Day 26 - Friday, July 23rd
| |
Day 26 - Friday, July 23rd |
|
Tyler, MN to New Ulm, MN - 87 miles
| My good friend Joe Holmquist drove 6 hours from Lincoln Nebraska yesterday
to visit me in Tyler. We stayed at the Tyler Motel, a motel with no street
sign, no sign on the office, no credit card charges and generally modest
but clean rooms. Joe drove me over for breakfast with the gang and a nice
goodbye. The night before, Bruce and Din, a couple living outside of Tyler
had invited several of the riders over for a swim and a tour of their amazing
house. On the way out of town this morning, the two of them were waiting
at the side of the road with fresh baked brownies for all of the Big Riders.
Another heartwarming Big Ride moment. The ride today was moderately difficult as we had 88 miles to cover and spent most of the day fighting an almost headwind. Still, it was a social day with lots of stops for water, snacks, and visiting. In the town of Sleepy Eye, (I’m not making this up) we stopped at a Dairy Queen for a much needed ice cream cone. I was outside, talking with an older couple about the ride. Inside, Allen and Beth were talking with the owner of the DQ, who came out a few minutes later with a check for $100.00 for the Lung Association. Meanwhile, Scott, and the rest were also talking with three kids about biking and the mountain of hot dogs they had just consumed. The kids followed us through town, racing us on foot and posing with a Peanuts sculpture before we left them behind. Scenes like this are common on the Big Ride and are very rewarding. Tomorrow is a rest day, and my wife Shelley has flown out to meet us here in New Ulm. I’m very glad to see her and we’ll no doubt have fun catching up. Lance Armstrong’s first book is called, “It’s Not About the Bike”. In his case, he wrote about his fight with, and recovery from cancer. On the Big Ride, it’s also not about the bike. |
 |
 |
| Apparently, the Old Guys Who Get Fat in Winter got lost in the cornfield. | Lucija is our rider of the day. Here she is at the side of the road with a broken spoke. Lucija seems to take everything in stride and this spoke problem is no exception. Lucija is from Slovenia but has been a student here for some time. |
 |
 |
| Here are the brownie distributors at the end of their driveway. They were waiting for us at 7 a.m. with a load of fresh baked browinies. | These gentlemen are helping Lucija with her broken spoke. Mainly they are commiserating and taking her picture. Where is that White Knight when he's needed? We called in the mechanic using our HAM radios. |
 |
 |
| The Minnesota countryside is bucolic and gorgeous. If you look closely, you will see a woman tending her garden with her cat watching her. | There are lot's of older buildings in various states of repair. This might have been a Chicken barn, or used for some other livestock. |
 |
 |
| Here is my sweetie, come all the way from Seattle to see me. Isn't she beautiful? | Joe drove 6 hours each way to visit us in Tyler. Joe lives in Lincoln, NE with his lovely wife Sheri. We were college roommates many years ago. |
| |
|
The email I'll use this summer is brucesherman@mac.com. Send mail to this address to say hello and I'll be able to read it on the ride.