Day 25 - Treasure Island Casino near Red Wing, MN

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

Location:Buffalo Slough Trail,,United States

Dedication Day

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

Location:E Belleview St,Winona,United States

Independence Day with family in Winona, MN

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.

Location:Mankato Ave Dike,Winona,United States

Day 24 - Winona, MN

Our short ride today had a special destination - Tim's hometown of Winona, Minnesota. We road a few miles to get to the trailhead, purchasing a trail pass just prior to the start.





The trail was composed primarily of crushed rock, yet was very comfortable to cruise on. We did have a few obstacles, including this downed tree that we needed to skirt around.





We enjoyed the shade from the canopy, the sounds of the wilderness, the old wooden bridges and absence of cars. The gnats swarms were the only detraction.





This large Sandhills Crane may not look like much in the photo, but it was extremely impressive in person; it must have had a 7+ foot wingspan.

About 20 miles down the trail we got to Tim's Aunt Lois and Gil's home.





We checked out their beautiful garden and did some "catching up" before heading back out on the trail. It was fun to finally reach our final state of out journey; Minnesota.





Tim guided me through his hometown, past his former schools, historical buildings and places of interest.





A must do... if you ever go to Winona, MN is Lakeview, an old fashioned Rootbeer stand, owned by Tim's HS friend. We met Tim's family there for lunch.





We cleaned up at our hotel and met with Tim's brothers and family to see the bleachers that will be dedicated to the memory of Tim's dad (Karl Mueller) on Tuesday.












Then we enjoyed a round of frisbee golf in warm weather by the lake.
We hung out before heading to The Fish House in Wisconsin for dinner. It was a very nice day

Location:Great River Rd,Fountain City,United States

Day 23 - La Crosse, WI

Last night we got our best night sleep of the trip. We sure needed it. Hotel breakfast was at 7:00, so we got on the road soon after. We started off on a vacated road in the midst of final construction. Even the turtle felt safe crossing this road.


We got the Welcome to Wisconsin sign today - a day late but still meaningful.


We spent about 7 miles getting to the Great River Road, then enjoyed the beautiful river on our left and the shade from the bluffs on the right for the next 60ish miles.






Almost halfway we stopped at a roadside Saturday market and purchased an Amish baked goodie for energy.


The views from the river were wonderful; eagles taking flight overhead, fishermen on the river, barges making their way down the river, and a couple locks and dams.



We needed to stop for water in Genoa and found only two bars open. The one with a couple of bicycles parked outside seemed like the logical choice. We carried all our water bottles inside, noticed most folks were drinking Bloody Marys, so we decided it would be a good idea. These were special... they included dill pickle, marinated asparagus and mushroom, olive and Wisconsin pepper cheese. We enjoyed the drink and the folks within.


The final 18 miles to LaCrosse were a push, but we heard about Riverfest from the cyclist in the bar, and we were focused on our destination....but first Tim needed to get this arms around the world's largest six pack (you can see him in front!).


Riverfest was filled with food, fun, watersports and your other typical festival activities.

We checked out the downtown region of LaCrosse before seeking out our hotel on the outskirts of town. The hotel did have it's benefits; guest laundry facilities, an indoor "waterpark" and it was right on the river.


At 5:00 Tim's family showed up from Minnesota to join us for dinner. They all looked so great and it was really nice to see them.


They returned to MN after dinner (we'll see them tomorrow) while Tim and I enjoyed the perfect temperature and the calming sunset while watching the activities of the river.

Location:Rose St,La Crosse,United States

Day 22 - Prairie du Chien, WI

Just like most mornings, we watched the forecast on TV. The weatherman was joking about how you could take a plain sheet of paper outside today and it would become a "wet-wipe" in no time.
The temperature would reach near highs and with the extremely high humidity it would be "oppressive". With that in mind, we grabbed a quick breakfast at McDonalds and was on the road by 6:30.
The first six miles warmed us up on relatively flat terrain....then the climbing started. The vistas were beautiful, but the heavy, humid air almost looked like smog.








We climbed to a ridge and continued the rolling terrain for the next 20+ miles, passing Sherrill, where we admired the “most beautiful scenic overlook of the Mississippi in Iowa.”








The next climb was to Balltown (elevation over 1200'), again we could see fabulous views when we wiped the sweat from our eyes.
The next several miles were a well earned descent, followed by a couple miles of gravel road to the Cassville Ferry.








We waited with one other car for about 15 minutes for the ferry to arrive. The total journey across the Mississippi River took about 10 minutes.








Once across the river we were in Wisconsin! Hooray, our 8th state along the Mississippi River.
We replenished our water supplies and consumed quantities of Gatorade.
Today I did not "glisten", instead I dripped; Tim simply poured! It certainly was oppressive, and any pieces of shade we could ride in was a blessing. Therefore, when the route we planned turned to a shaded gravel road we weren't bummed. Here we stopped under the graffitied "kissing rock".








We had plenty more climbing, stopping for shade breaks and water stops before we finally rolled into Prairie du Chien. We did some exploration in this historic river town, the oldest community on the Upper Mississippi River.








Villa Louis a 19th century Victorian is one of the famous historic sites.
A cold tap local beer and some nachos, at a wonderful downtown pub, gave us the needed fuel to get to our hotel.
The rest of the afternoon and evening was much less eventful: swim, rest, eat, blog, and I am ready to sleep.

Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Business Blvd,Prairie du Chien,United States