Day 18

Tuesday, 25 Jun 2013
  Redwood Falls, MN to Hutchinson, MN
59.4 miles, 4h51m, 12.2 mph
Elapsed Time: 6h05m, Max speed: 38.9mph
Total Cimbing: 715ft, Max elevation: 1130ft
Total mileage: 1067.4


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I ended up somehow spending a couple hours in the casino. I only lost $40 because I happened to sit down at a really old nickel video poker machine--so it took a long time to bleed me dry. And my clothes didn't smell as bad as I thought they would. So, not a disaster.

I started off at about 8am with a plunge down into the valley of the Minnesota River, then a climb back out. The road to Fairfax was lousy--lots of truck traffic and no shoulder. I had to drop off onto the soft shoulder a few times when vehicles came in both directions at the same time. Most drivers were considerate, but there were a couple assholes out there today who couldn't help but reveal themselves.


Picking up speed on the plunge into the valley of the Minnesota.

Anyway, after Fairfax there was a paved shoulder--a lousy one, but it was better than nothing.

The wind was the same as it's been most of the trip--out of the southeast--so it was mostly in my face when I was heading east and mostly at my back when I was heading north.

At Gibbon, I turned north onto a beautful road that took me all the way to Stewart, where I bought a wrap for lunch and put it in my handlebar bag for consumption on the fly.


It was mostly flat and a lot of the fields had big puddles in them.


After Stewart the road wasn't so great. For some reason I didn't think Minnesota could be
so stupid with its rumble strips.

I was rounding a bend on this road when I heard a long horn blast behind me. Thinking I was in some danger, I pulled off onto the soft shoulder. But there was no danger, it was just a guy in a white pickup truck informing me that he's an asshole. Good to know.

I reached Hutchinson about 1pm and rode over to the Walmart to see about some reading material. There are no bookstores out here, so Walmart is about the only hope. Much to my delight, they had the book I was looking for--Stephen King's Joyland.


After that I rode downtown to the central square where there is a statue of the "Famous" Singing Hutchinson Brothers.
Not a country 'n western band, but a splinter group of the Hutchinson Family Singers, the most popular
vocal group of the 1840s. They founded the town, I guess.


Then I wandered toward my motel. That's the bike path I'm supposed to take tomorrow. Little wet.


This is the South Fork of the Crow River as it leaves Otter Lake. The Lake is the
main deal in Hutchinson.


And they're really into Little Crow. He was a Sioux chief that the people of Hutchinson were so happy to see dead
in 1863 that they mutilated his body and dragged it through the streets.
Now they're all like, "Oh yeah, he wanted peace and he was wronged."


There is a game preserve in town. I think the turkeys are the only birds there involuntarily--since
everybody else could fly--except maybe the young geese.
That tom is all alpha male because there was a little conflict with the geese over some corn.
Looks like it's everybody against the turkeys.


They've got a nice park here. Soon I rolled up to the Best Western.
I'd booked a suite because it cost barely more than a regular room.


It's nice. Not shown: bedroom, jacuzzi, sofa.


And nothing says "class" like a fresh remote. I'm sure when I'm done with this one
they'll throw it in the compost heap and go pick another fresh one from the garden.

I have only two more days of riding--unless I really stretch it out.

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"Great Plains Tour 2013" Copyright © 2013 By Bob Clemons. All rights reserved.