Day 15 Frontenac State Park, MN - Stillwater, MN

June 18, 2012

Between last night’s storm and the cold damp pea gravel underneath my tent, I had at best two hours of naps for sleep. I was slow moving once I finally did decide to get up. I looked over the map and decided that I would ride to the next town, Red Wing, check into a hotel, and catch up on some sleep. I made a brief phone call with the little battery power I had left to discuss the night and then I climbed out of my tent. Rain drops were still falling from the leaves overhead so I collapsed my tent and carried it to an exposed picnic table across the road. I let it dry out while I sat looking out to the preserve.

The tent dried and I packed my final bag, loading it on top of the back of my bike. I figured since I was only riding to Red Wing and I was already on top of the bluff, I might as well pedal to the river side and look out. And so I did, taking in the lovely Mississippi on what would be a warm humid day. While there, I stopped at the restroom, found a little gathering room (this would have been perfect last night), plugged in my phone to get a little more charge, and talked to the maintenance man for a bit. I checked the weather for the day; warm, humid, a decent southern wind, and no storms during the day. 

A little after 11:00 I finally pedaled out of Frontenac. I pedaled down to US 61 and turned onto its shoulder. I noticed a few downed limbs and some areas where sediment had washed up onto the pavement as I rode (there were reports of flash flooding in some areas although I never directly encountered such.) The wind pushed me forward and soon I was reaching the outskirts of Red Wing. I stopped near the first hotel that I saw but it was on the outskirts with no amenities nearby, so I pedaled on. 10 minutes later I arrived in downtown Red Wing. I searched around for a hotel but with no luck and so I decided something right there. I would push myself today to reach Stillwater, the end point for this section of the Northern Tier, and if I decided so, an excellent point to stop this particular trip.

Looking out from Frontenac

And so I continued on by crossing the Mississippi River and taking the island road to avoid traffic. It was a low lying area with a few bars, some campsites, and a lot of mossy flooded woods. While riding on this quiet island, I realized that I had not filled up on water as I was planning on staying overnight in Red Wing. I stopped at one of the bars/liquor store/pizza place/nightclub/firework stand (I’m not really sure what the hell it was) and bought a large orange juice (they sell it as a mixer but I’ll take the calories and potassium) and had them fill up a water bottle for me. I figured my next stop wouldn’t be for another 24 miles. 

Having thanked the barkeep, I continued on and crossed a little section of the Mississippi and entered Wisconsin. I immediately veered off onto a side road and passed another campground/bar. The pavement passed under my wheels quickly and soon I was turning onto Route 35. The bluffs seemed to become less prominent and I began to notice more of their exposure. I thought how great it would be to be a geologist and read the stories of these rocks. Another life I suppose. The easy road of 35 took me to Diamond Bluff, where on my exit out of town I pulled over to talk with a touring cyclist headed the other way. We stood there for a bit and he shared a bite of chocolate as we discussed our thoughts on bicycle touring and the ends and outs of where the other was headed. After 10 minutes we parted ways. I wish you well Roger and hope that you didn’t get overheated in the Midwest. 

Riding on 36

Leaving Roger, I began my hardest climb for the day. I just buckled down and kept pedaling, only stopping once for a drink before I reached the top. Once on top, I rode past some Wisconsin farms and came across Nesbitt’s Nursery, Orchard, Oasis and Eatery. This truly was an oasis. I was greeted outside by Mrs. Nesbitt who assured me that everything inside was delicious. And so I went in, the place to myself. In there, I was helped by Leon, who after some discussions on various things, guided me to an eggbake with a side of potatoes, an orange soda, and a finale of salted caramel ice cream. All was delicious and most of everything they have is mainly organic and sourced locally (even the furniture.) If you are ever in the area, be sure to stop by. You won’t be disappointed. And thank you Leon for sharing your stories of bike touring, your life experiences and advice, filling up my water bottle, and for letting me be a part of your hospitality for a few hours. Thank you. Oh, and I will never forget what the hardest part of organic farming is.

Wisconsin Farm

Wisconsin Farm

Nesbitt's Nursery (really an Oasis)

Having more than refueled, I pedaled out of Nesbitt’s and back onto the warm asphalt. There were a few more decent climbs but I eventually arrived in Prescott. I pulled off at the river overlook, finished my orange juice (it was on the verge of hot) and briefly talked to a family from Madison. From Prescott, I crossed back into Minnesota over the Saint Croix River and veered onto Route 21. This section seemed to be the longest 24 miles of my trip. I was expecting it to be flatter but it was moderately hilly and I pedaled and pedaled and thought I was making great time, but the miles seemed to stretch farther and farther away. I must have looked pretty bad, for under one shade tree that I stopped, a road biker told me that I should probably get some ice cream in Afton, which he said was only 3 miles away (it was still 7 miles according to my map.) I felt great despite his concerns. I knew I could make it to Stillwater.

I pushed on from that spot, eventually cruising down into Afton (even though the town never seemed to appear.) On my way out of town, I saw a sign for Mudslinger Pottery and then heard a voice asking a question. I circled back and tried to shout an answer back. Either I was too soft spoken or I was more engaging than he presumed, but the man came to the road and that is where I met Kevin. It turns out we share the same alma mater. He told me about his place and I could not help but think of my potter friends back in Illinois. He and his wife offered me a meal and a place to throw my tent for the night. I thought it over for a bit (I really don’t want to sleep on the ground again tonight.) With daylight burning, I eventually decided to keep going. Thanks for the offer and conversation Kevin. Keep turning and teaching.

With evening well under way, I booked up the hill out of Afton and finally made it out of the tree covered roads. The road from here, as Kevin assured, was flat and easy. I crossed over I-94 and made it to Stillwater. I pulled out my phone and with what little battery power that I had left, I searched for a hotel and a way to get there. I found one on busy 36 but I cut through some neighborhoods to get there via a back way (honestly, riding on 36 couldn’t have been too bad as I could have just stayed on the shoulder.) I made it to the hotel, received a room on the first floor, and wheeled my bike in. Soon the last light of day was gone but I was in a hotel room! It seemed very strange to walk into the room, with a microwave, a fridge, and a bathroom stocked with towels and a private toilet and shower.  And two beds, one to sleep in and one to throw my bags upon and lean my bike on. And a tv, a desk, and wireless internet. Oh the luxuries of modern life, how they seemed so unfamiliar and new. 

I was proud that I had pushed myself to Stillwater today, going much farther than I had originally set out to go during the morning. Despite my lack of sleep during the previous night, I was wide awake until I finally went to bed at about 11.