First day of Summer! Slept in until about 9:30 and woke up to a sunny morning already in the 80's. Met another kind ranger interested in my trip and then biked 7 miles into the town of Bemidji. I found a nice coffehouse and cafe called The Cabin. This is where I did my last blog update, they had delicious coffee, food, great artwork, and free wifi. After a couple cups of coffee I made a stop at the visitor center to get directions the the frisbee golf course. I love frisbee golfing and had a really good time playing at a new course. I was starting to work up a hunger so I biked back into town and found a nice Irish Pub named Brigid's Cross. Had a very tasty Irish style burger with fries and malt vinegar, yum! Had some good conversation with a man who was celebrating his 60th birthday and then made my way back to the campsite. While I was eating lunch the rain started and I had not brought my rain gear so i was pretty well soaked by the time I got back to my campsite. Didn't really mind since it was so hot, it actually felt pretty good biking in the rain. Had a quick dinner and went to bed.
The Cabin Coffehouse and Cafe
Bemidji frisbee golf
Brigids Cross ( great lunch )
Taking shelter under a bridge on the Paul Bunyan Trail
June 22nd - 60.42 / 940.71 - Lake Bemidji State Park - Itasca State Park
It had rained all night so when I woke up in the morning there were way too many mosquito's. Makes packing up all of your stuff a little tougher when your being eaten alive. It was a very hot and muggy morning. I had tried to charge my phone in the bathroom when I realized my phone was broken and was not taking a charge. My phone is pretty important since I use it to keep in touch with friends and family, check the weather and email, and it is my means of music. I was hope full that Bemidji would have a verizon store since it was a pretty large town. On my way back into Bemidji I saw 5 deer in the 7 mile ride. I stopped back at the visitor center and found out there was a verizon store just a few miles away. Made a quick stop back at the Cabin Coffehouse and then went to get a new phone. Took about an hour but I had a new phone and was happy. Just a few more miles down the hwy I popped a tire, do'h! First flat of the trip. It was an easy repair and I was back on the road in no time. The ride today was very beautiful being mostly in state forest and passing over the Mississippi River several times. The river is much smaller in this area and is more like a stream. Although the ride was incredibly beautiful it was also very challenging being so hot ( in the 90's ) and humid. It was also very hilly and the wind was against me most of the day. Needless to say I was very pleased to arrive at the park. First thing I did was head to the headwaters of the Mississippi River. Itasca State Park is home to the headwaters and you can actually walk across the river, which I did. The water was very refreshing on such a hot day! The Mississippi River travels 2,552 miles from Lake Itasca to the Gulf Of Mexico. Itasca State Park is an awesome place and seems more like a National Park then a State Park. The park is huge at 32,000 acres and is home to porcupines, bear, eagles, and much more. After crossing the river by foot I checked out the visitor center, then headed for my campsite, showered, and rushed to the historic Douglas Lodge for dinner. The lodge is beautiful and it was a great place to relax and have some good food. On my way back to the campsite I saw a porcupine climbing a tree and a few more deer. Everything in the park is connected by a bike trail so on my way back I made a few stops at checked out some of the sites. I was amazed by the size of the pine trees throughout the park. While crossing a bridge one of my trailer tires fell off and I had to bend the axle back to fix it. That was a bit scary because I was not sure if I would be able to make the repair. Luckily I was able to and continued on my way. Overall it was a pretty tough day with the heat, hills, bike problems, phone problems, and the wind. Still feels great to be on such an exciting adventure where anything can happen.
Had to write Quest West on the tabletop chalkboard at The Cabin Coffehouse
The Mississippi River - worthy of a break
The Mississippi River - pretty small in the North woods
Northern Minnesota State Forest
Uphill and against the wind - only makes you stronger!
The Mighty Mississippi
Just as hilly as Wisconsin's section
Itasca State Park - Minnesota's first state park
Lush greenery near the headwaters
The headwaters of the Mississippi River
The Headwaters Center - cafe, gift shop, and information
The Douglas Lodge
Porcupine climbing a tree
Large pines and Lake Itasca
Such a pretty park with it's huge trees and calm lake
The bike path that travels throughout the park
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