The Irony of Cycling South to a Town Called Northfield

October 3, 2022

Northfield, Minnesota

"Wake up, G-2, it's time to hit the road," I shouted!

Can you believe that guy? I mean, I already brewed two cups of coffee, took a short hike down to the nearby lake, had everything loaded onto my bike except the tent, and there he was, still sleeping at 9:30 a.m. The guy has no sense of urgency. I'm almost ashamed to call him my cartoon alter-ego.

Here's a picture of the lake I hiked around this morning. If it has a name, I don't know what it is.

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Before leaving the campground, I walked to the portable restroom to go, shall we say, to the restroom. On the way, I passed the campsite of a couple of young dudes who were smoking a substance that is still not legal in the state of Minnesota. They seemed to be pretty experienced in that area judging by their deep inhalations from a bong and their lack of concern about who might see them. They were even more laid back than G-2.

"Welcome, weary traveler," one of them said in a voice that made me think he was right out of The Canterbury Tales.

I laughed and replied, "I thank thee, and wouldst thou care to share a hit from thy smoking device."

I didn't really say that. When I got back to my campsite, I only WISHED I had said something so clever instead of the clumsy response I actually gave as I walked right on by: "Yes, I AM a weary traveler."

They were the same two dudes I saw last night--skinny, ill-fitting clothes, long hair--shaking the bejeepers out of a small tree and gathering what fell. After they left, I had to investigate. It was a crabapple tree. Do people actually eat crabapples?

They sure were interesting characters for a couple of people I never actually met. They made me wish I was young and carefree again.

************

Finally, I hit the road. Before exiting the park though, I staged a picture of me showing off one of my best cycling tricks. If nothing else, it might reassure you that I'm not a completely washed-up old geezer. It certainly reassured ME.

Within a couple miles, I came across another lake. This one does have a name: Lake Farquar. Lake Farquar is a far cry from ugly. Good pun, eh?

If that last pun didn't meet your expectations, I came up with another one: I won't get very far on Lake Farquar in this canoe.

Every one of the first 14 miles of my day were ridden along busy suburban roads. Oops, I left out a part of that sentence. What I should say is, every one of the first 14 miles of my day were ridden on bike trails that ran alongside busy suburban roads.

As expected, I saw many housing developments, retail establishments and restaurants, but I also managed to score a couple of major wildlife sightings. Like a rare Suburban Egret and my favorite caterpillar species.

I've never seen a bird so still and so focused for so long. I believe it was waiting for just the right time to pounce on a frog.

I'm so glad Son of Bing Bong didn't run over this Wooly Bear.

I can't say I've ever seen so many tires on one vehicle before. I also can't say why I included this picture in a section that was supposed to be about suburban wildlife.

I ate lunch at a city park in the suburb of Farmington. It was a foil package of Tuna in Extra Virgin Olive Oil. I only mention it because it was surprisingly delicious. I wish I could remember the brand so I can find it again for future roadside meals.

Farmington was the last of the suburban communities. After that, I was back in the beautiful corn & soybean fields of rural Minnesota. They're just as beautiful when they're brown as when they're green. In addition, it's harvest time, which means I got to watch some farm machinery in action. I'm fascinated by those things.

My southward ride to Northfield took much longer than expected. I admit I didn't notice the wind direction part of today's weather report. My punishment for not leaving my campsite early was a headwind punching me in the face ALL BLOODY DAY LONG. When will I ever learn? Probably never. That was a rhetorical question. I answered myself anyway.

I was very glad to finally see this sign.

Cows and the contentment are fine assets for many communities in the mid-west. The colleges are what really sets Northfield apart from the cows-and-contentment towns. The city only has a population of about 21,000, but it has two of the most expensive and academically respected colleges in the region--if not the entire U.S.

I was too tired to venture onto both campuses today, so I rode up to the BEST one. I'll save the second best one for tomorrow.

Seriously, St. Olaf College HAS to be one of the most beautiful college campuses in America. It sits high on a hill overlooking the city and the Cannon River valley. Its stone buildings, park-like commons, and vast, well-manicured lawns can only be described as majestic.

The Ole Store is a mainstay. (St. Olaf's sports teams are named "The Oles.")

Looking across the field of green (and the bike of green) is St. Olaf's historic Main Hall.

I pedaled steeply uphill to get a closer picture of Main Hall, AKA "Old Main." I'm not sure of this, but I think it's about 1,000 years old.

This is the view looking down from the ancient Main Hall.

Well, maybe St. Olaf College isn't quite 1,000 years old.

I was positioned for more pictures of the campus when, suddenly, classes let out and the walkways filled with students. As a guy riding a loaded bicycle, with gray hair and wrinkled face, I felt very out of place.

My short tour of St. Olaf made me want to go back to college. I could take an English class and maybe learn how to write a decent travelogue. It would be fun.

I look forward to exploring more of Northfield tomorrow. The other college is one thing, but there are some other historic surprises in store as well.

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Today's ride: 32 miles (51 km)
Total: 451 miles (726 km)

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Rachael AndersonWhat a coincidence! I frequently by packaged tuna for lunch if I don’t have a refrigerator!
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2 years ago

Gregory GarceauTo Rachael AndersonIn my backpacking days, I always carried little cans of Chicken of the Sea or other major brands of tuna. The stuff I ate here was a hundred-times tastier.
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2 years ago

Emily SharpThat is a very nice campus, and it does feel weird to still feel mentally like you could belong but then look at the students and think... OMG, they are sooooo YOUNG! My high school senior year roommate went to St Olaf for her undergrad. But her family owned a golf course or two and she got scholarships... so affordable for her I guess! She now lives in LA, works in the film industry and hob nobs with big stars.... And I knew her when she overslept her Charlie Chaplin alarm clock on a daily basis back in lowly Muncie, IN, lol.
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2 years ago

Keith KleinHi,
Northfield is one of my favorite small towns in Minnesota. For reasons I don’t remember I was there a lot. The college atmosphere was one of its charms, but then I worked in a college, so one might think I would have had enough of that and not spent free time in what essentially is the same environment. But I did and your pics are soliciting good memories. Thanks.
Cheers,
Keith
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2 years ago

Gregory GarceauTo Emily SharpThanks for the story about your successful, St. Olaf grad friend--especially the part about the Charlie Chaplin alarm clock. LOL
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2 years ago

Gregory GarceauTo Keith KleinThanks, Keith, and St. Olaf College brought back some memories for me too. I hadn't been there since I retired nine years ago. I managed paint stores for my career, and St. Olaf College was one of my best customers. Their building maintenance budget was enormous, and the guys in the Paint Department were incredibly friendly. Heck, they usually insisted on treating ME to lunches on their expense accounts. Usually, that's supposed to work the other way around in the vendor/buyer relationship. We sold paint to Carlton College and the University of Wisconsin at River Falls too, but never got the same treatment from them.
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2 years ago

Kathleen JonesHave heard of St Olaf’s for a long time. Thanks for the campus tour.
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2 years ago