Day Five Ride Across Minnesota

Day Five Ride Across Minnesota

If you are interested please go to this link to start from Day One. LINK

The last day of an adventure can be a really sad day. You know the end is near, you know you have to
 go back to work, you know you have 24 hours to fill yourself with the spirit of this adventure, this life, 
this moment.

We woke up at Borders Inn and Suites went out and had the continental breakfast. There was 
something about us that made the rest of the guests stare and wonder. I don’t know if it was because 
we went out in our biking attire, the helmets, the massive leg muscles, how intelligent and beautiful we
 and all bikers are, or how tired we looked. Probably the ladder. 

After breakfast we loaded up our bikes, checked out, and walked them out the door of the hotel. It was
 another chance for people to stare, but this time I’m pretty sure they were just jealous. That’s okay. 
They can be. It was a great adventure. 

We got on the road and maneuvered ourselves around the early morning semis, trucks, cars and a 
sleepy city awakening and going to work. 

Leaving Faribault was pretty easy from where we were. We just got on this road which led to a bike 
path which led to another road and we went from there. Cycling on a country road is really a great vibe.
 Sure there are cars zooming by but there’s also cattle, fields, forests, deer, meadow grass waving in 
the wind and a quiet which finds you and stuns you to the very core of your being. Here you are riding
 your bicycle through this majesty trying not to think about this being the very last day you will be here 
doing this. The last day of our adventure trying my damnedest to bear witness to everything happening 
to be in this moment of existence.

It wasn’t long before we got to my mother's house in Northfield but of course the Google lady got us 
lost inside the city. My mother had coffee and rolls waiting for us and plenty of hugs and joy. It was a 
grand moment when I could help her not be worried. My Ma tends to worry each and every time Elissa 
and I go out on an adventure, so I could see not only the joy on her face but the relaxing from worry too. 

After about an hour we left our panniers their and rode naked of baggage toward Cannon Falls. There 
is a trail which leads from Cannon Falls all the way to Red Wing. In my humble opinion it’s one of the 
best we were on.  Tree canopied with cliffs and a raging river which accompanies you from trailhead to 
trailhead. There are lots of wonderful places to stop and rest or take photos to show off your journey to 
friends and family. The half-way point is called Welch. Which I had mistakenly thought was a town 
which might have ice cream. Imagine my surprise to find it’s a ski spot but in the summer. Don’t get 
me wrong it’s pretty as a bug's ear, but I was sort of hoping for ice cream. **sad face**

We hung out there briefly and reflected on how our journey was but eventually we got stupid with 
excitement and left for the finish line. 

When we rode into Red Wing we were feeling tired of the road and excited for the burgers we promised
 ourselves. My Ma was there to pick us up so we loaded our bikes on her bike rack and left for supper. 
Well wait a second it might have been lunch I can’t remember?

This has truly been one of the greatest adventures of my life. I’m half tempted to write a book about it 
in the first person. Thanks for coming along and witnessing this adventure with us. It’s really been a 
great time having you here with us. It’s a lot like having you here in the house sitting and chatting. 

Wishing you all the best always. 

   Trevor and Elissa Marty 

Day Two 'A Mesozoic What?'

Day Two “A Mesozoic What?”

Today started with a nice big sleepy, ‘How do you do?’. We both slept better here than in Pipestone 
for some reason. It was probably due to the fact that we’d just riden our bikes a fair distance. 
To start reading from the beginning go to this LINK .

We got on the road without much problem thinking and hoping for a breakfast place but there wasn’t 
one; as a matter of fact, there wasn’t anything but road from Avoca to Mountain Lake. 
This turned out to be the hardest day of the whole journey; although, it wasn’t the largest in terms of 
miles at all. 

The fun thing about riding your bicycle across the state is the speed. You’re going around ten miles 
an hour with all of your bags and really tasting life. The smell of summer on a Minnesota county 
highway as you straddle the road between Soybeans and Corn fields will never leave me. For me this 
is the smell of freedom all mixed in with a hot road and the sound of bicycle tires and gears traveling 
across it. Cycling through my home state of Minnesota is an experience I won’t soon forget. 
Meeting her people, seeing nature in all of it’s abundance and groovitude (my own word), breathing 
her air as we cycle through the southern parts has been one of the joys of my life and a truly wonderful 
adventure. 

Having said that I will also say that this day held adventure for us. 

The Google lady took us on about ten miles of gravel roads. In the video you’ll hear me talking about 
four miles and then at the end it’ll seem like I’m exaggerating but at the point I said four miles I didn’t 
know we were about to turn onto another gravel road and then yet another. After a while it sort of gets 
to you. It’s harder to ride so you burn more calories, and work way harder riding in gravel. Elissa has 
a road bike so it was very difficult for her and as it turns out she ended up with a flat when we finally 
arrived in Mountain Lake.

Just before bed in Avoca we’d decided to get an Air BnB in Mountain Lake and it was a good thing too 
because the people whose house it was helped us with the flat, gave us some grilled tater tot hotdish 
(I grew up in Minnesota and never ever knew you could do that. It’s way better than in the oven.), and 
provided a wonderfully perfect country setting to rest our bodies. Not to mention the first shower in a 
few days which was nice as well. We are forever grateful. 

Mountain Lake seems to be a town which like so many other rural towns is slowly passing on. 
The people there are wonderful, the setting is picturesque, but the kids grow up and move away. I 
mean you can’t blame them. The world is a big place full of adventure and when you’re young and 
full of piss and vinegar that’s what you want to see and that’s what you should see. I just wish they’d 
eventually go back so we could keep these tiny towns alive. 

When we got into town we were starving so we stopped at a place called, “King Egg Roll”. It’s right 
on the main drag across the street from the grocery store. You can’t miss it. Oh boy I don’t think food 
tasted so good...well actually we were so hungry we should have used our snow shovels for spoons. 

If you get a chance you should stop there, it's a great place. 

Here is the map for this weeks adventure followed by the video. Please feel free to share this with all of your friends. Lets make this a movement and see where we can bring it.

Here is the video for this week's adventure. 

Peace, Love, and Groovitude

   The Marty’s