We crossed the Mississippi for the second time and entered Wisconsin. Green forested bulges of land and cliffs lined the river. We saw a park full of people, and rode over to ask for directions. We were a bit surprised to see a "Bike Wisconsin" van pulled up alongside the park, and many bicycles scattered across the lawn. We soon discovered that this was the starting location of a week-long bike tour for 831 riders. We chatted with some cyclists for awhile, snagged some better directions, and decided that running into such a large body of other cyclists must be a good omen.
A bit later, rain began pouring down. We pulled into a covered picnic area for some PB&J. Once the rain stopped, I pulled into a gas station and downed a cup of watery coffee.
After crossing another bridge over the Mississippi into Minnesota (which makes three states in one day), we found a rest area that allowed camping. We made fried eggs and toast for dinner.
Then it began to pour. We ran inside the information center, and the kind maintenance man/night watchman told us that we should sleep inside for the night. After the rain let up, we walked down to the beach and went swimming in the 75 degree river water at dusk. Pink lightning flashed in the distance.
Biking cross-country is such a fabulous way to spend the summer.
