UpperMiss

Day 6

Thursday, 3 June 2010
St. Paul, MN to Lake City, MN
83.0 miles, 7h01m, 11.8 mph
Elapsed Time: 10h08m, Max speed: 38.9mph
Total Climbing: 2546ft, Max elevation: 1070ft
Total mileage: 434.5

Sadly, after 18 hours in the big city we had to leave and return to the road. Today we would start the Mississippi River portion of the trip. And it was a perfect day for riding.

Yesterday, the guy at the Mississippi River Visitor Center suggested we ride up to Indian Mounds Park for a good view up and down the river. This took us in an eight-mile loop, in which we climbed and descended and got lost and eventually ended up right where we started. Was it worth it? Not really.

Was this picture worth all that effort and lost time?

Eventually we got pointed in the right direction and headed south. We would cross the Mississippi River three times this day.

Mr. Balint, about to cross The River for the first time on this trip.

Me, same deal.

It took a long time to get from St. Paul to Hastings. There was a nice bike path along the river in South St. Paul that ended in a construction zone full of moving dump trucks and front-end loaders. We worked our way through that mess and found a road (that was not on any map) that took us directly toward Hastings. But then it ended for no reason and we had to detour around a huge refinery that was surrounded by fences and signs that threatened with detention anyone who would even attempt to take a photograph of the place.

I took a picture of the sign but it came out blurry. The DHS goons haven't come for me yet.

Eventually we rolled into Hastings and grabbed lunch at a nice bar. I was feeling a little off, but I felt better after devouring a chicken sandwich with a slab of cheese on it.

Hastings. A typical river town. So I'm told.

We crossed the river for the second time from Hastings into Wisconsin.

I took this action stunt photo of Mr. Balint on the bridge's sidewalk. Pretty awesome.

Soon we came to the Great River Road Visitor Center in Prescott. The woman there told me that there are two big, steep hills between there and Red Wing, and that it is flat between Red Wing and Lake City. She was right about everything.

This was the only moving thing I saw on the river all day.

Taking a break at the corner of 35th & 468th St. in Wisconsin, on one of the big hills.

Twenty-five miles later we were back in Minnesota at Red Wing, where they make the shoes. We didn't see the World's Largest Shoe, but there were several street shoes.

This one was in front of a drug store.

The road from Red Wing to Lake City was almost totally flat and we made good time. Still, we didn't arrive at the motel until after 6pm. A very long day.

It's called Lake City because it's on Lake Pepin, which is a wide part of the river.

Tomorrow we ride to LaCrosse, WI. It's supposed to rain.

Next