Day 32. Bowlus
86 miles 860 feet
I left the beautiful Ashby Resort and Campground early because I had 86 miles to cover. The entire trip was on protected rail-to-trail bike routes. These were absolutely beautiful and usually (but not always) well maintained despite their light use as assessed by my one day sample. The route connects small Minnesota towns that, unlike what I saw in Montana and North Dakota, seem to be thriving. Each town I entered had a cafe or restaurant and more, only a few of which I sampled.
The highlight of the day was between Albany and Bowlus, on the Wobegon Trail spur. It was surface beautifully and travelled through small towns such as Holdingford which has a covered bridge (click here to see it), a very large art museum for a town of 700 people (established by someone born and raised there who made a fortune in grain futures, I'm told, and is giving back), and a well landscaped and inviting city park. I finished my day arriving in Bowlus and meeting the owner of the Trailside Cafe who welcomed me to camp in the city park. Bowlus is small, beautiful, and well maintained. Their support of cyclists fits with what I've seen in Minnesota in general, a level of support from which the nation has much to learn.
The trails I rode on today had signs saying they were owned by the Minnesota State Rail Bank program, to "acquire and preserve abandoned rail lines for a future transportation use." This helps people like me, and of course for locals who bike in the summer and snowmobile in the winter. This seems wise and reflects a long-term view that as a nation we may wish to return to more use of efficient rail transportation. In Seattle, for example, we are putting back in streetcars and bus rapid transit in routes that were previously rail. It is very hard if you don't own the right-of-way, and even if you do it is expensive. Knute Berger described this as like putting bones back into the salmon.
I'm impressed at the enormous lawns in the Minnesota towns I passed, and the enormous sit-down lawnmowers used to mow them. Seems to be a tradition.
It was a long day but beautiful and positions me to bike to Cambridge and Stillwater and arrive Saturday morning in Minneapolis. BTW it will be hot over the weekend but I'll be resting.
I left the beautiful Ashby Resort and Campground early because I had 86 miles to cover. The entire trip was on protected rail-to-trail bike routes. These were absolutely beautiful and usually (but not always) well maintained despite their light use as assessed by my one day sample. The route connects small Minnesota towns that, unlike what I saw in Montana and North Dakota, seem to be thriving. Each town I entered had a cafe or restaurant and more, only a few of which I sampled.
The highlight of the day was between Albany and Bowlus, on the Wobegon Trail spur. It was surface beautifully and travelled through small towns such as Holdingford which has a covered bridge (click here to see it), a very large art museum for a town of 700 people (established by someone born and raised there who made a fortune in grain futures, I'm told, and is giving back), and a well landscaped and inviting city park. I finished my day arriving in Bowlus and meeting the owner of the Trailside Cafe who welcomed me to camp in the city park. Bowlus is small, beautiful, and well maintained. Their support of cyclists fits with what I've seen in Minnesota in general, a level of support from which the nation has much to learn.
The trails I rode on today had signs saying they were owned by the Minnesota State Rail Bank program, to "acquire and preserve abandoned rail lines for a future transportation use." This helps people like me, and of course for locals who bike in the summer and snowmobile in the winter. This seems wise and reflects a long-term view that as a nation we may wish to return to more use of efficient rail transportation. In Seattle, for example, we are putting back in streetcars and bus rapid transit in routes that were previously rail. It is very hard if you don't own the right-of-way, and even if you do it is expensive. Knute Berger described this as like putting bones back into the salmon.
I'm impressed at the enormous lawns in the Minnesota towns I passed, and the enormous sit-down lawnmowers used to mow them. Seems to be a tradition.
It was a long day but beautiful and positions me to bike to Cambridge and Stillwater and arrive Saturday morning in Minneapolis. BTW it will be hot over the weekend but I'll be resting.
All-too-short stay in Ashby Resort.
Trailside (and formerly railside) silos.
Imagine biking the Burke-Gilman from Gasworks to Sammamish River Trail—without tree root bumps—with only a handful of bikes on the trail. Hours without seeing anyone. That's the Lake Wobegon Trail experience.
Planning tomorrow over a beer
