July 17, 2008
Day 66: Minnewauken, ND to Rugby, ND
63.15 miles, 4:40:48 Ride Time, 13.49 Average Speed, 31.08 Maximum Speed
Last night I had noticed that the "4 D's" - Dan, Deb, Don & Dutch - really had their act together. Everything except their tents (and associated items) was already packed on the bikes. They appeared to even have their water bottles already filled. In contrast, when I had gone to bed my stuff was in total disarray, as usual. So, not wanting to look like a complete amateur, I was up at 5:00, getting things together.
Someone had told me that the mosquitoes weren't active early in the morning, but that was a lie, at least in this park, on this morning. They were all over me as I hopped around, slapping at them, while trying to get everything packed up. It was probably the quickest I've ever gotten ready - thanks, blood-sucking fiends!
While talking to Dan and Deb, I noticed that their tandem had four chainrings in the front - it was the first time I'd seen that. "We call that our great-granny gear." "Her name's Mabel." Funny... also, it reminded me that I haven't seen any real mountains for a long, long time. I don't even know if my own "granny gear" works at this point. Oh well - I'll worry about that when I reach the Rockies.
I stopped at the grocery store in town and had some Zingers in lieu of a real breakfast. Another customer in the store laughed as he saw me paying for the Zingers, and announced, "That's funny - this guy is obviously a health nut, 'cos he's riding a bike, and yet he's eating Zingers! Haw Haw!" Dude, you have no idea.
It was a cool and overcast morning. I didn't see many vehicles on the two-lane highway I was on. There was a spare, subtle beauty to the rolling landscape in this area - grasses and wildflowers grew along the sides of the road, and I stopped often to fool around with the camera.
After about thirty miles I arrived in Esmond (pop. 159), which appeared to be just barely hanging on - the only active business in town was the cafe, where I stopped and ordered breakfast from a bored-looking teenage boy who (I imagined) had probably been exiled to Esmond to spend the summer with his grandmother and help with her restaurant. The cafe was the largest one I'd been in recently - there were probably fifteen tables - but only two were occupied: Mine, and one large round one, where several people sat. As I ate, townspeople trickled in, and the people at the round table kept making room for them there. By the time I left, ten or twelve people were crowded around it. These people were apparently afraid to eat at a table by themselves, so I'm sure they would be appalled by the idea of riding a bike thousands of miles around the country by themselves - but no one asked The Question.
Later the sun came out, it warmed up, and the traffic got a little heavier. I passed four recently killed skunks on the road - I can't say that I felt sorry for them, since I can't stand the things, although I suppose, after this trip, that I do hate mosquitoes more.
I arrived in Rugby (pop. 2,939 - "The Geographical Center of North America") fairly early and got a room at the mediocre Econolodge, ending my (enjoyable, actually) three day streak of camping.
Today's ride: 63 miles (101 km)
Total: 4,792 miles (7,712 km)
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