Day 17: 6/6/19: Wells to Silver Lake, MN

The farmer that was plowing his field right next to my campsite stopped at about 9:30 p.m.; the 2 roads I was sandwiched between wasn't too busy; and the nearby train track didn't have much activity. All of that, plus my tiredness, made for a restful night sleep.

For the 2nd time this trip, I had breakfast at a Casey's General Store (a convenience store).  When you chart a route through really small towns, food options are limited.

I thought I was in Mayberry when I arrived in Mapleton, MN.  They sent the high school marching band to welcome me to town (pic below).

Minnesota has obviously thawed out because the small towns are starting to have their weekend festivals.  They only have limited time before the brutal winter kicks in again.

Photo of downtown Mapleton below.

One of the many Lakes in Minnesota pictured below.

From Mapleton, I went thru the larger cities of Mankato and Saint Peter.   Below are some pics of the Veterans Memorial in Saint Peter.  It was quite impressive.

I traveled through the very small town of Norseland and pic below is of their old general store.

For about 10 miles before Gaylord, MN, I was on the roughest paved road I think I have ever been on. It was on MN Hwy 22 and there were constant potholes that had to be avoided while keeping an eye on traffic, including many 18 wheelers, so I would not veer in their path trying to avoid the potholes. On the side of the road was a gravel shoulder, and I spent some time trying to ride on that to see if it was better.  It was in spots.  I made it to Gaylord, and with the help of some county courthouse workers, came up with a better route to get north. Pic below Sibley County Courthouse in Gaylord.

I made it to the town of Clear Lake at about 7:30 p.m., and ran across Darrell and Rhonda riding their bikes in town.  I asked them about a place to pitch a tent for the night, and they thought of a couple of city owned areas. Darrell contacted the chief of police, and he was not sure if city ordinance would allow it. Darrell then contacted the city clerk (remember this is about 7:30 p.m.), and he confirmed city ordinance would not allow that.

Well, that could have been it.  Darrell could have said sorry and sent me on my way.  He had gone above and beyond in trying to find me a spot.  But he didn't.  He and Rhonda allowed me to pitch my tent in their back yard.  They also allowed me to take a shower, which is very nice after a long day of riding.  Below is a pic of Darrell and Rhonda.

Total miles today: 107.5