Day 49: Isle MN to Danbury WI

July 19, 2021

Last Day in Minnesota

“Oh no, road construction,” Rachel says. There’s a road sign just before we turn that indicated 17 miles to Hinckley. They are grinding off the top layer of asphalt and preparing for an overlay. For now it is like riding on a gravel road with four smooth tracks where the car tires have been going. We don’t know how long this will last. “They can’t be able to do more than a mile a day,” Patrick says. Per the road construction sign the project started on July 12, so they’ve been working on the road for less than a week, so we hope they only got about 10 miles in.

We start out on Highway 27 going east and then turn on MN 65 going south, the road is fairly flat. Then we turn east on 300 street for 17 miles to Hinckley. This part is going across the grain of the land and the road rolls along with it. The wind is a gentle tailwind though. The road construction is an unwelcome surprise, but there aren’t any good alternate routes. Once we commit it isn’t as bad as it looks. There is only light traffic and the most of the track is pretty smooth. There are only a few rough sections. After about 10 miles we reach the road construction crew, large machines are grinding off the top layer and leaving a black sand like material that is being compacted. There is a flagger and one lane traffic for about a mile.

The rolling hills get steeper for the last 7 miles to the Danbury. About a mile from the Wisconsin border is a welcome Shell station where we enjoy cold drinks and ice cream. Once in Wisconsin the shoulder narrows, but traffic is still light and gives us space.

It is hot and muggy. When we get to Danville we see a large casino. We briefly consider getting a room, but they are over $90 and we are not desperate enough. So we go to the Eagles Landing Campground just south of town. We find a very nice tent site right on the St. Croix River. Rates are very reasonable at $12 for tents including a toilet and shower building with laundry and an ice machine. It is hot and muggy so the ice is awesome, we dilute our lemonade in ice water.

Later in the afternoon two more cyclists pull in. Denise and Gay from La Crosse are on a loop tour through Wisconsin and Minnesota. Patrick walks back to the grocery store. For dinner we fix pork & vegetable curry and rice.

Leaving Father Hennepin State Park early morning

Eagle's Landing Campground....locals float by on the St. Croix River

Denise and Gay, local cyclists on a loop ride

Nice evening visiting with fellow cyclists

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Today's ride: 64 miles (103 km)
Total: 2,029 miles (3,265 km)

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