Back on the road: Saint Paul to Red Wing

After a much needed rest day, we were back on the bikes today, this time accompanied by Dr. Jeff Mandel. Jeff helped me set up the entire charity ride and we were super happy to have him join us for the day. This has been our favorite day so far, with beautiful trails, lots of wild life (including snakes!), and fun cities to take breaks in. The ride went about as smoothly as we could have hoped for as we made great time and we were at our campsite in Frontenac State Park by 5 pm. The final portion of the ride included a 300 foot ascent so we really had to earn that last mile. Once we set up camp, there was plenty of time for hiking, cooking, and relaxing at the bonfire.

Aside from the ride, our favorite part of today was meeting fellow bikers and locals along the way. In Red Wing we met Larry, who owns an amazing pottery shop we were able to briefly stop in. If you are in the area, check out Larry's Jugs and Antiques. Larry was super friendly and after hearing about our cause, immediately donated $100, which will be matched for a total of $200. When we made it to our campsite, another camper, Elizabeth, was kind enough to drive us to get some firewood and took interest in our cause as well. We were more interested in her stories as she told us about her adventures biking across the country and camping in the boundary waters.

It was an excellent day all around and we cannot thank Jeff enough for everything he has done for the ride and for joining us today. We are looking forward to another great ride tomorrow in bluff country!