I will explain the details regarding the group joining me for my ride into North Dakota, but first a few photos of scenery along The Lake Wobegon Trail. I made a last minute change to my route, but it was one of the hardest decisions I have had to make on this journey. Unfortunately I will not be able to visit with my good friends, Steve and Diane Norlin, who live in Pine River, MN. Twenty-six years ago when I did this same ride, I came back into the US from Canada a bit north of Steve and Diane’s home and was able to surprised them by “dropping in” for a visit. The length, beauty, location, and solitude of the Lake Wobegon trail, which is south of Norlin’s home, was just too hard to pass up this year. I am so bummed I will miss spending time with Steve and Diane, but so far my “spur of the moment” decision have worked out. We’ll see this time if I chose correctly.

Above are just a few examples of the beauty all along the Wobegon trail. The last photo is a seemingly endless field of corn. The photo was in “pano” mode, but it doesn’t come close to capturing the grandeur of this one field.

“E-I-E-I-E-I-O and on his farm he had…”. Well certainly not cows and pigs made out of milk cans and water tanks. This random collection was just off the trail in a very small town, population 26.

The sign on the railroad depot reads “Memoryville!”  Someone built this authentic example of an early American town right beside the trail. Unfortunately nobody was around to give me access to the property, so I took a few photos and cycled on towards ND.

As I rode into Fargo, ND this afternoon my new best buddy, Ms. Google Maps, guided me through town and right by this memorial. As a young boy growing up in Albuquerque, I loved baseball more than peanut butter, apple pie and that new thing called television. Baseball was my life, and nothing could pull me away from playing everyday, all day long. My boyhood idols/heroes were Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle who both played for the NY Yankees. One day I would imagine myself as Roger Maris hitting a home run and the next day I would be Mickey Mantle hitting a homer with Maris on base. Oh, the memories the above memorial gave me today are priceless!

Tomorrow, July 4th, would have been my Mom’s 94th birthday!  She truly loved being a “4th of July Baby” and couldn’t get enough of all the festivities associated with “Her” birthday. (Her Dad actually wanted to name her Liberty Bell Williams, but her Mom said, “NO!”) The American flags lining Roger Maris Drive would have put a huge smile on her face, even though she probably didn’t have any idea who Roger Maris was.

Now, the rest of the story! I enjoy riding solo, except for when my son joins me, but today I rode all day with a group! I can’t remember all the names, but for sure there was a John. Also, four men from Alabama, a Gambler, someone leaving on a jet plane, a man from Folsom prison, a lady named Lucile, another lady who was “Up” all day, some guy who had a pet dragon named Puff, a Grandma who only talked about her feather bed, a man from a west Texas town of El Paso, a boy named Sue, a little girl who said her Mom was at a PTA meeting regarding her behavior, a man wearing leather boots instead of Roman sandals, a man who said he saw a horse drinking a beer, a really Crazy lady named Patsy, and even a guy who said his name was Nessun Dorma! I’m sure there were plenty more in the group, but together we completed about 60 miles, despite blowing in the wind.

I am sure after reading the above nonsense all of you think I have been riding way too many miles and have lost my mind. No, I just needed something new and exciting. So I plugged my iPhone into an external battery, cranked the volume up as loud as possible and listened to trashy country music for 60 miles. I also listened to Pavarotti, Israel Kamakawiwo, Kathrine Jenkins, Neil Diamond, Gordon Lightfoot, Tennessee Ernie Ford, James Taylor and many more artists! Oh well, another pure cyclist “Bites the dust!”

Happy 4th of July! Please be safe, enjoy family and friends, don’t drink and drive, eat a lot of hot dogs, apple pie and corn on the cob, watch “A Capital 4th” on PBS, and watch fireworks either in person or on TV!

Greg