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| These flowers say "I LOVE YOU" |
30 Sep: After our usual exercises, we joined Carol and Bill at Denny's for breakfast. Cynthia enjoyed a ride out to their tree farm and further enjoyed hiking several trails through the woods. Carol made a marvelous salmon dinner, first marinating the salmon in balsomic vinegar with blackberries, and cooking squash, sweet potatoes and broccoli w/ green beans. Carol and Bill extended their hospitality by providing Cynthia a ride back to the hotel so that she didn't have to ride the motorcycle on their mile-long gravel driveway. Are we really ready for October? 3.8 miles.
29 Sep: One final visit with cousin Scott and Nadine before we left Keosauqua heading toward sistah Carol's. The day was pleasant but warm; we left at 1:30 PM and arrived in Litchfield at six PM, in time for dinner at Ruby Tuesday. Carol and Bill were surprised that we arrived so quickly and joined us at Ruby Tuesday. Route was US 34 E past Burlington to Monmouth, IL, R on US 67 S to Carlinville to L on IL 108 E to R on I-35 S 8 miles to Litchfield. This is our best, most comfortable route so far between Keosauqua and Mt. Olive. US 34 in Illinois was not good (and much of that can be avoided), and a few miles on US 67 were a bit bumpy.
28 Sep: After exercises and breakfast as always, we rode to Keosauqua to visit cousins Ken and Marvin at the Riverside grill for lunch, and then Ken dropped us off to visit Rex and Susie at their house. Ken gifted Ron with a strongbox full of old family photos. Some we've seen before but many were surprises, even to sistah Carol. Route was I-35 S briefly to L on IA 5 E quite a way to L on IA 92 E to R on IA 163 bypassing Ottumwa and on to US 34 E to Fairfield. The AmericInn was comfortable. Iowa state highway 1 was still miserable, but cousin Ken said that they've repaved the road to Selma providing that as a more pleasant route to Keosauqua.
27 Sep: We enjoyed a lovely ride on US 65 south to US 30 W to I-35 S to West Des Moines to visit cousin Sandy. Our hotel is 2 miles from her house. Sandy is as delightful as ever, and today is her birthday, so we sang Happy Birthday to her twice, the second time with her family at dinner. Van and his wife have raised a wonderful couple of kids, a high school freshman, Colton, and a college junior, Julie (?).
26 Sep: We were packed and ready to roll "early" at 11 AM for lunch with Ray and Mary in Mason City. Our hotel is 1.4 miles from their house, but Ron missed the turns and arrived at their house first. We thoroughly enjoyed good conversation until Ron and Ray were dispatched to Subway for luncheon fixings and enjoyed more good conversation as we ate. Cynthia opted to rest at the hotel in the evening, whereas Ron chose to attend a flag football game wherein second grade grandson Rory nearly scored a last minute touchdown.
25 Sep: 9 AM breakfast with Dick and Jane was a lot of fun, as usual. Ron and Dick talked about guy things, and who know what the girls talked about. Since Dick runs local coin auctions over the internet, I showed him my nephew's RPM coins web site (click here). Cynthia and I repeated our 3-mile walk of yesterday in an hour and ten minutes (according to the official time-keeper.) At 4:30 PM. Jerry and Betty picked us up for dinner with Dave and Annie, Dale and Ann. As usual, Annie outdid herself and prepared enough yummy food to feed a much younger army. As usual, we all ate far too much because it was so good, but surprisingly, Ron was able to sleep quite well without the usual need to empty fluids every couple of hours. A very good time was had by all. Thanks Annie. 3 miles
24 Sep, Sunday: Since it rained overnight, Dale and Ann picked us up at 8:45 sharp for church. We enjoyed seeing several people at church and at the ensuing coffee fellowship before Dale and Ann took us back to the hotel. After several days of inactivity, it was refreshing to get out for a familiar 3-mile walk from the hotel south. Dale and Ann picked us up again at 3:00 PM for the Sion Church Talent Show, a fund raiser featuring many church music singers. At 5 pm Timen drove us to meet Cynthia's Turvold cousins, Joey, her daughter Stephanie, and Tommie, a cousin from another line of Turvolds at Subway in the Casino for dinner and boisterous genealogical conversation.
23 Sep: Danny picked us up at 10:20 for lunch with him and Julie at the family farm. Their cat thoroughly enjoyed Ron's petting while we all conversed. Cynthia seems to be on a mission to acquaint everyone whose family has lived in Northwood for two generations that they are related to everyone else who has lived there two generations. Danny was happy to show us a couple of his newest excellent drawings, one of a B-29 flying low over the barn, much of which was drawn from memories of buildings removed and family long gone. Because of the wet conditions, Mary picked us up at the hotel for dinner with her and Lonnie at their farm. Lonnie never farmed, but bought twenty five acres from a neighboring farmer and has built a wonderful home with gardens and fruit trees all around. They fed us wild Minnesota rice, squash, and Alaskan halibut from his fishing trip last summer. Seven guys came home with 700 pounds of fish. LL (Lucky Lon) made his living as a contractor developing commercial properties in Rochester, Minnesota. If the drive were not so long, he would probably still be working. Mary has been Cynthia's florist for the last 15 years, an occupation that developed from picking flowers in her front yard. (It is a BIG front yard.)
22 Sep: After awakening, morning exercises and oatmeal, we rode the quickest route to Northwood via Minnesota highway 19 W and I-35 S. The multitude of yellows in the fall folliage made the trip quite beautiful despite being interstate highway most of the way. Mutual cousin David and his wife Pat joined us for dinner at the Casino, which did not disappoint. Dave and Pat both admitted unhappily to age-related problems, which is very disappointing to us all. We had hoped that Father Time was treating them better. They drove us in the rain back to our nearby hotel, and we parted with hopes that the next year will be much better for us all.
21 Sep: We stayed in Northfield a second night because Ron understood Cynthia to say that she would enjoy doing that to see the town. After breakfast, we walked to St. John's ELCA Church to see if Karl's wife was quilting, but there were no quilters there. It is allergy season so Cynthia went to the hotel and Ron walked alone through a very nice neighborhood to a small park, where he did his eye exercises while looking at a very vividly fall-colored red tree, and then found St. Olof's College, which is a very pretty campus. Just after noon, we joined Karl and his wife at Goodbye Monday Blues coffee house for a couple of hours of pleasant conversation about our lives and experiences. In the evening Ron and Cynthia again enjoyed fine dining at Subway.
20 Sep, Northfield, Minnesota: We rode through Hastings on US 61 to Northfield, home of St. Olof College. Karl met us at Perkins for a couple of hours over lunch. Cynthia and Ron walked a HOT mile and a half to the Perkins and were surprised that there was no sidewalk for the last half mile. Neither Karl nor I recognized each other, but I wore an unmistakable MIT tee shirt. We enjoyed hearing about Karl's Norwegian ancestors, his teaching of economics, his roles in the Sons of Norway etc. We parted with the expectation to see each other again tomorrow. Cynthia and Ron opted for a quick & simple Subway sub for dinner after Ron mailed a check to the bank and walked about downtown to find blueberries and raspberries for breakfast tomorrow. Route: L on US 61 S 18 miles to R on MN 50 E 7 mi to L on 240th Street (MN 47) to L on Northfield Blvd 11 mi to L on MN 3 S 2 mi to R into Radison Country Inn & Suites. It somehow seems improbable that the corn on one side of the highway can be dry and brown, ready for harvest, while the corn on the other side of the highway is lush and green, seemingly ready to grow for another month. Fall yellows continue to range from faint to vivid. QQQ closed disappointingly low after the Fed opined that another interest rate hike is likely to come.
19 Sep: Ron was up early enough to watch QQQ and buy 10 contracts for 269 at an early low; now we wait to see if it goes up as expected. Our route from the hotel to Hastings was absolutely familiar: out Lone Oak E to MN 55 S, merges with US 52 S, exit for 55 S to Hastings, and into town to meet Donna at the Perkins Restaurant. As it turns out, the Country Inn in Hastings was not the one where Cynthia had reservations, so we had to ride several miles north on US 61 to Cottage Grove to a different Country Inn & Suites. Donna drove out to our hotel to spend the evening with us over dinner at the Hy-Vee grocery Wahlburgers.
18 Sep: We checked in to Hampton Inn at Minneapolis/ Eagen Airport. Dinner at 4:30 at Axels in Mendota with cousin Lance and Shelly and sister-in-law Carolyn was every bit as good as the dinner we all enjoyed dinner together last year. Route: I-94 W cross St. Croix River to L on I-494 S cross Mississippi to L on I-35E S to exit 98 Lone Oak Drive & Hampton Inn. Continue on Lone Oak to end, R on Sioux Trail 1 mi under Interstate to L on Mendota Heights Road to L on Great River Road to Axels
17 Sep, Sunday: It is dangerous for Cynthia to eat any sugar - it kicks off sugar cravings. Yesterday the caramel pecan roll wasn't too bad (and it was very, very good), but that led to a sugary muffin and pastries at the wedding. We rode to Hudson, Wisconsin in light traffic on scenic Minnesota highways 97 and 95 surrounded by early fall colors. Cynthia's Turvold cousin Lana in River Falls, WI prepared a feast of foods we could eat for lunch: baked sweet potatoes, salad, fruit and veggies. Ron was delighted and strove to leave no leftovers, but Lana packaged those to send with us to our hotel. Route: cross I-35 on County Road 2 to R on US 61 S to L on MN 97 E through Scandia past farm to R on MN 95 S through Stillwater to L on I-94 E crossing the St. Croix River to R on WI 35 S 8 miles to exit for Radio Road - Chapman Drive E 1 mi to R on Kingsbarn, L on Newcastle Drive, a lovely ride full of the lighter green leaves of fall mixed with early yellows and an occasional tinge of red or orange.
16 Sep: We said our goodbyes to Brett's family before they left for swim lessons, packed and rode 48 miles on Interstate Highways to Forest Lake, MN, checked in to our hotel, and went next door to Keys Cafe to eat egg white veggie omelets with no oil and sour dough bread toasted dry. Our plan was to arrive full at the wedding of Cynthia's cousin's granddaughter, so that we wouldn't eat bad stuff there, but our plan backfired because Keys makes everything from scratch and their pastries looked marvelous. We were sooo good, and THEN we divided a caramel pecan roll. (Cynthia ate one quarter of it.) The wedding was a lovely affair at the family farm in Scandia, Minnesota, and Cynthia's cousins were a hoot. Cynthia was delighted to meet nearly all of her cousin's kids and grandkids except for one who now lives in Hawaii. A fun time was had by all the survivors. Route: I-494 N to R on I-694 E to L on I-35W N to I-35 N to exit 131 L on County Road 2 W to Radison Hotel. County Road 2 E to Broadway, R on US 61 S to L on MN 97 E 17 miles through Scandia to L into farm.
15 Sep: Again Hudson was gone to daycare by the time Ron and Cynthia came upstairs. Again Holden responded to Ron's smile EVERY time. We walked only 3.5 miles because we overdid it yesterday and are too tired today. Since this was our last evening with them, Brett took us to a delightful restaurant, Birch's on the Lake, where a couple of the waitresses were quite charmed by Hudson's cute smile.
14 Sep: Hudson was gone to daycare by the time Ron and Cynthia finished exercises and came upstairs. Holden again responded to Ron's smile EVERY time. This time Ron and Cynthia turned right from Trace Ridge and walked too far, 7.0 miles. It wore us both out, in part because it was 7 miles all at once instead of two 4-mile sessions as we did in Pagosa Springs. We crossed Minnetonka Blvd and walked uphill to a park then beyond that into another forested pathway, seemingly far removed from traffic.
12 Sep: Vermillion, South Dakota to Wayzata, Minnesota, a Minneapolis suburb where grandson Brett and family are in a rental home. Hudson has been counting the days until our arrival. Holston was too young to remember us (and still is) and regarded us with suspicion at first. Once he decided that we were OK (following the lead of his parents and brother), he returned our smiles with a delightful smile of his own. As a matter of fact Ron decided that his job in the household was to continually smile at Holden, which caused Holden to continually smile in return, providing a very quiet household for everyone. Route: E on South Cherry St -> SD 50 E 22 mi into Iowa IA 3 (Ron missed this at a T intersection and went left on Iowa 12 N 18 miles by which time he knew he was lost, turned R on IA 10 E for 16 miles to L on US 75 N for 36 miles. Since we were approaching Minnesota, Ron knew that he was still lost and turned R on IA 9 E for 22 miles to IA 60 where we rejoined his original plan.) Ron's original instructions were R on IA 12 S 1 mi to L on CR C38 E 22 mi to L on US 75 N continue on IA 60 N 70 mi into Minnesota (MN 60) around several rotaries to L on US 71 N 70 miles over Minnesota River bridge to Olivia, MN, R on US 212 E 54 miles to Norwood Young America and L on MN 5 E 18 mi to L on MN 41 N 2 mi to R on MN 7 E 6 mi to L on Williston Rd 1 mi to R on Minnetonka Blvd 0.5 mi to L on McGinty 0.5 mi to L on Trace Ridge. This navigation fiasco probably resulted in 30 extra miles and an hour longer trip.
11 Sep: North Platte, Nebraska to Vermillion, SD where we visited Cynthia’s lovely friend, Gay and her husband Dean. It was just too amusing to learn that Dean has a twin brother Dale, the same names as my two brothers. Much fun conversation. The evening was too short. Route: US 83 N 21 miles to R on Nebraska 92 E 37 mi to R on NE 2 S only 1 mi to hard L on Victoria Springs Road N then E 33 mi to L on US 183 N 7 mi to R on NE 91 E 45 mi to L on US 281 N 13 mi to R on NE 70 E 23 mi to L on NE 14 N 26 mi to R on US 20 E 42 mi to L on NE 57 N 4 mi to R on NE 59 E 6 mi to L on NE 15 N 16 mi to R on NE 12 (and 15) to L on 15 N into South Dakota (SD 19) N 2 mi to R on 320th St -> South Dakota Street into Vermillion, SD. Victoria Springs Road was under construction, and Ron was petrified to see that the surface had been torn down to dirt and there was water standing in ruts in the dirt road. Usually that means mud and a VERY slick surface that can cause the rear wheel to slide around sideways in a heartbeat dropping the bike into the mud too quickly to control. Fortunately, this particular time the bike stayed stable, and we sashayed across the mud surface in 100 feet. It was also entirely amusing to enter into Vermillion on South Dakota Street and to realize that in the middle of town the street name would change to North Dakota Street.
10 Sep, Sunday: We rode out from Berthoud under threat of rain, experienced about 5 minutes of light rain in Greeley, Colorado and continued on under heavy gray skies for an hour until a delightful light blue appeared on the horizon. Soon thereafter we emerged into a lovely whisp-filled light blue sky and slightly warmer temperatures (71° versus 61°). Imagine our delight when we exited I-80 onto old US highway 83 and discovered both a Ruby Tuesday and a Hampton Inn at that interchange. We are full and ready to sleep soundly. Route: 1st Street N to County Road 56 E past I-25 to L on CR 13 N to R on CR 50 to L on CR 17 (but missed this turn and rode through Miliken until a sign towards Greeley) R on US 34 E until merge with I-76 NE into Nebraska, merging into I-80 E to exit 177 at US 83 in North Platte. There was light traffic on I-76, so that was quite pleasant, but the last 60 miles on I-80 was much heavier and faster, so not as enjoyable.
9 Sep: We visited Dick & Fran, Ron's cousins. We talked, ate and ate some more garden fresh vegetables (especially good tomatoes and cucumbers). We did not walk. Dick and Fran plan to be in Iowa about a week before we get there.
8 Sep: We DID leave by ten AM for a 9.5 hour ride to Berthoud, Colorado. HA! A long funny story to follow when we have time. Oh my, was that ride ever a joy. Weather was perfect, uncrowded roadway was smooth and twisty with lots of greenery and delightful views. Route: W on US 50 to Gunnison & over Monarch Pass (click here) 126 mi to Poncha Springs and L on US 285 N through Buena Vista and Fairplay 109 mi to a L on County Road 73 N towards Evergreen, L on CO 74 N 5 mi to L on CR 65 N 3 mi to L on I-40 W 3 mi to R on US 6 E 2 mi to sharp left on CO 119 N 26 mi to Nederland traffic circle CO 72 W 21 mi to R on CO 7 E 14 mi to R on US 36 E 1 mi to straight on CO 66 E 8 mi to L on US 287 N 5 mi to R on County Road 2E 2 mi to L on CR 15 E 2 mi to R on Indiana St to L on Victoria St. Road construction on US 50 stopped us for half an hour in a spot that was cool and sunny with pleasant vistas, much less inconvenient than the possible 2 hour delays. When we went over Monarch Pass at 11,312' the winds were strong and gusty, and Ron was happy that he chose a lower route rather than going over the Trail Ridge Road through the Rocky Mountain National Park. The plan was to stop after a good distance, but the scenery was so beautiful and the road was so smooth that Ron just didn't stop much until it became possible to make it all the way to Berthoud, and we did. Dick and Fran were expecting us tomorrow, and that was our plan too, but the ride was easy, beautiful and pleasant, so we surprised everyone by showing up a day early . . . and then had the audacity to ask to stay overnight, to which Dick and Fran graciously agreed. Thanks a million, Dick and Fran.
7 Sep: We are sleeping in. Zzzz Cynthia is exercised, oatmealed, with financial market, and communications completed; Ron is enjoying a sound snooze that happens doing eye exercises. We hiked along the great water sports recreation area alongside Uncompaghre River for 6.0 miles. Cynthia has a manicure appointment at three.
6 Sept: Montrose, CO. Exercised, oatmealed, and now onto our morning walk; we toured a fairly recent and small botanical garden followed by salmon lunch at our favorite Montrose restaurant, the Stone House. Cynthia spent a century on the phone this afternoon with Verizon to get Ron’s name to appear on caller ID instead of her name.
5 Sept: Zandy was not happy to see her new friend Ron leave. We were loaded and riding from Gunnison at eleven AM for the one hour journey to Montrose. As we rode west on US 50, we saw signs announcing that the highway was closed 28 miles ahead, so Ron turned right at the first detour sign onto Colorado highway 92. My goodness, is that a breathtaking road along the north rim of The Black Canyon, littered with 25 MPH hairpins and gorgeous views for two additional hours. This took us all the way north to Delta, where we turned south on US 50 (yes, the same road we detoured from). Dinner at the Stone House in Montrose is always a treat.
4 Sep: Today Howard picked a hike where we could let Zandy, an oversized puppy that hasn't learned not to jump up on people, off her leash. After our overexertion yesterday, this was a good choice, although there was little shade. Cynthia and Sage hiked the three mile flats.
3 Sep, Sunday: Since Cynthia likes lake views, Howard took us to the Dillon Pinnacles Trail (click here) adjacent to the Blue Mesa Reservoir. It was a lovely hike, slightly uphill, with water views for three hours. Cynthia returned exhausted. Sage prepared fabulous food! Ron and Howard hiked a second time to the summit of 12,500' Napolean mountain. The rocky top was merely piles of loose rock, and the wind was strong enough that Ron sat down a couple of times on the descent to wait for less wind. We had enough time afterwards to look for the Jewish burials in the Tincup cemetery.
2 Sep: We left "early" to visit and hike with Ron’s MIT alum Howard and his partner Sage in Gunnison, CO until Sept 5. Blogging may or may not happen. Sage is an exceptional cook. We had a fast three mile afternoon hike with their labradoodle Zandy, who dove into any loose water she could find. Route: US 160 E 58 miles to Del Norte, L on Colo 112 E 13 mi to Center, CO, L on US 285 N 23 mi to L on Colo 114 W 60 mi to L on US 50 W through Gunnison to left turn followed by a curve right and R at Western Lumber onto frontage road, R on Thornton, then 2nd right on Carbon Court (no sign)
1 Sep. After exercising and oatmeal, we were NOT out the door early to walk. With the sun already intense at 10:30 AM, and two nasty blisters on Cynthia’s toes, we opted to turn back. Yup, back to finishing up chores. We watched the stock market until one and enjoyed a salmon lunch at Boss Hogg’s with our favorite waitress Eliza. Twenty-five years ago today, Cynthia’s oldest son Scott died from Leukemia. 6.82 miles
29 Sep: One final visit with cousin Scott and Nadine before we left Keosauqua heading toward sistah Carol's. The day was pleasant but warm; we left at 1:30 PM and arrived in Litchfield at six PM, in time for dinner at Ruby Tuesday. Carol and Bill were surprised that we arrived so quickly and joined us at Ruby Tuesday. Route was US 34 E past Burlington to Monmouth, IL, R on US 67 S to Carlinville to L on IL 108 E to R on I-35 S 8 miles to Litchfield. This is our best, most comfortable route so far between Keosauqua and Mt. Olive. US 34 in Illinois was not good (and much of that can be avoided), and a few miles on US 67 were a bit bumpy.
28 Sep: After exercises and breakfast as always, we rode to Keosauqua to visit cousins Ken and Marvin at the Riverside grill for lunch, and then Ken dropped us off to visit Rex and Susie at their house. Ken gifted Ron with a strongbox full of old family photos. Some we've seen before but many were surprises, even to sistah Carol. Route was I-35 S briefly to L on IA 5 E quite a way to L on IA 92 E to R on IA 163 bypassing Ottumwa and on to US 34 E to Fairfield. The AmericInn was comfortable. Iowa state highway 1 was still miserable, but cousin Ken said that they've repaved the road to Selma providing that as a more pleasant route to Keosauqua.
27 Sep: We enjoyed a lovely ride on US 65 south to US 30 W to I-35 S to West Des Moines to visit cousin Sandy. Our hotel is 2 miles from her house. Sandy is as delightful as ever, and today is her birthday, so we sang Happy Birthday to her twice, the second time with her family at dinner. Van and his wife have raised a wonderful couple of kids, a high school freshman, Colton, and a college junior, Julie (?).
26 Sep: We were packed and ready to roll "early" at 11 AM for lunch with Ray and Mary in Mason City. Our hotel is 1.4 miles from their house, but Ron missed the turns and arrived at their house first. We thoroughly enjoyed good conversation until Ron and Ray were dispatched to Subway for luncheon fixings and enjoyed more good conversation as we ate. Cynthia opted to rest at the hotel in the evening, whereas Ron chose to attend a flag football game wherein second grade grandson Rory nearly scored a last minute touchdown.
25 Sep: 9 AM breakfast with Dick and Jane was a lot of fun, as usual. Ron and Dick talked about guy things, and who know what the girls talked about. Since Dick runs local coin auctions over the internet, I showed him my nephew's RPM coins web site (click here). Cynthia and I repeated our 3-mile walk of yesterday in an hour and ten minutes (according to the official time-keeper.) At 4:30 PM. Jerry and Betty picked us up for dinner with Dave and Annie, Dale and Ann. As usual, Annie outdid herself and prepared enough yummy food to feed a much younger army. As usual, we all ate far too much because it was so good, but surprisingly, Ron was able to sleep quite well without the usual need to empty fluids every couple of hours. A very good time was had by all. Thanks Annie. 3 miles
24 Sep, Sunday: Since it rained overnight, Dale and Ann picked us up at 8:45 sharp for church. We enjoyed seeing several people at church and at the ensuing coffee fellowship before Dale and Ann took us back to the hotel. After several days of inactivity, it was refreshing to get out for a familiar 3-mile walk from the hotel south. Dale and Ann picked us up again at 3:00 PM for the Sion Church Talent Show, a fund raiser featuring many church music singers. At 5 pm Timen drove us to meet Cynthia's Turvold cousins, Joey, her daughter Stephanie, and Tommie, a cousin from another line of Turvolds at Subway in the Casino for dinner and boisterous genealogical conversation.
23 Sep: Danny picked us up at 10:20 for lunch with him and Julie at the family farm. Their cat thoroughly enjoyed Ron's petting while we all conversed. Cynthia seems to be on a mission to acquaint everyone whose family has lived in Northwood for two generations that they are related to everyone else who has lived there two generations. Danny was happy to show us a couple of his newest excellent drawings, one of a B-29 flying low over the barn, much of which was drawn from memories of buildings removed and family long gone. Because of the wet conditions, Mary picked us up at the hotel for dinner with her and Lonnie at their farm. Lonnie never farmed, but bought twenty five acres from a neighboring farmer and has built a wonderful home with gardens and fruit trees all around. They fed us wild Minnesota rice, squash, and Alaskan halibut from his fishing trip last summer. Seven guys came home with 700 pounds of fish. LL (Lucky Lon) made his living as a contractor developing commercial properties in Rochester, Minnesota. If the drive were not so long, he would probably still be working. Mary has been Cynthia's florist for the last 15 years, an occupation that developed from picking flowers in her front yard. (It is a BIG front yard.)
22 Sep: After awakening, morning exercises and oatmeal, we rode the quickest route to Northwood via Minnesota highway 19 W and I-35 S. The multitude of yellows in the fall folliage made the trip quite beautiful despite being interstate highway most of the way. Mutual cousin David and his wife Pat joined us for dinner at the Casino, which did not disappoint. Dave and Pat both admitted unhappily to age-related problems, which is very disappointing to us all. We had hoped that Father Time was treating them better. They drove us in the rain back to our nearby hotel, and we parted with hopes that the next year will be much better for us all.
21 Sep: We stayed in Northfield a second night because Ron understood Cynthia to say that she would enjoy doing that to see the town. After breakfast, we walked to St. John's ELCA Church to see if Karl's wife was quilting, but there were no quilters there. It is allergy season so Cynthia went to the hotel and Ron walked alone through a very nice neighborhood to a small park, where he did his eye exercises while looking at a very vividly fall-colored red tree, and then found St. Olof's College, which is a very pretty campus. Just after noon, we joined Karl and his wife at Goodbye Monday Blues coffee house for a couple of hours of pleasant conversation about our lives and experiences. In the evening Ron and Cynthia again enjoyed fine dining at Subway.
20 Sep, Northfield, Minnesota: We rode through Hastings on US 61 to Northfield, home of St. Olof College. Karl met us at Perkins for a couple of hours over lunch. Cynthia and Ron walked a HOT mile and a half to the Perkins and were surprised that there was no sidewalk for the last half mile. Neither Karl nor I recognized each other, but I wore an unmistakable MIT tee shirt. We enjoyed hearing about Karl's Norwegian ancestors, his teaching of economics, his roles in the Sons of Norway etc. We parted with the expectation to see each other again tomorrow. Cynthia and Ron opted for a quick & simple Subway sub for dinner after Ron mailed a check to the bank and walked about downtown to find blueberries and raspberries for breakfast tomorrow. Route: L on US 61 S 18 miles to R on MN 50 E 7 mi to L on 240th Street (MN 47) to L on Northfield Blvd 11 mi to L on MN 3 S 2 mi to R into Radison Country Inn & Suites. It somehow seems improbable that the corn on one side of the highway can be dry and brown, ready for harvest, while the corn on the other side of the highway is lush and green, seemingly ready to grow for another month. Fall yellows continue to range from faint to vivid. QQQ closed disappointingly low after the Fed opined that another interest rate hike is likely to come.
19 Sep: Ron was up early enough to watch QQQ and buy 10 contracts for 269 at an early low; now we wait to see if it goes up as expected. Our route from the hotel to Hastings was absolutely familiar: out Lone Oak E to MN 55 S, merges with US 52 S, exit for 55 S to Hastings, and into town to meet Donna at the Perkins Restaurant. As it turns out, the Country Inn in Hastings was not the one where Cynthia had reservations, so we had to ride several miles north on US 61 to Cottage Grove to a different Country Inn & Suites. Donna drove out to our hotel to spend the evening with us over dinner at the Hy-Vee grocery Wahlburgers.
18 Sep: We checked in to Hampton Inn at Minneapolis/ Eagen Airport. Dinner at 4:30 at Axels in Mendota with cousin Lance and Shelly and sister-in-law Carolyn was every bit as good as the dinner we all enjoyed dinner together last year. Route: I-94 W cross St. Croix River to L on I-494 S cross Mississippi to L on I-35E S to exit 98 Lone Oak Drive & Hampton Inn. Continue on Lone Oak to end, R on Sioux Trail 1 mi under Interstate to L on Mendota Heights Road to L on Great River Road to Axels
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| Cynthia and Lana with Turvold trunk |
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| Cousins, Jim, Diane, Jenn, Cynthia & John |
15 Sep: Again Hudson was gone to daycare by the time Ron and Cynthia came upstairs. Again Holden responded to Ron's smile EVERY time. We walked only 3.5 miles because we overdid it yesterday and are too tired today. Since this was our last evening with them, Brett took us to a delightful restaurant, Birch's on the Lake, where a couple of the waitresses were quite charmed by Hudson's cute smile.
14 Sep: Hudson was gone to daycare by the time Ron and Cynthia finished exercises and came upstairs. Holden again responded to Ron's smile EVERY time. This time Ron and Cynthia turned right from Trace Ridge and walked too far, 7.0 miles. It wore us both out, in part because it was 7 miles all at once instead of two 4-mile sessions as we did in Pagosa Springs. We crossed Minnetonka Blvd and walked uphill to a park then beyond that into another forested pathway, seemingly far removed from traffic.
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| Ron (in middle) Hudson and Holden |
13 Sep: Precious boys. Observe Ron smiling at Holden. Holden's smile in return is delightful. Ron was astounded by how chubby Holden is, but that baby fat sure protects him from falls. The only time he howls is when he hits his head hard (about every third day) and whenever anyone takes something from him. (The howls when the popsicle was taken away were awesome.) Ron and Cynthia hiked left from Trace Ridge for 6.0 miles along a pathway that departed from the road into fields of cattails and swampy ground. When we found ourselves in a subdivision, we continued through it and circled back to our original path back home. It was quite delightful to discover so much undeveloped land so close to the I-494 corridor.
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| Ron is entranced with the programming. |
11 Sep: North Platte, Nebraska to Vermillion, SD where we visited Cynthia’s lovely friend, Gay and her husband Dean. It was just too amusing to learn that Dean has a twin brother Dale, the same names as my two brothers. Much fun conversation. The evening was too short. Route: US 83 N 21 miles to R on Nebraska 92 E 37 mi to R on NE 2 S only 1 mi to hard L on Victoria Springs Road N then E 33 mi to L on US 183 N 7 mi to R on NE 91 E 45 mi to L on US 281 N 13 mi to R on NE 70 E 23 mi to L on NE 14 N 26 mi to R on US 20 E 42 mi to L on NE 57 N 4 mi to R on NE 59 E 6 mi to L on NE 15 N 16 mi to R on NE 12 (and 15) to L on 15 N into South Dakota (SD 19) N 2 mi to R on 320th St -> South Dakota Street into Vermillion, SD. Victoria Springs Road was under construction, and Ron was petrified to see that the surface had been torn down to dirt and there was water standing in ruts in the dirt road. Usually that means mud and a VERY slick surface that can cause the rear wheel to slide around sideways in a heartbeat dropping the bike into the mud too quickly to control. Fortunately, this particular time the bike stayed stable, and we sashayed across the mud surface in 100 feet. It was also entirely amusing to enter into Vermillion on South Dakota Street and to realize that in the middle of town the street name would change to North Dakota Street.
10 Sep, Sunday: We rode out from Berthoud under threat of rain, experienced about 5 minutes of light rain in Greeley, Colorado and continued on under heavy gray skies for an hour until a delightful light blue appeared on the horizon. Soon thereafter we emerged into a lovely whisp-filled light blue sky and slightly warmer temperatures (71° versus 61°). Imagine our delight when we exited I-80 onto old US highway 83 and discovered both a Ruby Tuesday and a Hampton Inn at that interchange. We are full and ready to sleep soundly. Route: 1st Street N to County Road 56 E past I-25 to L on CR 13 N to R on CR 50 to L on CR 17 (but missed this turn and rode through Miliken until a sign towards Greeley) R on US 34 E until merge with I-76 NE into Nebraska, merging into I-80 E to exit 177 at US 83 in North Platte. There was light traffic on I-76, so that was quite pleasant, but the last 60 miles on I-80 was much heavier and faster, so not as enjoyable.
9 Sep: We visited Dick & Fran, Ron's cousins. We talked, ate and ate some more garden fresh vegetables (especially good tomatoes and cucumbers). We did not walk. Dick and Fran plan to be in Iowa about a week before we get there.
8 Sep: We DID leave by ten AM for a 9.5 hour ride to Berthoud, Colorado. HA! A long funny story to follow when we have time. Oh my, was that ride ever a joy. Weather was perfect, uncrowded roadway was smooth and twisty with lots of greenery and delightful views. Route: W on US 50 to Gunnison & over Monarch Pass (click here) 126 mi to Poncha Springs and L on US 285 N through Buena Vista and Fairplay 109 mi to a L on County Road 73 N towards Evergreen, L on CO 74 N 5 mi to L on CR 65 N 3 mi to L on I-40 W 3 mi to R on US 6 E 2 mi to sharp left on CO 119 N 26 mi to Nederland traffic circle CO 72 W 21 mi to R on CO 7 E 14 mi to R on US 36 E 1 mi to straight on CO 66 E 8 mi to L on US 287 N 5 mi to R on County Road 2E 2 mi to L on CR 15 E 2 mi to R on Indiana St to L on Victoria St. Road construction on US 50 stopped us for half an hour in a spot that was cool and sunny with pleasant vistas, much less inconvenient than the possible 2 hour delays. When we went over Monarch Pass at 11,312' the winds were strong and gusty, and Ron was happy that he chose a lower route rather than going over the Trail Ridge Road through the Rocky Mountain National Park. The plan was to stop after a good distance, but the scenery was so beautiful and the road was so smooth that Ron just didn't stop much until it became possible to make it all the way to Berthoud, and we did. Dick and Fran were expecting us tomorrow, and that was our plan too, but the ride was easy, beautiful and pleasant, so we surprised everyone by showing up a day early . . . and then had the audacity to ask to stay overnight, to which Dick and Fran graciously agreed. Thanks a million, Dick and Fran.
7 Sep: We are sleeping in. Zzzz Cynthia is exercised, oatmealed, with financial market, and communications completed; Ron is enjoying a sound snooze that happens doing eye exercises. We hiked along the great water sports recreation area alongside Uncompaghre River for 6.0 miles. Cynthia has a manicure appointment at three.
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| Ron in Botanical Garder |
5 Sept: Zandy was not happy to see her new friend Ron leave. We were loaded and riding from Gunnison at eleven AM for the one hour journey to Montrose. As we rode west on US 50, we saw signs announcing that the highway was closed 28 miles ahead, so Ron turned right at the first detour sign onto Colorado highway 92. My goodness, is that a breathtaking road along the north rim of The Black Canyon, littered with 25 MPH hairpins and gorgeous views for two additional hours. This took us all the way north to Delta, where we turned south on US 50 (yes, the same road we detoured from). Dinner at the Stone House in Montrose is always a treat.
4 Sep: Today Howard picked a hike where we could let Zandy, an oversized puppy that hasn't learned not to jump up on people, off her leash. After our overexertion yesterday, this was a good choice, although there was little shade. Cynthia and Sage hiked the three mile flats.
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| The Pinnacles near Gunnison |
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| Howard & Ron in hiking regallia |
1 Sep. After exercising and oatmeal, we were NOT out the door early to walk. With the sun already intense at 10:30 AM, and two nasty blisters on Cynthia’s toes, we opted to turn back. Yup, back to finishing up chores. We watched the stock market until one and enjoyed a salmon lunch at Boss Hogg’s with our favorite waitress Eliza. Twenty-five years ago today, Cynthia’s oldest son Scott died from Leukemia. 6.82 miles
