- Day 1 -1 Week
- Day 1 -12 Hours
- Day 1
- Day 2
- Day 3
- Day 4
- Day 5
- Day 6
- Day 7
- Day 8
- Day 9
- Day 10
- Day 11
- Day 12
- Day 13
- Day 14
- Day 15
- Day 16
- Day 17
- Day 18
- Day 19
- Day 20
- Day 21
- Day 22
- Day 23
- Day 24
- Day 25
- Day 26
- Day 27
- Day 28
- Day 29
- Day 30
- Day 31
- Day 32
- Day 33
- Day 34
- Day 35
- Day 36
- Day 37
- Day 38
- Day 39
- Day 40
- Day 41
- Day 42
- Day 43
- Day 44
- Day 45
- Day 46
- Day 47
- Day 48
- Day 49
- Day 50
- Day 51
- Day 52
- Day 53
- Day 54
- Day 55
- The End
- Retrospective
We woke up and Jerry headed to the shower. I fell right back asleep. It was weird, I had gone to sleep not too late, the bed was nice, AC at a good temperature. I was listening to a binaural beat on my computer with wireless head phones and I was pretty sure I had my water jug next to me on the night stand. When the alarm went off again I actually got up. My computer was closed, with the head phones on top and my water jug was near the sink just outside the bathroom. I don’t know what I did last night but it all felt strange when I got up.
Breakfast was fine with pre-made pancakes in a hot tray. They also had egg like stuff in a tray, sausage and biscuits and a full hot tray of gravy. I’m a pretty easy vegetarian but the hot tray of grey meat juice steaming… Just not appealing. But watching an entire family pour ladle after ladle till you could not see their plates, was just too much for me.
The news was mostly forest fires on the west coast. It’s still a little early, but this could be something we might need take into account as continue our tour.
After breakfast we headed back to the room. Shortly we were ready and heading out.
When we had checked in they asked if we wanted passes to the water park. I said no with out really thinking about it, but as we left we saw our hotel was attached not only to a mall but a indoor water park. I assume they need an indoor park in North Dakota, but I wonder if they turn the heat up a bit and people use it year round? In the parking lot we could see the water park had a tube slide that made two twists out side of the building. Even if they heat the water, as you slide in February I have to believe you would feel the change as you slide out and back inside the building.
On the road we headed down Route 2 for a few miles before we saw signs for Route 52. I saw the dreaded Detour signs but remembered that Val’s Cyclery had told me yesterday that they are working on Route 52, but since it will be Sunday, it might actually be nice. It was. The road was freshly laid, Sunday traffic was light and there was no construction vehicles.
I had good feelings about the maintenance of yesterday. I had my wheel replaced, I sewed one of my bike shorts, I had much less to worry about. I would have done the work on my bike, but they have all the tools and the shop set up. The shorts, might be past their life but I’m just making it here, I can’t just buy more gear. But the satisfaction of maintenance, especially self maintenance way out ways buying new.
We got to see a hay bail being born. Yet another thing I never thought about, didn’t know I’d find interesting or think I’d see just riding down the road. I still don’t really know what all of these round bails of hay we’ve seen all along the road but it was fun to see one get made. It may seam silly to other people, but to two New York city kids… I figured one machine came to cut the … is it hay? Then a second machine would come and make it a round tube (which we witnessed today). Then a third machine stacks them to be picked up by a fourth(?) to be put on a truck… and then, I’m really not sure. But maybe by the end of this trip I will know the answers to all of these questions.
We talked about old New York and growing up quickly and working with men while we ourselves were still young. Although Jerry has just retired our careers do have a surprising amount of over lap. Yes with specific jobs but more importantly with the over all arc of our fathers introducing us to work and working not only as our father’s sons.
Another train rode past giving us a toot of the horn. It gave me the same childish joy again. However as I wondered have I really not gotten over this? I also wondered if the conductors tooting their horns at me haven’t gotten over it either? Are they riding the train looking at us riding bikes and they are filled with their childhood joy of bikes and trains? Such an interesting moment when the little boy inside me is waving at the little boy inside the train conductor.
As we rode along the valley we saw what looked like white stones laid out to make large numbers on the hills top edges. The first few we saw looked to be some type of farm markings, in that they were near fences holding back cattle. As the road continued there were more and more of these numbers. Slowly the numbers stopped making sense, for a long while the numbers were all same size and shape, basically, and in order. But then the sizes started to change, the locations were not as uniform, there was no order. While we were discussing this I saw a car pull over head of us. The driver got out to take pictures… Was she photographing the numbers?
When we approached the driver came around her car to greet us. We stopped and had a lovely chat. She came from the East Coast to work in Minot. Today on her day off she was doing some bird watching. I was little disappointed knowing I will not be able to ask her what the numbers mean. We talked about the general state of affairs in the midwest as compared to the East Coast. Meat, meat and more meat, no recycling and many more obese people. I was kind of glad the meat wasn’t too much for only me. She asked us about our route and said she’d pray for our safety. We said our good byes. As we started to ride away she yelled out… “Do you know what these numbers are?”
Week 3
Total Distance : 1917.83
Average Speed : 11 MPH
Maximum Speed : 24.3 MPH
Elevation Gain : 66,544 Feet
Max Elevation : 1,966 Feet
( All stats were obtained using Map My Ride)
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