Jul 30 - Day 36

Bikers found a bike shop in Dubuque, IA where Ned's bike was repaired. They shuttled back to Dyersville to begin day's ride. They rode 73 miles to Sabula, IA, new total 2287. It was a rough day, they were wet most of the day and last 20 miles pushed wind. Route took them on rural roads past a beautiful llama farm and a nice catholic church which has services on the 1st, 3rd and 5th Sundays. Sad isn't it. Other significant happening of the day was dogs tried to grab onto Ned as he rode by. Our plan was to stay the night at Savanna, IL, however it is not a good place for bikers to cross the Mississippi and flooding in the area has damaged bridges and some roads are closed. The Super 8 motel in Savanna had no rooms because of construction workers. It is projected the bridge in front of the motel will take 2-6 months to repair or replace. Travelers decided to spend the night in Fulton, IL, which is about 18 miles south.

Jul 29 - Day 35

Bikers shuttled back to Postville, IA and began the day's ride. It was a beautiful morning at 66 degrees. They rode 60 miles to Dyersville, IA and had to stop for the day because the gear shifter cable on Ned's bike broke. They planned to ride further and we hoped to stay the night in Monticello, IA, however the only motel in town was recently flooded when a dam upstream broke due to heavy rain. It was heartbreaking to see the destruction as they were burning a lot of damaged items. Travelers will stay in Dubuque, IA so that bikers can find a bike shop. Earlier in the day ladies walked to a lock and dam in Guttenberg, IA and watched a small boat move through the lock. Talked with a young farmer from the area who said they average 200 bushels of corn per acre. He said farther north at Garnavillo, where the soil is black, they average 250 bushels. Obviously the land is much more expensive there. Saw an eagle fly over at Turkey River. Ladies also visited the site where the Field of Dreams movie was filmed. Young children were playing baseball on the field. Bikers talked with a fellow biker who was traveling from Virginia Beach to the west coast. We wish him good luck.

Jul 28 - Day 34

Storms during the night produced rain for at least two hours. We stayed in a motel in Chatfield, MN which was like a small country inn. There was no coffee, ice or breakfast. Ned walked outside to enjoy the morning and was locked out for 10 minutes until someone going out let him back in. There was a notice in the room that if you took a bike into the room, you would be charged an additional $150. That was unusual, most motels allow bikes in the room. The owner did allow them to put bikes in his garage, a good thing since it rained. Bikers rode 74 miles with a nice tailwind from Chatfield, MN to Postville, IA, new total 2154. They rode past Amish farms and are still in "pop" country (they call soft drinks "pop"). The ride was over rolling hills, much like PA except you see no mountains in the distance. Ladies saw a turkey with an enormous beard along the road. They visited the Laura Ingall's museum at Burr Oak, IA, an awesome tour. Travelers could not find a place to stay where the bikers ended for the day, so we drove across the Mississippi to Prairie du Chien, WI where we found a Super 8 motel which is managed by Randy O'brien. He said he was the director of nutrition at the Chambersburg Hospital in the early 90s. What a small world.

Jul 27 - Day 33

Ned and Jerry biked from Owatonna, MN to Chatfield, MN which was 69 miles, average 14.2 mph, new total 2080. They pushed wind for the first 25 miles, then had a crosswind from the South. Ned had a flat tire after lunch. It was a hot day with high humidity, severe thunderstorms predicted for tonight. Bikers comment for the day "We worked for every mile". Ladies toured Owatonna before leaving town. Visited the Wells Fargo bank, a building designed by Louis Sullivan, a mentor to Frank Lloyd Wright. Also went to the Mineral Springs Park and drank from the healing waters. We will be leaving Minnesota tomorrow, entering Iowa.

Jul 26 - Day 32

Ned and Jerry decided it was time for a day of rest. Ladies did the laundry, then all four travelers got haircuts. We checked out the local HyVee store. It has breakfast, fantastic salad bar, Chinese, Italian, deli and is also a grocery store. It is one-stop stopping for food. The town of Owatonna was named for an Indian princess who was brought here by her father in order to drink from the Mineral Springs which legend says was healing. Bikers plan to start early tomorrow to beat the heat and thunder storms predicted for this area.

Jul 25 - Day 31

Bikers rode 85 miles from Gaylord, MN to Owatonna, MN, avg 14.5 mph, new total 2011. A new milestone, over 2000 miles, WOW. They pushed a "hateful" headwind all morning, some but not as much in the afternoon. They rode through pretty little towns and by beautiful lakes. Saw black geese along with Canadian geese by the sloughs and lakes. Spoke to a local about mowing and baling the grass along the highway. He called it "ditch hay", not quality hay, but has its value. The last 14 miles into Owatonna, population 22,000, was a challenge. There was no road berm and lots of traffic. Ladies booked a room at a motel, checked out the area and waited for bikers.

Jul 24 - Day 30

Bikers rode 81 miles from Willmar, MN to Gaylord, MN with a very nice tailwind, new total 1926. Average for the day was 17.7 MPH. The roads at times had almost no berm for bike riding and lots of traffic, not especially safe. The area continues to be agriculture, seeing corn, beans, alfalfa, and sugar beets. Ladies visited a farmer's market in Willmar. It was interesting looking at the local produce and bakery items. Some items were the same as that produced in PA, others different. One such bakery item is "lefsa". It looked like a flour tortilla folded into quarters and baked. Some people eat it as is, others spread butter and sugar over it. The locals eat this item especially at Christmas instead of cookies. We continue to see rhubarb, rhubarb jelly and rhubarb pie for sale. Ladies met bikers at another farmer's market in Buffalo Lake, MN. We bought sweet corn, eggs and a kohlrabi. Ladies each had an authentic Mexican taco prepared by a family who moved from Mexico. The chicken was grilled over a fire made with mesquite wood, then covered with salsa make with fresh tomatoes and cilantro. Very good. Bikers ate lunch at Cactus Jack's a local hangout. We are staying in Gaylord, a pretty town, very small. View from motel window is a slough with many geese and benches placed to spend a pleasant afternoon.

Jul 23 - Day 29

Travelers ate breakfast together at a local family restaurant, then bikers began ride which ended for the day in Willmar, MN. It was a bumpy ride that jarred their back sides. They rode 57 miles with a fairly nice tailwind, new total 1845. They decided to take the afternoon off since lodging would be difficult to find farther east in the small towns. Before leaving Morris, ladies checked to see where the beautiful bells playing hymns were located and discovered they were coming from the University of Minnesota campus. They stopped at a local bakery which advertised rhubarb pie and bought one. Next stop was a huge fabric store that Arlene could not pass up. We saw more grain fields and silos, a Case International plant where tractors used for spraying are manufactured and were told hog farming has moved into the area much to the displeasure of locals. Since we could not check into motel until 3:00, the four of us spent the early afternoon at the Robbins Island Park which is between Willmar and Lower Foot Lakes. It was in the low 80's with a nice breeze, a beautiful place to "hang out". We sampled the rhubarb pie, which is delicious.

Jul 22 - Day 28

Bikers rode from Wahpeton, ND to Morris, MN which was 62 miles, new total 1788. The ride was really tough, they pushed a nasty, nasty, nasty headwind that blew straight in their faces with no let up all day. Also had to deal with several rain showers. They ate lunch at a cafe in the small town of Herman where the owner would not accept payment for their meals. They ate ham, escalloped potatoes, fresh fruit and warm homemade pie. Ned had coconut cream and Jerry ate rhubarb. It is another example of the wonderful people we have met during this trip. Ladies saw more white pelicans and egrets. One item of interest for the day was that Minnesota has miles of abandoned electrical lines with hundreds of glass insulators, something you do not see in PA. Jerry talked with a gentleman at the motel in Morris who was pulling a long flat trailer that housed dogs. He said there would be several hundred others who would be participating in field trails with their dogs, mostly labs. Ned and Jerry are happy to be back in "Big Ten" country.

Jul 21 - Day 27

Bikers got a slow start, fixed a flat tire on Jerry's bike before leaving the motel. They had to fix another on his bike less than 5 miles down the road. They rode 75 miles to Wahpeton, ND, a town right on the border of North Dakota and Minnesota. New total is 1726. They saw more ducks, a ringneck pheasant and laughed about the frog massacre. Hundreds of tiny frogs hopped onto the road and popped like popcorn when run over by bikes or cars. Jerry and Ned ate lunch at a cafe in Wyndmere where one of the local folks called them crazy and Ned an old man riding coast to coast. Ladies talked with a lady at the Enderlin Inn about how the small towns are dying. She also said sunflowers are attacked by insects and are no longer grown in the eastern part of the state. Most are now grown farther north. The local sunflower plant processes canola and beans. Ladies saw ducks and a large beautiful hawk. Tomorrow we will cross the Red River into Minnesota.

Jul 20 - Day 26

Jerry and Ned left Cooperstown and rode to Enderlin, ND which was 80 miles. New total is 1651. The wind was at their backs and they were able to ride an average of 17 miles per hr. Jerry said one of the best things about bike riding is that it is exciting to see what is over the next hill or around the corner but the last two days there was nothing to see. They did see two ringneck pheasants. Ladies spent time at the Ronald Reagan Minuteman Missile Site at Cooperstown. It was interesting to read about how the sites were established and maintained by the Air Force. The fields in this part of the state have black very rich looking soil. There are a lot of sloughs, some very large and we saw some unidentified white birds with pelican shaped pouches and beaks. We are spending the night at the Enderlin Inn, a new motel which was financed and owned by 30 local folks. It is amazing to think that a group that large could agree on major decisions. The people of North Dakota are very friendly, some have accents and can't understand ours.

Jul 19 - Day 25

Jerry's back was feeling better, so the bikers were shuttled back to where they quit on Saturday. They rode 82 miles finishing the day in Cooperstown, ND. New total is 1571. They pushed wind this morning and had tough riding until reaching Carrington. The land was fairly flat but lots of truck traffic, making bike riding dangerous. They saw a deer but not much else. Ladies found a motel with a kitchenette, then shopped for dinner and breakfast. They decided if they ate one more egg or piece of chicken, they would be clucking. Being in North Dakota is like taking a step back in time. Folks still call a can of soda "pop". Some areas are so unpopulated that you don't see any lines for telephone or electricity. They also have a strange way of marking county roads, instead of names they are avenues such as 32nd Ave. but when you look it is a small dirt lane. Farmers spray, cut and bale the grass that grows between fields and the roadway. We are seeing corn, soy beans, pinto beans and grain growing in this part of the state.

Jul 18 - Day 24

Jerry has ongoing back problems. This morning after making a wrong move which caused considerable pain, the decision was made to take the day off to give him time to rest. Arlene was able to get our motel room for another night. We spent the day sewing, reading, resting and watching TV. We found the "Pizza Ranch" and had delicious pizza for dinner, a wonderful treat.

Jul 17 - Day 23

Jerry & Ned started from Garrison, ND and rode to 35 miles west of Carrington, ND. They rode through farming communities where they saw a ringneck pheasant, hen, deer and Jerry said 1/2 million ducks in sloughs (North Dakota term for ponds). Miles for the day was 89, new total 1489. They started out the day with the wind blowing toward them, waited out several thunderstorms and finally ended the last 30 miles with a really nice tailwind, pushing them eastward. Ladies caught up with bikers in Turtle Lake where they were waiting for a storm to pass. It is a small town where the turtle is their mascot, nothing else very significant. Ladies continued on to McClusky, ND where they were having a summer fair and parade. The parade consisted of trucks pulling farm wagons filled with local folks, old tractors and ads from local business people and politicians running for election. They threw candy, ball caps, etc. out to spectators as they went by. McClusky's name to fame is the town is the middle of North Dakota. Their big day included a rummage sale at the Lutheran Church and free hot dogs at the park. Ladies continued down the road where we ran into bugs that left splats on the windshield as big as quarters. Picked up the bikers and drove into Carrington, where we will spend the night.

Jul 16 - Day 22

Jerry and Ned shuttled back to New Town, ND to begin day's ride. They rode 74 miles to Garrison, ND with a new total of 1400 miles. It was another day of not much to see. They stopped to get a closer look at a canola field. The plants definitely have a distinctive odor and produce a long skinny pod about 1/16 inch wide with seeds smaller than BBs. There are a lot of fields with blue flowers which according to the local folks is flax. The grain fields are beautiful and make you want to sing about the fields of amber waving grain. There was very little traffic after the first 10 miles and no breeze. They started their ride about 8:00 and arrived back at the cabin at 1:15, about 16 miles per hour. Ladies did the laundry, then went to a town rummage sale and picked up some bargains. We ate dinner at a local steak house, where Ned and Jerry had the best prime rib they ever ate.

Jul 15 - Day 21

Spent the night in a cabin in Garrison, ND. Town is very close to Lake Sakakawea. It was a day of much needed rest for the travelers. Ned & Jerry cleaned their bikes, got the oil changed in the van, and toured a grain elevator. Owner gave them a bottle of canola oil. Canola plants are grown locally, fields look like PA mustard weed. Farmers plant far away from their homes, saying the canola plants stink. The very small seeds are processed to make canola oil. We also saw fields of dwarf sunflowers, which also grow along the road. Arlene & JoAnn spend the day reading and resting. Garrison is a sport fishing community, everyone has a boat with a huge motor attached. Boat repair facility called the "Man Box" is located right next to our cabin.

Jul 14 - Day 20

Ladies shuttled the bikers back to Williston, ND and they rode 71 miles for a new total of 1326. They had a 20-30 mile an hr tailwind, then a crosswind with 40 mile an hr gusts. It was a cool day, less than 70 degrees. There was nothing to see except oil wells, drilling platforms and oil trucks. Motels continue to show "No Vacancy" because of the oil boom. Ned and Jerry rode to New Town, ND, a small town on the edge of the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation. It is a dirty town with lots of oil trucks and very few services. A room was available at the 4 Bears Casino & Lodge but we decided to drive 70 miles South to Garrison, ND, where the bikers plan to take a day off. Ladies had shopped for groceries before leaving Williston at a Wal-Mart Supercenter. Clerk who was from Michigan and very homesick told them that employees in Williston were the highest paid Wal-mart workers in the country. They are still having trouble hiring because everyone wants to make the big money working for the oil companies. There is no housing available for the oil workers, so they live in campers in the Wal-Mart parking lot and join local gyms to have access to showers.

Jul 13 - Day 19

Ladies shuttled bikers back to Poplar, MT and they rode 77 miles to Williston, ND. Total miles is now 1255. Ned had another flat tire. They rode with a nice tailwind over rolling hills. Some of the hills were significant and slowing down forced more donations to the Montana blood drive. Guys are glad to be finished riding in Montana. They were unable to find a good place to eat so were very hungry when the ladies arrived in Williston to take them to the motel in Sidney, MT which is 40 miles South. Ned and Jerry met the biker calling himself crazy guy on a bike. Arlene had talked with him back in Republic, WA. It's funny how we keep meeting up with some of the same people over and over again. Ladies spent the day in Sidney doing laundry. It was a little strange driving to ND as we went into the Central Time Zone, then back to Montana where it was an hour earlier.

Jul 12 - Day 18

Ned and Jerry cleaned up their bikes after breakfast at the motel, then began day's ride. Ladies had breakfast, then stopped at a neat quilt shop. Bikers saw nothing all day except hay bales. The four of us met at McDonalds in Wolf Point, MT for lunch, then bikers continued on to Poplar, MT for a total day's ride of 70 miles, new trip total is 1178. Ladies checked into motel in Wolf Point, then spent the afternoon looking for lodging for tomorrow night. Finally found a room at Sidney, MT, which is out of the way but best we could do. All motels in and around Williston, ND are always full due to a local oil boom. Ladies went to Poplar, MT to collect Ned and Jerry where they were having a milk shake. This area is part of the Fort Peck Indian Reservation and some of the small towns are a little scary.

Jul 11 - Day 17

Ladies shuttled the bikers back to where ride stopped yesterday, 10 miles west of Malta, MT. Mosquitos and gnats swarmed over them as soon as they left the van. Jerry said Montana must be the blood bank capital of the country, a person continuously donates blood to bugs. Guys got a late start due to rain, but by 10:30 they were on the road and by 5:00 they arrived in Glasgow, MT, a total of 81 miles. New total for the trip is 1108. They saw several antelope and rattlesnake skins along the way. Downtime this morning allowed Arlene to give Ned a haircut. Bikers are feeling strong, some minor joint pain and chafing. Ladies checked into a motel in Glasgow and took a nice nap, a special treat. They met a group of lady bikers who left from Anacortez, WA and are going as far as Fargo, ND. They were busy doing laundry and getting bikes ready for next day's ride. They were very helpful in giving us ideas for places to stay in the future.

Jul 10 - Day 16

Bikers began ride from motel in Havre, MT. Early morning temperature was 55 degrees but day heated up quickly and by afternoon was in low 90's. Ned had a flat tire on his bike about the time ladies came by in the van. They were unable to get out of the van because of swarming gnats and mosquitoes. Area has had unusually high amounts of rainfall allowing for more mosquito breeding. Jerry said he lived in Louisiana for several years and he thought there was a lot of bugs there but has encountered more here . Ride took them through the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation. Local folks recommend no stopping and quick riding through this area. They saw a dead animal along the road, but could not identify it, maybe a badger. One observation made in Montana is that nothing is wasted, roadside grass is mowed, then baled for future use. Bikers completed 83 miles, last miles difficult against Northeast wind of 15-20 miles per hour, with gusts up to 30. Ladies picked bikers up 10 miles west of Malta, MT. We saw another roadway cross designating where seven people had died. New milestone for bikers, completed total of 1027 miles. Wow!

Jul 9 - Day 15

Ride began today at Shelby, MT with a crosswind from the South, over rolling hills with fields and fields of wheat, barley and maize. Any stop allowed mosquitoes by the hundreds to swarm. There was nothing to see except tiny little towns and massive granaries. We could see hills off to our South. While here in Montana we have seen red posts with white crosses on the top which designate where people were killed on the highway. Along mountain roads we saw many, since on the plains just a few. We have decided that is because most roads have a speed limit of 70 miles per hour and drivers obviously lose control on the twists and turns. Bikers completed 103 miles today ending in Havre, MT another new milestone. Total miles to date is 944. Ladies booked a room at the motel and then went shopping at the local mall finding some fantastic bargains. It was fun staying in a town that had a mall and a Wal-mart. The young lady at the motel was telling us how to remember the name of the town. She said think about two Canadians fighting over a woman and the one finally says to the other, "You can have her" (Havre).

Jul 8 - Day 14

Arlene shuttled the bikers back to Marias Pass to begin the day's ride. Ride took them through Browning, MT which is the headquarters of the Blackfeet Indian council. The reservation extends to Cut Bank where Ned and Jerry talked with an older farmer lady who was very interested in their bike ride. They met two couples, one from Maine, the other from New Hampshire who are biking cross country. They stopped to help an old gentleman driving an old Cadillac change a flat tire. Total day's ride was 84 miles, new total 841. They started out with a nice tailwind and averaged 15.5 miles per hour for the day riding over rolling hills. Ladies again had difficulty finding lodging but finally found a room at the O'Haire Manor Motel in Shelby. Clerk indicated rooms are hard to find during the summer months.

Jul 7 - Day 13

Ladies shuttled bikers back to Whitefish where they started ride at 7:30. It was a cool morning, 43 degrees. First 15-20 miles dealt with a headwind, also last 10 miles. Rode to Marias Pass, Continental Divide which is about 11 miles west of the town of East Glacier. Bikers had to navigate through a nasty one-lane traffic, construction area at West Glacier and 3 miles of the ride was on an unpaved road. They are now over the Rocky Mountains and have completed 757 miles, a new milestone. Riding is easier when the weather is nice. High temp. for the day was in the low 70's. They saw deer and Jerry took a picture of a lovely mountain goat. Ladies spent the day looking for a place to stay. East Glacier motels were full because of North American Indian days hosted in Browning, MT. Finally found a small house rented out by the Dancing Bears Inn. We stopped at the Glacier Park Lodge where Arlene, Ned and Donna & Gary Heberlig stayed 5 yrs. ago. Arlene & JoAnn ate lunch at one of their picnic tables.

Jul 6 - Day 12

Ned and Jerry took the day off, and we toured Glacier National Park. We drove from West Glacier to St. Mary stopping at Logan's Pass Visitor's Center. There was so much snow at that elevation that the Highline Hiking Trail was closed. Much construction on the highway caused traffic backups. Saw many beautiful waterfalls, snow covered peaks, a glacier and a mountain goat and her baby. Temperature at the visitor's center was 43 degrees. Since PA is soooooo hot, we feel very blessed.

Jul 5 - Day 11

Bikers began day's ride from Eureka, MT at about 7:00 and had a slow beginning , riding the first 20 miles against a nasty headwind. The day was cold with showers and the ladies dropped off the rain gear after Ned and Jerry completed 25 miles. Bikers rode by Dickey Lake and stopped at a church to chat with a man who said they did mission training. It was a beautiful, well tended property with gorgeous flowers. Bikers saw antelope, deer and met a strange man who was asked to leave Canada and had been thrown out of three other countries. They biked as far as Whitefish, then called ladies for pickup. We stopped to chat with the Mermaids on the way to our motel. It was great to see them and get an update on their progress. The weather and headwinds made the day difficult, completing 53 miles. Total miles since beginning is 683, an amazing accomplishment. We will be staying the next two nights in Hungry Horse, MT.

Jul 4 - Day 10

Ned and Jerry began the day's ride at 7:15 in Libby, MT. The ride took them along Lake Koocanusa which extends into Canada. They saw deer, eagles, osprey and watched a group learning to rock climb. They met a lady who was jogging and a mountain biker who is riding the Continental Divide from Canada to Mexico. Ladies found a United Methodist Church in Libby. The church has a new pastor who gave an excellent sermon after Holy Communion. Folks there were super friendly. Ladies visited the Libby Dam visitor's center, a huge dam that forms Lake Koocanusa. Weather is quite cold, bikers wore long pants all day and rode 69 miles.

Jul 3 - Day 9

Began the day's ride at 7:30 and rode under cloudy skies. It was a very cold ride. Bikers saw four huge bucks in velvet, ate white chicken chili and helped some local rafters with some duct tape. Ladies spent time in the Montana outback and ate lunch by the Pend Oreille river. The four of us met at Kootenai Falls and swinging bridge. Bikers completed 68 miles to Libby, MT.

Jul 2 - Day 8

The four travelers ate breakfast in Oldtown, ID. Shuttled the bikers back to Usk where they ended their ride yesterday. We saw a young eagle and a buffalo. Began ride at 9:00 in the rain and spent the day riding in cold intermittent showers. Ladies drove through Sandpoint, a trendy tourist town and decided not to stop. Bikers completed 78 miles to Clark Fork , ID at 3:30. Clark Fork is a neat little town where they make a big deal of July 4 holiday. They try to outdo each other for the parade and have competitions such as log splitting, hatchet throwing and lots of games for kids.

Jul 1 - Day 7

Bikers began riding at 6:30 from Colville, WA. Rode up a mountain and down, then all was flat. Made a wrong turn which added four extra miles. Saw beautiful falls, watched osprey feeding young and ate the best hamburgers ever at a lodge on top of the mountain. Rode a total of 80 miles to Usk, WA where the ladies picked up bikers at 3:00. Ladies saw a beautiful eagle on top of pine tree along the road. Bikers are looking forward to putting the mountains behind them and riding on flat land tomorrow. Total miles to date is 415.

Jun 30 - Day 6

Ladies shuttled bikers back to Republic where we had breakfast. Mule deer ran across road in front of van. Guys began day's ride at 8 over Sherman Pass, elevation 5575 ft. Highest driveable pass in WA. Temp. was 35 degrees at beginning of ride, complained they were cold riding down the mountain. They rode 55 miles, new total 335. Ladies saw a brown bear crossing the road on return trip to Kettle Falls. Spent time in antique shops and natural food markets. They completed ride at 2, tired but proud that they rode another pass. Stayed at Comfort Inn in Colville, WA.