A Test for the Trike

La Crosse River State Trail to West Salem
and the Great River State Trail to Midway : 25.60 miles
TRIKE Pedal Time: 3 hours 0 minutes, average speed 8.5

We took the single bikes to Wisconsin to try out the unpaved trails near La Crosse. The purpose of building my trike was to take it on these less-than-smooth surfaces. It was great fun but the mph demonstrated the extra energy required to move the trike along. We parked at the Great River State Trail trailhead in Onalaska and headed to Kwik Trip to purchase our trail passes of $4 each then continued along the La Crosse River State Trail to West Salem. Trains still run along the tracks that run next to the trail and we kept watching for the Amtrak to pass but our timing didn’t match the train’s schedule. We turned around in West Salem and headed back to the van.

The weather was cooperating so once we reached our van, we decided to continue biking along the Mississippi River on the Great River State Trail to Midway, east of Trempealeau. I always enjoy the chance to bike along waterways and the Mississippi offered wonderful views today. The trike provided another comfortable ride and proved it could take me to places I would not travel on any other bike.

Minnehaha Falls Burley Biking

West River Parkway–Minneapolis: 11.84 miles
TANDEM Pedal Time: 1 hour 8 minutes, average speed 10.2

This tandem/Burley adventure took us to the West River Parkway bike trail along the Mississippi River in Minneapolis, Minnesota. We started at the Minnehaha Park and Falls and progressed north towards the University of Minnesota. We saw many great sites along this 12-mile journey. Of course the falls were spectacular and Kennedy enjoyed the boats on the river.

Minnehaha Park is one of Minneapolis’ oldest and most popular parks, attracting over 850,000 thousand visitors. The 193-acre park features a 53-foot waterfall, limestone bluffs and river overlooks and has been on my “must see” list for some time. I was grateful to see it this day when the water was flowing rapidly over the rocks.

We stopped for a short snack at the Bohemian Flats near the University which also gave Kennedy a chance to explore the authentic paddle wheeler, the Minneapolis Queen. We then pedaled back to the Falls where we had lunch at the Sea Salt Eatery—very enjoyable!

Kennedy’s biking miles for 2013 now total 73. She is slowly getting used to these trips with grandma and grandpa pulling her behind in the Burley.

Kennedy on the Root River Bike Trail

RRT–Lanesboro to Whalan: 20.18 miles
TANDEM Pedal Time: 1 hour 37 minutes, average speed 12.3

We packed the tandem, burley and all of our 2-year-old granddaughter’s necessities into the van for a trip to the Root River Trailhead in Lanesboro. This was Kennedy’s first time biking the Root and she wasn’t all that impressed. She wanted to see trains running on the tracks. We gave her a rest at Whalan and decided to continue east until we reached 10 miles on the bike before turning back towards Lanesboro where we enjoyed lunch and an ice cream treat at Pedal Pushers.

15th Annual Shooting Star Bike Ride

Shooting Star Trail & Byway: 14.00 miles
TANDEM Pedal Time: About 1 hour

Early on this Saturday morning, we gathered with Alan & Michelle Andersen and Mike & Tasha Nelsen, to register for the Shooting Star Bike Ride. We pedaled from the Nelsen’s campsite to the start of the bike tour at the Rose Pedaler, paid our fees and headed out on the trail. Our plans were to bike the 62-mile route. Shortly after we started, lightning began to flash and thunder began to roll. We needed to get off the bikes soon. Our rescuers this time were Tasha and Mike. Their house was located along our route–14 miles from the start. They provided not only a safe spot to discuss our next move but also offered to feed us a true He-Man’s breakfast.

Triking along the Root

RRT–Lanesboro to Rushford: 37.10 miles
TRIKE Pedal Time: 3 hours 44 minutes

Triking along the Root River Trail on a beautiful sunny Friday in July—a very enjoyable ride. The trail was in great condition from Lanesboro to just past Whalan where the new pavement ended. The trail near Rushford needs some work, many pot holes. Lunch at Shawnees’s was good.

Tandem at the Tractor Pull

Winona County Fair: 13.24 miles
TANDEM Pedal Time: 1 hour 9 minutes, average speed 11.3

We took the tandem into town to watch the antique tractor pull at the County fairgrounds in St. Charles. Unfortunately they didn’t start pulling until about 7:30 p.m. and we needed to get back on the bike to pedal for home before dark.

High Point Village with the Johnsons

Dorchester to High Point Village, Ogema, WI: 45.30 miles
TANDEM Pedal Time: 3 hours 24 minutes, average speed 13.2

We set out early in the morning to try and beat the heat that would be coming further into the day. Our destination was High Point Village near Ogema, Wisconsin. We knew hills were in our future as we would be biking near Timm’s Hill which is noted for being Wisconsin’s highest graphical point at 1,951.5 feet above sea level.

We were well-rewarded for our efforts. The view from the top is always breathtaking and the quaint High Point Village was set right in the center of this natural beauty of the Wisconsin northwoods. Lyle and Kathy Blomberg are the owners of this serene get-a-way and provide not only cozy cabins but also a fully staffed restaurant and a live evening dinner theatre.

Kathi and John were so prepared. They drove their car to High Point earlier in the week and had it stocked with beverages for us to enjoy after a very strenuous journey. They treated us like royalty throughout the weekend, making our first visit to this resort very memorable.

After a Panini lunch at Hill of Beans, the resort restaurant, we hiked up Timm’s Hill and climbed the observation tower just to make sure we got enough exercise for the day.

Our day ended with a few rounds of Buck Euchre and a movie. We made plans to return to the resort restaurant at 8 a.m. the next morning before beginning our bike trip back to Dorchester.

Our trip back to Dorchester was by motor vehicle. This was not what we had planned but lightning and thunder caused us to decide to play it safe and shuttle our bikes back to Dorchester. Biking with Kathi and John is always enjoyable and we look forward to MTR and our Out East trip with them in September.

Dorchester, Wisconsin

Dorchester Ride: 30.07 miles
TANDEM Pedal Time: 2 hours 33 minutes, average speed 11.7

Hot, Hot, Hot!—A great day for an ice cream ride. Dennis and I reached the Johnson’s B&B in Dorchester just after lunch. We enjoyed a short visit and then decided it was time to ride. John and Kathi routed us on a beautiful tour of their neighborhood which included sights of waterfalls, parks and the many unplanted fields due to the excessive rain in the area this spring. And, as promised, an ice cream stop was scheduled mid-route and it was delicious.

Supper was served at a little bar and grill towards the end of our route. We enjoyed a drink together and a very tasty meal. This was our warm-up ride for what was to come Saturday morning—our hill-climbing adventure to the Hill of Beans at High Point Village.

Tour D’Amico Bicycle Ride

Dennis’ Birthday Ride: 30.59 miles
TANDEM Pedal Time: 2 hours 45 minutes, average speed 11.0

This little bike tour in Golden Valley, MN has been on our to-do list for some time. It takes place each year on the 4^th of July, which is also Dennis’ birthday, and this year we had plans to be in the Twin Cities which made it very easy to work into our schedule and not only would we be riding the tandem in this event but Kennedy would be joining us in the Burley for her first organized bike ride—A very happy 54^th to Dennis!

We were full of spirit as we began pedaling along the 30-mile route. We kept a close watch behind us as Kennedy settled in for the ride. Many riders passed us commenting on our red, white and blue outfits and of course on our precious cargo.

Our route started at D’Amico & Sons in Golden Valley and then spurred west along the Luce Line Trail and then south towards the water town of Wayzata. We enjoyed strolling along the Wayzata Bay which lead to a rest stop at D’Amico & Sons and included a variety of delicious salads, fruit and snacks. Kennedy enjoyed walking around the water rocks which created a perfect photo op for Grandma until it was time to return to the Burley and continue our ride.

We could tell Kennedy was getting tired when it took some coaxing to get her helmet back on but once the tandem wheels began spinning, she fell asleep and napped through an invitation to join a local parade that was lining up to start. We declined with the explanation that we were on a bicycle tour and had a map we needed to follow.

The afternoon temperature was getting very hot as we pedaled along but we all stayed hydrated with plenty of water aboard. We did experience a few incorrect markings along the route but made it to the finish in time to enjoy lunch under the shade of the D’Amico umbrellas.

We spent this awesome riding day with Kennedy and at ride’s end she still had smiles to share. She did a wonderful job entertaining her Grandma and Grandpa and we look forward to the next ride we can all do together.

Burley Biking with Kennedy

South St. Paul to Inver Grove Heights: 10.64 miles
TANDEM Pedal Time: 1 hour 11 minutes, average speed 8.8

We were off work early today and biking the streets of South St. Paul routing to pick up Kennedy from day care in Inver Grove Heights. She was surprised to see her Grandma and Grandpa roll up with the Burley attached to the tandem and had no problem getting ready to ride—she was all smiles.

The route back to Kennedy’s house included a stop at a park and a visit to Dairy Queen—a special treat on this hot July day.