58 miles. No traffic but a headwind depending on which direction the road turned.
As usual, the road out of town (Enderlin) involved an uphill but that turned out to be the most significant of the day since the landscape leveled off – more or less. The shoulder was non existent in most places but since there was no traffic (Sunday) cruising in the lane wasn’t a problem. After 28 miles or so our route turned north and then we had the wind at our backs. The roadway was rougher with a lot of expansion joints but having a tail wind was compensation for the bumps. The route zig zagged east then north then east then north so we were in and out of the favorable wind until we turned north for the final 10 mile wind aided run into Fargo.
We passed miles of wheat fields then a few miles of sugar beets then corn then the pattern repeated itself. I joked that we are in no danger as a country of having a corn shortage. Maja said that someone mentioned that most of the corn here is used for ethanol production.
Not quite amber but still waves of grain. It was interesting to me to read Maja’s comment from a few days ago that she rode along humming patriotic songs because I, too, have had America the Beautiful in my head. I’m glad she said something since it’s not as though we pedal along side by side singing songs of national pride to each other all day!
Then sugar beets.
The dividing line between the two crops. This farmer is adept at using his GPS.
Once into Fargo we had stopped to check directions to our Warm Shower hosts in Moorhead, MN (just across the river) when a woman stopped to ask if we needed help. She proceeded to bend Maja’s ear for 20 minutes about her family, nursing homes, her personal history etc. and finally gave us two small American flags so now we are decked out for the 4th.
We found our hosts’ house complete with welded steel dinosaurs, cast aluminum fence decorations, 3 dogs and 5 cats!
Our plan was to spend the 4th with these people as a rest day but after looking at the weather forecast and the projected wind and rain data going forward we decided to head out on the 4th and use the rest day later on. So tomorrow we head deeper into Minnesota and will hook up with the 110 mile long rail to trail path to St. Cloud.
bikewright 2.0 