Salish Sea to the Potomac : Day 34: Winona, Minn. to Marquette, Iowa

We arose this morning to clear skies and cool temperatures, and continued our trek south along the Mississippi, venturing for our longest day since the break, and crossing into our seventh state, Iowa. The first 30 miles were a mix of busy city roads and highway shoulders, just along the banks of the river. Although it started out clear, a few miles down the road we entered another foggy section and had to stop to adorn both sets of lights. Thankfully drivers were cautious and traffic was relatively low once we left the Winona area. We stopped in La Crescent, which is just across the river from La Crosse, for our “first lunch,” just as the Subway was flickering its lights on. In La Crescent, there was a confluence of several busy highways, including I-90. Thankfully the city seems to have built a nice network of trails to help you avoid some of the busier stretches, and safely re-enter the highway after the junctions have passed.

From La Crescent, it was very moderate rolling hills with a very light headwind for another 34 miles south to Lansing, where we stopped for our “second lunch.” Ideally, we would have stayed along the river following the train tracks all the way to Marquette. Unfortunately, the main highway crosses the river in Lansing, so we headed slightly inland which, we’ve learned here by the river, means uphill. As a result, the last 30 miles included several long, at times steep, climbs, followed by quick descents. Just as we were finishing our last descents, we noticed a sign for a national monument and decided to stop and look through the ranger station. It was the Effigy Mounds National Monument. The Effigy Mounds, we learned, were Native burial grounds that were shaped like different sacred animals associated with various tribes and groups. It looked to be a very interesting project attempting to restore and protect the grounds while also figuring out where exactly they are and what they symbolize.

When we arrived in Marquette, we had an easy choice of dinner and went to the town’s only cafe and bar outside of the casino. It seemed to be the epicenter of activity for the small town. It also led me to learn a great lesson from my mom about what cottage cheese is. There is not much else to explore in Marquette, though the town does have a casino boat, lots of trains, and a winery. We are currently enjoying a glass of the “campfire hooch” which has notes of cranberry juice cocktail and alcohol.

Tomorrow we will continue riding south, though more inland than today, to Dyersville. We encountered several touring cyclists today, the first we’ve seen in awhile, who were returning home from RAGBRAI, which apparently just ended. In Harper’s Ferry, the proprietor of the convenience store was regaling us with stories of his experience on the first several RAGBRAIs back in the 70s. Sounds like fun, but not an circuit I’m currently envying.

Instead of my typical “by the numbers” section, I’ll offer a few brief stats, and then please enjoy the following quiz to test your knowledge of our journey so far. Post your answers in the comments and the top 3 answers will get a prize mailed to you from the road!

By the numbers (in brief):

Miles traveled: 91

Total climbing: 2650 ft.

Average pace: 12.5 mph

QUIZ:

All questions are multiple choice. I can’t stop you from looking back to find answers, but true competitors should consider this a “closed book” exam.

1. TRUE or FALSE: Colin has worn the same shirt every day while on the bike:

A. TRUE (also, gross)

B. FALSE

C. Trick Question: Colin has two identical shirts and switches them out.

D. Both can be true. There is no objective reality, so it’s a matter of your subjective perspective.

2. Ed’s bike computer can track everything but the following:

A. Ed’s heart rate

B. Colin’s heart rate.

C. Altitude.

D. Current temperature.

3. The beer in Shelby, Mont. was as cold as:

A. Your ex-wife’s heart.