Finally have a decent wifi signal so lets catch up shall we, before I forget where all we have been.  Left Bemidji on a Sunday thinking traffic would be light.  The lake effect took over in two ways. One: Seems everyone else who has a cabin or lake house in Northern MN. had to be at work on Monday, DUH! Plus, there was some kind of race in Brainerd with a sign saying "delay due to event traffic" so those two things caused about a 4 mile backup.  Then a car broke down in a construction zone with no where to be pushed off so another jam with everyone having to merge to the left lane.  Then the storm. A deluge of rain, lightning, cars pulling off kind of normal for FL every afternoon but not Cannon Falls, MN.  Heard 7 inches of rain fell. Needless to say it took a lot longer to get to Lanesboro MN. than it should have. Once in Lanesboro and plugged in at Sylvan City park campground where we stayed 4 or 5 years ago to ride the Root River Trail everything was just peachy. We can walk into and around town from the campground with ease, hear live music, grab a beer, lunch and such, and ride again the Root River trail.  Day one, rode the Tour Easys to Rushford a 36.6 mile run. Had lunch at STUMPY"S, of a big fat piece of meatloaf, mashed potatoes gravy and green beans and a craft brew to wash it all down.  The Root River tr is as nice as we remembered. Back at camp seems the deer come in every night to feed on vegetation at the edge of the park.

      The next day we triked to Harmony up the hills back down and around, trikes are soooo fun, for a 44 mile ride and lunch at Harmony House where I had battered haddock and Cindy had roast beef and a chat with some local hobo's. On the way back in Preston we did stop for Zanzabar dark chocolate ice cream.  I'm starting to see a pattern here. I guess we're still in Ragbrai mode, eat, ride, eat, ride.

      Again this trail is not to be missed, with the shade and the bluffs and the river and wildflowers in bloom.

The next day we went for pie in Whalan at the Aroma Pie Shop, the world famous pie shop mind you.  Okay I confess we went twice once for triple berry for me and peach for my sweety, the next time bluebarb for me and coconut cream for Cindy. While in Whalan I stopped in at Ernies Service Station now a sort of gas station museum and saw the coolest 1912 washing machine that still works. Of course all the neat gas station memorabilia like oil cans gas pumps and such.
After reading "Blue Highways" where Heat Moon comments on a "little window you shove your cash through" at self service pumps in 1978, made me think of the reason they were called service stations.  Now gas cost more and you have to do all the work yourself.  Ahh the good old days!

     
      Weather permitting, next stop Madison WI.  Been there before and rode the Military Ridge trail but this time a foray into the city to the capitol and along the lakes.