Day #3-Northern Tier with John & Kathi

Cambridge to Milaca, MN: 34.17 miles
Comments: Ride Time was 2 hours 37 minutes, average speed: 12.9

We had a 7:00 a.m. ride start this morning as breakfast at our hotel started late but it was worth waiting for. Our start temperature was in the low 50’s which was a slight change from what we had been used to but warmed up into the 70’s by ride’s end making for a beautiful ride. We saw lots of wildlife along the route such as turkey, deer and even a fox. We had planned to rest in Dalbo, MN but came across a Memorial service at the Salem Lutheran Cemetery that was just beginning so we quietly joined the small gathering to pay our respects to those responsible for making our country one we can be proud of. Following the service, many attendees were curious about our travels. Kathi and John shared their desire to reach Washington State before this journey came to an end and all enjoyed listening to their ambitious plans. We arrived in Milaca, MN around 10:30 a.m. and Kathi and John were allowed to check in early and invited Dennis and I to wash up in their room before catching our ride back to the Twin Cities. Amy and Luke found us at the Dairy Queen having our usual afternoon snack. Introductions were made and we then had to bid farewell to John and Kathi. Parting was difficult as we realized our weekend fun was ending and we would not see John and Kathi for some time. We wished them well as they venture west to continue their journey. We are grateful to them for this riding opportunity and have confidence that they will reach their goal. Happy trails guys!

Day #2-Northern Tier with John & Kathi

Osceola, WI to Cambridge, MN: 43.95 miles
Comments: Ride Time was 3 hours 37 minutes, average speed: 12.1

We checked out early from the River Valley Inn and prepared for our bike journey west towards Cambridge, MN for our 2nd night layover. The temperature today was about 20° less than that of Saturday and we had 30 miles of easy riding until the winds picked up and caused us to work a little harder for the last few miles of today’s ride. We reached Cambridge to find the city wrapped in construction. We detoured off the main road onto a service drive to reach our hotel for the night. After washing up, we walked to Culvers for an ice cream treat then back to the hotel to visit and discuss ordering a pizza for our evening meal. Kathi and John mapped their next layover destination, Milaca, choosing to travel light because of the holiday. Dennis and I then contacted Amy to allow her to decide if she wanted to pick us up in Cambridge or Milaca. The choice was made to meet up in Milaca which would allow us one more day of riding with the Johnsons. Looks like Kathi and John were stuck with us for one more day.

Day #1-Northern Tier with John & Kathi

Hastings, MN to Osceola, WI: 58.82 miles
Comments: Ride Time was 5 hours 4 minutes, average speed: 11.5

We find ourselves biking with Kathi and John Johnson again this Memorial Day weekend. They have been on the road biking for 12 straight days when they called to let us know they would be in our area and invited us to join them on a portion of their adventure to bike the northern tier across the USA. We met up with them at the Regency Hotel in Hastings, MN on Friday evening and on Saturday began biking towards Osceola, WI where we would be spending our first layover night at the River Valley Inn & Suites. Today’s route took us through Stillwater, MN where we stopped at the Historic Water Street Inn & Irish Pub to enjoy the view of the St. Croix River. Following our rest in Stillwater, we cued up to join the traffic crossing the lift bridge into Wisconsin. It was a beautiful biking day—blue skies with mild winds. The temperature, however, reached 100° at a time when little shade was available forcing us to pedal on through 30 miles of heat and challenging road surface. We reached Osceola a bit exhausted from heat and hills, jumped in the shower and then made plans for the next day’s travels. Supper was at the Tippy Canoes Restaurant directly across from our hotel and it was delicious. Kathi and John are an oddity out there on the roads and many curious people stop them to question their unusual mode of travel. It’s been exciting to be a small part of their adventure and enjoy the looks of excitement on their faces as they travel through unknown areas of the country.