Finding Time to Smell the Stopped Roses
It’s been over a week since my last update, and I have reasons. First and foremost, Wisconsin brought with it an almost instant return of HILLS! I love hills in the sense that they mentally break up the day and provide for some stunning views, but going pedalling up them difficult. Combined with the climbing (ha!) temperatures, I’ve found myself a lot more wiped out at the end of each day.
Secondly, I’m trying to see MORE STUFF!
You might think my days are filled with sightseeing, and you are partially right. I see all sorts of cool things as I ride my bike on the backroads or bike trails across the United States. But it’s actually quite rare that my path happens to cross something particularly notable, or a place that’s listed as a “must visit” for whatever state I’m passing through.. My day-to-day rides are filled with average America. If I want to see something special, I generally have to make a detour that could add an entire DAY to my journey. Unfortunately, since I’m on a schedule, I don’t feel as free to make those stops (which is silly).
There is something about the inertia of the bike that forces me to keep going. There are times where I think, I should stop here and take this in, and I just don’t, because the bike is still moving and the physical effort to stop and start it again is too much. My muscles and joints are sore, and I don’t want to tax them further. Which, when I write it out like this, seems incredibly lame!
So for the last week or so I’ve tried to deliberately make choices that would take me to notable places. I rode the Elroy-Sparta Trail, despite being terrified of it, because it’s famous for it’s 3 LONG train tunnels (one is nearly a mile long and you can’t see the other end, you are literally plunging into darkness).
You can feel the air change well before you can see the cave. Very eerie.
I took about a 12-mile, very steep detour to check out Grandad Bluff in La Crosse, WI, for my first view of the Mississippi River. I then took a very deliberate route, slightly longer route that took me along that river for about 40 miles, instead of a more efficient route directly north to Menomonie, WI, where I was meeting with fellow game designer (and kickstarter sensation) Dave Beck!
A hazy day, but worth the sweat!
Now, I pushed myself yesterday and rode 70 miles as the sun beat down on me, so I could get to St. Paul a day early and check out the Science Museum of Minnesota! But of course, yesterday I could barely function enough to eat dinner when I got here, and passed out shortly thereafter.
This is definitely a bit all over the place, but my main point is that since my last update I’ve been writing less because I’m exhausted and experiencing more - which is probably as it should be!
Don’t forget to touch the Mississippi!
