Day 17: Austin, MN to Prairie du Chien, WI

Another great day in the heartland. We saw 3 different states today, the only time that happens on this tour. Hot weather and unfavorable winds persisted today, but Mother Nature trained us well for the former in Montana and Wyoming, and we've learned to ignore the bad winds. Heading out in the morning is always my favorite time. The temperature is perfect, the light is soft, and the traffic light. The temperature rises all too quickly, but the first 30 miles are always great.

We headed south and east out of Austin, and shortly after the first rest stop, we entered Iowa. Jane Smiley country. I kept thinking about a Thousand Acres and Moo as we rolled along. The major change I noted was......trees!! Instead of the occasional copse of trees that one sees in Minnesota, there are thick FORESTS in Iowa, something I really hadn't seen since western Montana. There is also more interesting topography, with more hills, such that you aren't looking at soybean fields all the way to the horizon. We passed through a variety of towns that looked like they came out of a Norman Rockwell painting, with names like Leroy, Lime Springs, Cresco, and Decorah.

I had another great day on the bike, particularly the 25 mile segment after lunch, which had nice rollers spaced such that you could use momentum on the downhill side to get partway up the next slope. My great day was marred by TWO flat tires in the last 10 miles.......the replacement tube turned out to be flawed.......so my arrival at the motel was delayed by about an hour or so.

We crossed the Mississippi River at the end of the ride. At first, it didn't appear particularly large, until I realized that the first bridge only crossed HALF of the river, and there was still a large east channel to cross. So even way up here not terribly far from its origin, it is already an impressive river.

Prairie du Chien is a smallish town that boasts that it was founded in 1673. That is probably stretching things a bit, because Marquette and Joliet, the French missionary explorers, camped here one night in 1673, and that is the basis of the claim.

We are now about 2/3 done with the trip......hard to believe. My replacement crankarms, chainrings, and bottom bracket all arrived today, and are now installed. I'm going to put new tires on tonight, to lessen chances of further flats........the first pair did well for 2000 miles. Overall, my Davidson bicycle has performed splendidly.......I have no complaints.

Tomorrow we spend the day in Wisconsin, and end up in Beloit, on the Illinois border. Big climbing day.......6500 vertical feet......but we're all now much better prepared to handle it.

136 miles. 3500 vertical feet