world's largest boot.
It was very impressive!
The 12 more miles to the casino were quite busy and somewhat hilly, but we made good time. We were welcomed by Tim's mom, who had our room ready for us. We had a quick dip in the pool, relaxing hot tub, then it was time to get cleaned up. Tim's college buddy Rick went out of his way to meet us for drinks and conversation. It was fun catching up with him.
Of course, Carol, Tim's mom made plans for us to stuff ourselves silly with the endless choices from the buffet.
Today's 83 miles in the saddle, a very full belly, and a now a completed blog... sounds like bedtime. Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Breakfast at Perkins fueled us up for a 9 hole round of golf at The Bridges. It was great that they allowed us to play as a fivesome.
Of course a day of golf with the Mueller boys (Ian, Tom, Tim and Jeff) would not be complete without a little commotion. A little off trail adventure ended up as a mini mudfest and a sunken golfcart. Mo, Larry and Curly watched as the cart was pulled to dry ground.
After Taco John's for lunch then it was time to get prepared for the dedication.
We arrived at the ballpark just before 3:00 to be ready for the family that would be arriving early from neighboring states. It started out as quiet time with just the immediate family, but soon families began to arrive. The forecast for the day did not look too promising, but Karl must have pulled some strings because the weather was really very pleasant. The cloud covering kept us from baking in the sun, yet no rain fell, and the breeze added movement to the air. The dedication of the bleachers was special, just as Karl was to everyone who attended.
There were about 100 people at the dedication, most of which stayed after for the delicious meal that was catered afterwards.
It was really nice seeing Tim's relatives, and putting new faces to some names.
We were all so happy with the the event and how well everything turned out. The final part of the early evening was spent watching a softball game from the seats that Karl would be watching from.
It's with love and honor that we dedicate these bleachers in the memory of Karl Mueller. 7/30/28 - 5/4/11
A relaxing day with family was the plan. Our first stop was visiting Tim's Uncle Dick and Kathy's new home on the bluffs on Winona. After, we headed to St. Mary's college to play some frisbee golf.
On the first launch pad of the match, two of the five frisbees landed in poison ivy! We decided at that point that, although the course was shaded and beautiful, the risk of landing in poison ivy was too great. We packed back into to van and proceeded to the Willows disc golf course by Lake Winona, The weather was warm and the boys were ready to catch some rays.
We satisfied our hunger at Culvers then took some time to relax and hang out. Tim, Tom, Mom and I had some good laughs going through old photos of the Mueller boys from birth through the lovely haircut and styes of the 70's and 80's to today. In the later afternoon, Tim, Tom and son Ian, and I were interested in getting out on Lake Winona. A father-son ping-pong duel filled the time while we waited for a rental canoe.
We enjoyed our time on the lake. Perfect temperature, light breeze, and our trusty Eagle Scout was along to help save the day.
While we were on the lake, in our huge double canoe, we witnessed a single canoe capsize. We were there to assist the waterlogged passengers.
All that sunshine and adventure helped us work up an appetite... for Rocco's Pizza. This pizza place was a hometown favorite of the boys childhood days and one that stills serves great pizza and beers. It was a fun family day.
