Total so far: 2316.1 miles
There's nothing like biking across the US to increase your faith in humanity.
I've told the stories of some (though not all!) of my encounters already, but a farmer named Donn Olson in Dalbo, Minnesota, is worth special mention.
A few years ago Donn met a cyclist near his farm and offered to let him camp in his yard. After that experience, he decided to always invite cyclists to camp on his farm, whether he was there or not. It became a pet project for him, and he went from allowing cyclists to pitch tents on his property to transforming a barn into the "Bicycle Bunkhouse."
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| The Bicycle Bunkhouse has this room with a kitchen area and TV/lounge area (not pictured), plus three bedrooms. Towels and pillows are provided. Donn did the woodwork (walls, furniture, etc) himself. |
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| Donn was worried that cyclists would have no toilet or shower if they stayed at his bunkhouse and he wasn't at home, so he constructed an outhouse and shower. |
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| Here's Donn. |
Donn dropped in to give us some advice about better routes and to give us some apples. He said he's had nearly 100 cyclists this summer, including a group of 22 that he rescued during a storm.
A few other photos from the past week or so:
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| Dirt + sunscreen makes me, well, very dirty. Unfortunately this was the night that there were no showers to be found. I had to wash up in the sink. |
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| Seed art at the Minnesota State Fair. |
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| More seed art. A play on the Scream. Note the popcorn in the back. |
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| David trying to pose for the classic state fair photo. |
Alex, thanks for being such a great riding companion for David. (read his blog about you) I hope the rest of your trip goes well without him. Maybe you'll run into someone else who will ride with you, but even if you don't, I think you'll experience more civilization and greener scenery than you have seen west of Minn. And fruits and veg. will be easy to find. I'll be watching for new postings on your blog. Have fun.
ReplyDeleteDavid's mom Jean Ralley
I told David that for my next riding partner, I want to find someone who is a better wind block. All kidding aside, I had a great time riding with him and it feels a little funny to be riding on my own again.
ReplyDeleteMaybe you should have changed your plans again and ridden up the coast of Lake Michigan. You could have dipped your front tire in the lake. If it's any consolation, apparently, he's had a couple of days of headwinds, but I think an all around easier ride than N. Dakota and Montana. I hope you are having some interesting experiences east of the Miss.
ReplyDeleteJean Ralley