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Happenings, Reflections, Ideas, Analysis

TRACE THE MITTEN

Fargo to Bismark 254.8 miles

11/28/2021

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  Fargo is the biggest town that I have traveled through in quite awhile.  The population of the city is over 120,000 and the metro area is 250,000. Moorhead, MN is the twin city across the Red River.  Getting through the city safely is always a worry for me.  I look for bike paths and some cities will have bike lanes on the streets.  The Adventure Cycling Association maps indicate the best route. Staying on the road is the safest spot and always checking your surroundings.
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The map will give you turn by turn directions. Points of interest and resources available.
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The city was named after a railroad director on the Northern Pacific and you know of Wells Fargo.
The Red River runs through the city and forms most of the border with Minnesota.  This river runs north into Lake Winnepeg and then into the Hudson Bay.  
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The Red River is 591 ' long.
Looking for camping options, I see many camping options around Fargo.  I have also read that many of the towns along the Northern Tier allow camping for cyclists in the city park.  I will have to see what I find.  The ACA map gives camping information also. Some of the organized campgrounds offer more than I need.
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As I get out of the metropolis, I see this is farming country. This town was name for the New York newspaper editor Horace Greeley. He is noted for saying, "Go west, young man."
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The Sheyenne River runs through Horace and is a major tributary of the Red River.
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This is the "kind" of sign you want to see when entering a town.
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62 miles out of Fargo and the park does allow camping. Some say the town got the name by being the "end of the line" for the Soo Line railroad.
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Coming into town.
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Trinity Lutheran Church In Litchville celebrated 125 years.
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The road is heading due west, is open fields without many trees. The wind can be a factor. I like to use my drops to minimize the wind resistance. I also like it for the pumping position of my legs.
https://www.history.nd.gov/historicsites/standingrock/index.html  Here is some information about a site along the way, An Ancient Native American Burial Ground.
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A pleasant sign in Gackle. I knew this was on the horizon.
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The Honey Hub because they are beekeepers. We love bees!
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Near the town of Napoleon you will see this roadside attraction called the "Dinosaurs on the Prairie."
Farmer John "Custer" Grenz lined up many old threshing machines used to separate the seed from the other parts of the plant. Check out  https://www.facebook.com/Dinosaurs-on-the-Prairie-1943277285971323/  for more information about the machines.
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You can camp in the city park!
Over the last couple of days the elevation has gained about 1000'. I am now about 2000' above sea level.  What is flax?  I know that I have eaten it and you can find the grain in the grocery.
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I wonder how long this water tower has been in use. I remember this style from my very young years in the Indiana farmland.
https://www.ndtourism.com/hazelton/campgrounds-rv-parks/hazelton-city-parkcampground  This spot is in the town and close to grocery and cafe.  There are also 7 full hook-ups and 6 electrical hook-up.  Dump station.
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Walker, MN to Fargo  122 miles

11/15/2021

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One thing to consider when traveling in this area are flies, ticks, and mosquitoes.  You should come prepared.  After one camping trip I bought a net to put over my face and neck.  While you are riding the insects are not bad, but they sure find you fast when you stop.

Akeley started during the boom time of lumbering in Minnesota in the early 1900s.  The lumber barons Walker and Akeley set the mill in this town.  Now town has around 500 residents down from a peak of over 2000.
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I found another Paul Bunyan statue in Akeley, MN. There is also a museum in town.
In some areas the trail has a path for horses and one for snowmobiles.
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The Heartland State Trail. Nice and smooth.
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Along some areas of the trail is a path for horses and at other parts there is a spot for snowmobiles.
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I always like to help the local economy as I go through towns.
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In Nevis, MN you will find the world's largest Tiger Muskie. It is 31' long and made of cedar & redwood. The scales are cement.
The Tiger Muskie that you might go after in the lake could reach 34-48" and weigh over 30 pounds.
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A scene outside Park Rapids. The headwaters of the Mississippi River.
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Osage Bait and Tackle made me laugh.
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It is not hard to find a good photo. The road is quiet and easy to stop.
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The Smokey Hill State Forest has many trails for hiking and snowmobiling. The hardwoods are colorful in the fall.
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This was my next small town.
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This is a vacation area in any season, but in the summer it grows by 50%.
I found out that the Red Ox Trails came through Detroit Lakes.  These were trails used to haul animal pelts from Canada to be shipped down the Mississippi River from St. Paul. These cart could carry a half ton and would return north with supplies, and food. Fur trading was the first big industry in this area.

The added Lakes to the name to stop confusion with the Detroit by me.  Detroit is a French word that translated to straits or narrows.  I see why our city got that name.
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Read and learn more.
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Oxen are durable. They did not use grease on the axles and the squeaking could be heard for miles.
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I virtually arrived in Fargo, having cycled 300 miles so far. Stay tuned to hear about Fargo and points west.
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From Dalbo to Walker, MN

11/10/2021

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As I am packing up I will breakfast on steel cut oats that had been soaking in water all night in a sealed jar.  After the first hour of biking I was happy to hit Milaca.  This town has around 3000 people and I had no problem finding a  breakfast spot.  
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The Rum River runs through and Mille Lacs Lake is just up stream and its name serves as a basis for the town.
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Doing the stair step move to work through the backroads.
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The Adirondack chairs invited me to sit and enjoy the Sun.
The Paul Bunyan State Trail is multi-use path totaling 120 miles.  I will be going 63 miles north to Walker.  I am sure in the winter this is popular for snowmobiling.  We have many trails in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan that gets a lot of  winter trail traffic. The Burlington Northern Railroad opened this area.
PictureThe next stretch would follow this railtrail.

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A nice paved trail.
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Lake Hubert is near by and other lakes draw a summer crowd.
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Towns are every few miles and look what I found.
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Minnesota the land of 10,000 lakes and you can sure see that is a fair estimate.
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I continue to find little towns to explore.
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We continue to be reminded about Paul Bunyan. That looks like a chair that he may have used. He traveled with the blue ox, Babe.
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I remember climbing some fire towers before to get a view and I was excited to do that again.
This tower was built in 1935 and is on the National Register of Historical Sites. 
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I love finding train stations and like at other places, this one has turned into a museum.
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It is common for hikers and cycle touring riders to send items to general delivery for re-stocking.  You can also lighten your load sending things home that you are not using. The next town was Hackensack and I see in the history it is named after the New Jersey town. It is common to see names of eastern towns in the midwest when people migrated west and settled again using the same name for their new home.
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Hackensack is the home of a tribute statue of Paul Bunyan's sweetheart, Lucette.
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In the 1940s they put up the first statue and this version was put up in 1991.
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A canoe or kayak is a great way to explore up here. Bundle up on cooler days the breeze can be stiff off the lake.
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The rail trail continues N, but I am heading west.
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This is a great water vacation area and I am sure that this trail gets much winter use. I have enjoyed this ride.
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Continuing on to Dalbo, MN

11/7/2021

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 After getting started earlier this week, I came down with a stomach bug.  I was laid up in bed.  I stayed comfy and cozy.  Luckily I had some extra clothes to add to be sure I did not chill.  There was a lot of sleep and not much eating.

I keep a jar in the tent to take care of my latrine visits during the night.  I appreciate not trudging down to the outhouse in the dark in the middle of a dark cold night.  In the morning my jar can get dumped, washed and aired out during packing.

​Glad to have my strength back. The previous has the map for my route to Dalbo.
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Water towers are a pleasant sight on the road. Once you see them, plan to pedal a bit longer to get to the town.
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The "Welcome to" sign is also .
  The sign will give you some info on the city and usually spark your interest.  I had to check out the Green Step City program.  It is a program to help community development through the support of various groups in the state.

These towns quite often have someone famous and I found that Richard Warren Sears grew up in this area in the mid 1800s.  I remember when the store was called Sears and Roebuck.  Mr. Roebuck grew up elsewhere.

North Branch is at the crisscross of and interstate and state highway.  When you are on a trip you know that you will find some nice national chains of stores to choose from for supplies.
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The Sunrise River runs through the town and leads to the St. Croix River where I saw earlier.
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The name honors the native people who lived in this area.
The forest has one of the highest densities  of bald eagles with 150 nesting pairs.  There are 21 established campgrounds and 68 dispersed  camping locations. Trails abound too hiking, biking, and snowmobiling.
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In addition to the pine, balsam and fir. the forest has aspen, birch, and maple to add some fall color.
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Cambridge is a city over 8000. It has the highest percentage of Swedish Americans in cities over 5000 people.
Most Swedish immigration took place between 1885-1915 and many settled in the upper midwest.
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The BNSF comes through Cambridge.
The BNSF is the largest freight network  in North American with over 32,000 miles of track in 28 states.  
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The Dusty Eagle in Dalbo.
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North of Dalbo you find the Bunkhouse Cycle Hostel. run by Donn Olson.
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There are 4 rooms on the ground level. Each has two beds (cots). There is a living area, kitchen, shower and outhouse.
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Starting a new virtual tour

11/1/2021

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I have moved to the inside trainer because the fall air is too cool to breathe comfortably.  I hope that a virtual tour will get me pedaling more.  The month of October was smaller than my earlier months.

Over the spring, summer  and fall months of May  through October I did cycle 3,100 miles which is enough to travel the Continental Divide Trail from Jasper to Antelope Wells.

For this new virtual tour I will start on the Wisconsin and Minnesota state line at Osceola and head west along the Northern Tier.  
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Downtown Osceola, Wisconsin. A good place to stock up with what you need.
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Cascade Falls just outside Osceola's downtown on the Osceola Creek near the millpond. The falls are 25' high.
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The St. Croix River is the border for Wisconsin and Minnesota.
The river is a tributary of the Mississippi River. The St. Croix is a designated National Scenic  Riverway and is 169 miles long.  Further down the road I arrived in the town of St. Croix Falls.
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St. Croix Falls is a town of over 2000.
The Ice Age hiking and backpacking National Scenic Trail stretching over 1200 miles through Wisconsin. ends in the area.  
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Going out of town I got on the Gandy Dancer Trail.
This 98 mile multi-use path was a railway. A gandy dancer was a slang for the a railroad builder and maintenance worker.  During work they would sing to help them work together.  The Gandy Company out of Chicago made railroad materials.
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My route.
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    I love my riding days and look to find interesting and informative items to share.

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  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Gallery
    • Michigan Lighthouses
    • Historic Sites
    • Day Rides >
      • Michigan
      • Indiana
      • City Signs
    • Tours >
      • Trace the Mitten 2011
      • Trace the Mitten 2012
      • Great Lakes Relaxed
      • Great Lake to Lake Inaugural
      • Michigander 2017
      • Michigander 2018
      • Michigander 2019
    • Equipment
  • Links
  • Blog