Ride Day 117

Today I rode from Jamestown ND to Barnesville MN 133 miles with 2000’ of climbing in hot bright sun and strong 25-30mph gusty winds that were cross winds for me almost all day long. The winds were tossing me back and forth in my lane on the interstate. Glad I had a ten foot wide shoulder to ride on cause on a smaller road with little or no shoulder I would have been tossed out into traffic. I just ignored the wind though. If there is nothing to do to change something like the wind blowing why worry about it. I try to only worry about things that I might be able to change. The scenery in North Dakota was the same flat grassland and farm land that has been there for the last couple hundred miles so I did not take many pics. I spent last night at Frontier Fort in Jamestown and finally had a great time in North Dakota. I guess I need to take back some of my bad mouthing of the state because not the whole state is a mess just most of it. I wanted a cold drink so I went to the bar at the campground and ended up having a few beers and a plate of ribs that was the nightly special. I could not sit there seeing them and smelling them without indulging but hey they were only $8.95 for the whole rack with potatoes of choice and cold slaw. They were worth it. I was talking to locals not tourists and they were all complaining about the oil workers and the mess it has made of their state. They did reluctantly admit that they were missing out on the boom because they were too far away and they would like to cash in just like everybody else is trying to do. It was fun chatting with them. They just do not understand my bike riding though. Even after I explained my motives for the ride they still thought it was nuts. Well maybe it is just a bit. When I got to Minnesota I had to leave the freeway. Small country roads it will be for the next 1000 miles or so. I tried to avoid riding directly into the wind by taking a road on my map that turned out to be an 8 mile long gravel road. I think it was still better than riding the five miles straight into the 25-30 mph gusty wind. I made it to my destination which was a small campground in Barnesville that a guy told me he just loved and it was only 15 or 20 minutes down the road. I asked him if he was calculating that in driving time or bike riding time and he told me bike riding time. So I took off looking for his camp. 21 miles later down the road he told me to take, I found the campground. I guess he was thinking driving time not bike time. The people in the campground have all been very friendly and helpful. If I wasn’t so tired I could have a good time since they were offering beers and snacks. I am going to go over and hang for a bit when I am done charging my electronics which is a chore I just hate. Tomorrow I am taking the day off then on Sunday or maybe even on Monday, I work my way down to the Lake Wobegone bike trail and ride that for a day or more. I have given up on the Adventure Cycling route and am winging it on my own. I expect to get lost a lot with the lack of road signs and such but what is life without a bit of adventure. More later…