Sioux Falls to Fairmont, MN

Sioux Falls to Fairmont, MN. 126 miles with 2100 ft of climbing.

Today we crossed into our 7th state, Minnesota. Known as the ‘land of 10,000 lakes’, we passed by some lovely ones today. As it was somewhat warm, one of our troop tried hailing a motor boat pulling some kids on tubes. We would have gladly parked our bikes to take a couple of turns being cast around the lake on the tubes. It looked delightful.

We had another long day in the saddle. Though that pretty much sums up every day on this tour. We had a bit everything with the wind…a bit over our left shoulder, a bit of a headwind, and a lot of a crosswind. We also caught the tail end of a thunderstorm, catching a moderate amount of rain. Though, considering the temperature, it was more relief than nuisance. Again, working as a team we managed to make reasonable headway while conserving energy. I would not want to have to go it alone today, or for that matter, any of the previous 5 days. And on that note, I’m pleased that we have exited South Dakota. It has much to offer a traveler…Sioux Falls, Mt. Rushmore, Badlands Natl Park, the Black Hills…but I’m glad the endless prairie seas are in the rear view mirror.

Of note, we passed our halfway mark in mileage. Hard to believe from how far we’ve traveled, what we’ve seen, experiences enjoyed, and at times challenges we’ve simply had to overcome. Time has a wonderful way of ameliorating unpleasant experiences. And though it has been just a short time since that dreadful 3 week period of being under the weather, I can truly looking back at the pictures of that period with pleasure. It wasn’t much fun at the time, but I’m glad I have the memories.

Thanks to everyone for your prayers, encouragement, and support!

Until tomorrow…sleep tight.