39 miles 1,245 feet

I left my basic motel (the motels I use are a lot alike, down to the coffee makers) and it took 45 minutes to reach the Gateway State Trail which is the best way to get from Stillwater to Minneapolis/St. Paul. On the way, an impressive thunderstorm soaked all of us on the trail. It was OK except for the moments on steel bridges with lightning not too far away. I pushed through the storm to get to the bike shop on time. Navigating the way through all the bike route options in Minneapolis/St. Paul meant stopping a lot to check Google Maps, but I eventually found to the bike shop, 25 minutes late.

Nick Milton @ Tangletown Bike Shop and I had emailed to arrange for a check midway through my tour, and he remembered and took my Surly from me. I Uber'd to the hotel with my panniers, had lunch, and before long he called. The verdict: My chain was stretched and the rear cluster needed replacement as a result, and he took care of this and more. (He advised me to change my chain every 900 miles in the future.) I Uber'd back and found a shiny new chain and cluster with my bike in as good shape as when I left! All this on the basis of an email exchange. Major kudos to Nick.

This being Minneapolis, I left the bike shop and found a separated bike path nearly all the way back to my hotel. Amy's flight was delayed but she joined me soon at the restaurant she found in the Warehouse District. We had a wonderful reunion. Tomorrow: No early departure, but a day off with her!