Well, another day on the trail. Up a bit earlier today and we got going by 8:50ish. The bike in site was non-reservable, but you also couldn’t pay at the office, so we ended up taking off without paying (yet). I’ll probably circle back later when we get back. The first ride into Faribault was great. Straight bike trail, generally slightly downhill and generally shaded with rolling farm fields.
Got into Faribault mid-morning and scoped out the nearest bakery downtown. First, Fariabault seemed impressively big. There were quite a few blocks of neighborhoods we biked through from the interstate before getting downtown. Next, their downtown is awesome. Super robust, sizably bigger than even Northfield. The coffee shop was reminiscent of River Rock in St. Peter. Good coffee and pastries in a bright setting with bustling activity.
By late morning, we were off again, up the (super) steep hill out of the Cannon River on the Cannon City road bound for Northfield and Hogan brothers for lunch. The last couple days have been steamy (90 deg+) and this day promised to be no exception. It was cooking pretty good as we rolled up and down the largeish hills of rural Rice County. Rolled right into Dundas and on a whim, stopped by Prieve’s house to say hi (we were literally biking half a block from their place). Talked to Ali for a minute before continuing on the “Milltown” trail into Downtown. Northfield still has an outstanding downtown. Hogan brothers was moving as always and didn’t disappoint (never does). We had a pitcher of root beer and 1/2 a sub each and good conversation, always. Out of Northfield, we wound past the Carleton Arb. Their prairie is so impressive. It almost seems like a state park.
Hit some gravel for a while, ranging from nice to bike on, to pretty terrible. Good scenery though, and very little traffic. We generally paralleled the Cannon this whole time, all the way into Randolph. Chugged on to Cannon Falls and hooked into a bike trail the last few miles into town, which was also cutting through an impressive rehabbed prairie. One of the highlights was see the actual Cannon Falls. I didn’t know they had something this big. Quite impressive and nice to soak in for a bit. The Tillium brewing company is right downtown in a nicely refurbished building. The A/C was great and their beer was a welcome addition to the afternoon.
The last 10 into Welch on a the Cannon River bike trail was a breeze. Gentle downhill, shaded, and high spirits. We cruised into down around 5, showered up and hit the town (all one bar). 2 of their 5 beers were out, as was the soft-serve ice cream (small town life) and there aren’t any other options, but it was good pizza and a nice ambiance on the river.
All in all, another successful day on the trail. It’s been a good trip.
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