Day 42: Near Rice, MN

We awoke to a calm, but cold 37 degree morning at our campsite on the shore of Sauk Lake.  It continued to be cool, with the highs barely breaking 60 degrees.

I rode last yesterday, so Alea rode today's 53 miles.  She rode as far as Little Rock, MN, where we loaded her bike up and drove off route to Benton Beach County Park ($20, power - showers and water available).  It has a goofy and confusing layout, but there aren't a lot of camping options along this stretch of the Northern Tier Route.

Cycling through Melrose.

On the Lake Wobegon trail near Albany, MN.

Except for the final 15 miles, the route was completely on converted rail trails, though a good stretch of that had her riding into the wind.  Very little of the trails paralleled the roads that I had to drive to arrive at various rendezvous points, and it seems as though Alea was on the more scenic route, based upon the pictures that she took of sights and artwork along the way.

We left the rail trails at Bowlus, so I rendezvoused with Alea there, where we had lunch at Jordie's Trailside Cafe.  It was appropriately bicycle themed, had great homemade soups and large portions of everything.

Those are bicycles in the landscaping along the side of the building.