Friday, July 23, 2010

Day 76, 7/23/10 - Walker to Pine River, MN





Just the Basics: 46 miles on the Paul Bunyan off-road, paved, multi-use trail! = ) = ) There were 8-10 very hilly miles near the beginning, but it was all fun and beautiful. The only fly in the ointment was a bee in the helmet - Riley's - it stung him on the top of his head!! = ( = (

BIG NEWS: Last night we decided to change our route; we are no longer planning a side trip up WI, across Michigan's Upper Peninsula, and over the Straits of Mackinac to Cheboygan, MI, where Becky spent 4 years of her childhood - from about age 4 to almost 9. She began looking at information online and realized there wasn't much chance of her finding the things she remembered - she never returned after the family moved away. We realized that by not making a side trip which might turn out to not have much special content, we could shave 400 miles off our trip (2 weeks of riding) and greatly increase the likelihood of getting to Bar Harbor, ME. As we get closer to ME, we realize how much we would REALLY like to actually get there!

Health Report: Knees, et cetera all doing fine, and both bee stings are just minor annoyances. Becky's finger is almost healed and both bandaging and splinting were discontinued last night. The finger is a bit stiff and ouchy - there was probably some muscle and tendon damage along with the laceration - but it works and it's great to have full use of her hand again.

Today's Pictures: (1) Our trail through the forest; (2) Paul Bunyan's Sweetie, Lucette, and Riley's Sweetie, Becky (Lucette hails from Hackensack, MN, which we visited today); (3) Huge cubes of crushed aluminum at a recycling center we passed - they gleamed in the sun like a wall made of jewels; this picture doesn't do them justice!

Tomorrow: We go only about 31 miles, to Brainerd/Baxter, MN, where we will take a layover day to avoid weekend traffic in the Mille Lacs area. We'll be at the Super 8 in Baxter Saturday and Sunday nights.

Tonight: It's Friday, our traditional date night, so we're going to sign off and enjoy showers, finishing the laundry, drinking the bottle of wine we're chilling in the motel sink and watching a rainy thunderstorm outside our window while playing Scrabble - catch ya tomorrow!

No comments:

Post a Comment