Northern Minnesota Vacation

Paul Bunyan Trail-Walker to LaPorte: 25.11 miles
Comments: Ride Time was 1 hour 45 minutes, average speed: 13.9

Today we checked out of the fabulous AmericInn to venture further north. We drove to Walker to bike the newest section of the Paul Bunyan trail completed in July 2010. Because of our century ride the day before, we weren’t looking to put on too many miles which was a wise choice as Dennis noticed a pedal needing repair. We decided to bike north to LaPorte and have lunch and then head back to Walker.

When we completed our ride, we drove to Park Rapids to find the only cycle shop in the area. We did find replacement pedals in this very friendly bike shop and after chatting a bit with the owner, continued north to Itasca State Park where we had a sleeping room reserved at the Historic Douglas Lodge.

The lodge was built in 1905 and is the oldest surviving building in the state park system and the first to be constructed in the Rustic Style. We hauled our luggage up the stairs and opened the door to an 8 x 12 foot room with a double bed and 2 chairs. The bathroom was down the hall and would be shared with other guests staying in the lodge. No space for a whirlpool in this room. It was quaint and nostalgic but we will stay with the comforts of AmericInn on any future visits to northern Minnesota.