For the record - we are welcomed to Minnesota.

Day 70: Sunday, September 12.
To Riverside Inn in Hawley, MN. An early breakfast with a family that offered us hospitality last night (which we had declined with thanks but agreed on breakfast together) - then biked down the Red River of the North Valley through Fargo and into Minnesota; most of day we headed south so our westwind was across us; rain threatened all day, and caught us for the last 10 miles. 66 miles.

Here's the team webmaster in a motel bed (t-shirt says "BIKE TO WORK DAY"), downloading photos from Seattle filmworks website, selecting images and writing captions, and sending files to SF & the web.

Rob reads to Catharine's frog in same motel room.

Day 71: Monday, September 13.
To Twin Lake Resort in Amor, MN. Again, heading south so 16 mph winds are crosswinds. Spent most of day on secondary roads, through dairy farms and loads of lakes; water table is very high. Rain for the last 15 miles - getting pretty tired of being cold & wet. Wonderful host at this resort let us use his "boat house/office/cabin" free for the night - with heater! YES. 62 miles.

Minnesota's license plates do not lie - there are loads of lakes; here's one; notice how the reeds and trees bow before the powerful wind, which was behind us, much to our delight.

The water table is so high that it is submerging meadows and fences, so the the owner's posting of "no hunting, etc" should include "no fishing" as well!

There are also lots of dairy farms in Minnesota; the huge dairy company here is appropriately named "Land o Lakes".

Here's one of Minnesota's finest chewing on one of those hay rolls we see everywhere just to show you an "end user".

But here's another end-use: using hay rolls to urge voters to support additional funding for local schools; check out the high heels painted on the Ms's.

We caught up with the Mississippi near Bowlus, MN in central Minnesota, and had lunch on the banks of the very fast-flowing river.

Further downstream, we found a sign identifying the "mighty Mississippi" - and the sign indicating that the road was part of the "Great River Route" which runs along the river's length through MN

Another lunch on a small dock jutting into the Mississippi; notice that the river level is so high that water covers part of the ramp from shore to the dock

What Rob had for lunch that day: cheese & Triskets (with garden herbs) and tomato; potato chips (shared); peach; yogurt.

What Catharine did after lunch.

Better view of wading through river to leave our dock; team hangs on because "it's a treat to beat your feet in the Mississippi mud" but it is slippery on aluminum walkway as well.

Closer to Minneapolis, we entered a series of bike paths leading to the Twin Cities.

We stayed on bike paths right into Minneapolis.

We were intrigued by the reflective interactions among the city's skyscrapers.

Day 76: Saturday, September 18.
To Frontenac State Park in Frontenac, MN; Unpaved road to breakfast at a deli in Afton - good pastries and chat with local women cyclists; crossed Mississippi into Wisconsin for part of ride; serenity shattered by sharing road with 500-1,000 motorcyclists on their annual Flood Ride - lots of Harleys and excruciatingly loud engines; construction, lots of hills leave us tired - but lovely campground on a bluff overlooking Mississippi; 59 miles.

A small subset of the hundreds of riders on the motorcyclist's "Flood Ride", I spotted very few helmets!

On the river, we pass our 3500 mile mark, but because we didn't notice until 3504, that's what the sign language indicates (truth in advertising).

We stopped at Lock#5 on the Mississippi, where if you look very carefully, you will see a "vee" of geese high in the sky; we're not sure why they were heading north.

Same Lock#5 with a huge barge squeezed in; there appeared to be only inches to spare between the edge of the barge (painted red) and the lock wall (white).

Sign at lock: one 15-unit barge pushed by single tug carries the same amount of cargo as nine 100-car freight trains or 870 18-wheeler trucks.

10/26/99