Day 3 - New Prague to Waconia - TOM

June 18, 2024

Day 3 - New Prague to Waconia

Blowin’ in the Wind

It was so nice to wake up indoors this morning. Breakfast was good. Met some interesting folks at the table. MJ from Duluth, mail carrier for 34 years, still living in the town where she was born. Got some good intel from her on riding to Canada from Duluth along the north shore of Lake Superior. Luke and Stacey from Greensburg, Kansas, home of the deepest hand dug well and victims of the infamous Greensburg EF5 tornado in 2007 that destroyed 95% of the town, including their home.

I was on the road about 7:30 am. When I turned out the lights at 9:15 last night it was 63 degrees. At 7:00 this morning it was 75 degrees and muggy with a strong south wind. Doesn’t Minnesota know that temperatures go down at night? It felt like the atmosphere was just recharging for the next round of storms. The forecast was for no rain until at least 2:00 pm.

I love these trees. I just wish they thrived in Oklahoma. My yard would be full of them.

About that rain forecast. As I rode this morning I occasionally thought I heard distant thunder. The sky to the west was darkening. It started to rain just as I pulled into the 30-mile rest stop at 10:00 am.

Fifteen minutes later the rain stopped and blue sky appeared. Take that, you meteorologists! Now the forecast is for no rain until at least 6:00 pm. More on that later.

Dennis from Wichita and his friend pass by on the Dakota Rail Trail as I sat munching on my portable rest stop (a banana).

I came upon an injured biker while on the Dakota Rail Trail. He apparently went down on slippery leaves on the trail. He had a bloody knee but was clutching his hip. There were already several other bikers tending to him and couldn’t use any more help. An ambulance had already been called, so I passed on.

Sappers dynamited a tree across the trail to impede our progress. We snuck through anyway.

Because of the forecast we are allowed to camp in the middle school tonight. Great air conditioning! We’re not in the gym but in the hallways and common areas. We have to be out of the school tomorrow morning and spend tomorrow night in our tents outside because it’s a federal holiday.

It’s good fortune that they have arranged for a shuttle bus to help us get around the area. I caught the first one at 2:00 pm to get to the laundromat in St.Bonifacius, 7 miles away ( I had been planning to ride my bike here tomorrow). While the laundry was sudsing I went next door to Grumpy’s for lunch. I managed to catch the shuttle on its next loop, took my laundry back to the school, then got back on to go to the Waconia Brewing Company. After a beer and some conversation with my new friends John and Pauline from Winnipeg I walked a couple blocks to Hoppers for a burger.

I caught the shuttle back to the school at 6:30. No storms. It almost 9:00 now. No storms. Maybe later say the experts at the Weather Channel. Tomorrow’s forecast to be a beautiful cool sunny day with lower humidity. Likely story.

Today's ride: 52 miles (84 km)
Total: 145 miles (233 km)

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