Another great day crossing another great state, this time the state of Minnesota. 330 miles departing Mayville, ND around 7 and arriving in Duluth, MN at the tip of Lake Superior around 4:30 with sunny skies, mild winds and modest traffic.
So far on this trip I had denied myself a real diner breakfast, one of my favorite things about road trips. I pleaded my cause with Rick and we agreed on the Frying Pan in the heart of Fargo, ND. This is the "Before" picture on the left and the "After" picture on the right. I almost went into a food coma about an hour later and had to stop for more coffee to keep me going!
As we've continued east the land has been gradually changing from prairie to farm land. You know when you see a sign that says "BAIT ROOM" in way bigger lettering than the restrooms you are entering the land of 10,000 lakes.
Rick and I take a break at the first really big lake we've come across, pretty much in the heart of Minnesota, called Leech Lake in the town of Walker. It was a nice little town and very pretty and good sized lake but I swear they could increase property values by at least 10% if they could find a more appealing name than "Leech Lake". We probably road by at least 200-300 other lakes today but none larger at this point than Leech Lake.
Again, a beautiful lake with a very ill conceived name...
As we moved closer to Duluth I had to stop for this picture of the Mississippi River in the little town of Ball Bluff. The Mississippi originates at Lake Itasca about 100 miles upstream from Ball Bluff. It was perhaps less than 100' wide at the point, soon to become the mighty Mississippi further downstream.
Coming in from the west side of Duluth we begin to see inspiring views of Lake Superior. After riding through 1,600 miles of badlands, prairie and farm lands on this trip, seeing the biggest of the Great Lakes from this perspective was quite exciting.
Arriving at the "Duluth Downtown Motel" minutes before us was my pledge brother Rick Lutes on the right and his friend and neighbor for many years, Bill and Rick are both serious and meticulous pilots. They wasted no time in cleaning up their Victory motorcycles that they had ridden from Bill's cabin in Three Lakes, WI. Being ever gracious and kind, they also cleaned up Rick G's and my bug encrusted wind screens as well. We'll be riding back to Bill's cabin on Three Lakes tomorrow for a 2 night stop to rest a bit and enjoy the area and comradery.
After cleaning up from the days ride we walked a few blocks down to the lake front to stretch our legs and get a beer and some dinner. We enjoyed a great view of the ships anchored off the Port of Duluth and a pleasant early summer evening. Tomorrow will be a nice enjoyable ride to Three Lakes, WI with Rick and Bill.
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