Bicycle Trip day 1 I arrived in Minot, ND last night at 8:30 PM; my flight from Minneapolis to Minot was delayed 2 hours. I left off in Minot last year, in my quest to bicycle across the United States. This trip is always very educational also, as I get to meet and talk to a lot of people along the way, which is a nice way to take the economic pulse of America. Last year, when I was in Minot, the town was just starting to dry out from the Souris River flooding. It's hard to believe this puny, placid river had the town of Minot under 10 feet of water.

After 12 months, the town still looks like New Orleans, with many of the houses still abandoned. Only a few percent of the residents had flood insurance.

As I get further away from home, the logistics of the trip get more complicated, insofar as I had to ship my bicycle, trailer and gear bag via UPS.

This year's trip will take me from Minot, ND to Minneapolis, MN, for a total of around 575 miles over 8 days. When on the road, every day begins the same. Fill the water bottles and cram as much ice as possible into them. Cover my exposed skin in sunscreen (I didn't get any sunburn at all), and then apply chamois cream to prevent saddle sores. Next, pack everything in plastic bags to prevent getting wet from water bottle condensation and close up the waterproof bag which goes in my trailer. The problem with being covered in sunscreen is that the gnats stick to your legs, arms, and face; nasty!

After a nice breakfast at the Dakotah Rose B&B in Minot, I hit the road at 9:15 AM, with 66 miles to go before I arrived in Rugby for the night. Like the last 2 years, the scenery was pretty much the same: a long, straight road.

Today was pretty warm, with the temperature in the mid 80's. The locals say it's humid, but this is nothing compared to east coast humidity. The wind was pretty calm, and mostly at my back or my flank. I made some new friends, as they seemed very interested in me.

After stopping for two lunches on the way (one delicious hamburger and two salads), I arrived in Rugby at 4:30. What do you mean you never heard of Rugby? It just happens to be the geographical center of North America. Look below: I can prove I am there.

Well, that's about if for today. Tonight I sleep at the EconoLodge. Tomorrow, I ride 71 miles to Sheyenne, ND. I'll be passing Devil's Lake. Being that I work in finance, I expect the devil will give me a wave as I pass by. Day 2, Saturday, June 30: Rugby, ND - Sheyenne, ND On Saturday, June 30, I woke to see the ground wet and threatening storm clouds.

Instead of staying east on Rt. 2 (which I've been riding on since 2008), I decided to take a different route (heading south out of Rugby), as recommended by the Adventure Cycling Association. Little did I realize that this would add 13 miles to what going to be a very hot day, bringing the day's mileage to 84. I passed a herd of buffalo, which were very frightened of me, and took off with a rumble. Buffalos' hooves on the run sound just like in the movies.

After riding 35 miles to Esmond, I stopped for a something to eat. If it weren’t for my iPhone, I never would have found this café.

Now I again head east, down a long straight road which was around 40 miles. There aren't even farm houses to be seen, just miles and miles of cropland. It's amazing to see, but it seems like farmers have managed to plant every square inch of the state. It was at this point that I realized my new route would bring the day's mileage to 84, and it was starting to get really hot. It's said that North Dakota's state tree is the telephone pole; they're not kidding. There is nowhere to seek refuge from the relentless sun. When you stop for a drink and rest, the man-eating flies immediately go on the attack. It only makes it worse, so you keep pedaling. There were some scenic areas along the way.

I finally arrived at the town of Minnewaukan, which is on Devil's Lake. This lake is constantly expanding, swallowing land as it grows. When I rode into town, it was like a ghost town; not a soul to be seen. I finally saw one man walking in to a very rundown bar. When I asked him where to get something to eat, he suggested I try the bait shot. Seems the owner's wife makes fresh sandwiches. Off I went and sure enough I got a sandwich, but passed on his suggestion of leeches for dessert. I found a rundown church in town, so I had lunch on the steps and took this self-portrait prior to hitting the road to Sheyenne.

After 84 miles in the sun, I arrived at Sheyenne, ND. A lady sitting in a parked car rolled down her window to ask if I was the guy who was spending the night there (talk about a small town). I had a reservation at the Open Season Hunting Lodge, which turned out to be a closed down high school. They put a bed in the old principal's office, and about a half-dozen beds in an old classroom. Seems I was the only guest for the night, so I had an old abandoned high school all to myself.

The shower and bathroom were in the boys' locker room, way at the back of the dark gymnasium. Kind of weird getting up at 2:00 AM to go the bathroom, and having to walk through a dark gym into a locker room. This was definitely the weirdest (and worst) accommodation I've had in 5 years. Nevertheless, it was the best Sheyenne had to offer, and beats sleeping outside with bugs and snakes. I went to the local bar for dinner. Some teenage boy grilled me a hamburger, and I had a bottle of Bud. Not too tasty, but it did the trick. Walked back to the high school, and hit the sack under the blackboard around 7:30. Tomorrow I'm off to Cooperstown, ND, which is 71 miles. The route suggested by Adventure Bicycling Association is 80 miles, so I'll just stay with my original plans. Day 3, Sunday, July 1: Sheyenne, ND - Cooperstown, ND Happy 54th birthday Michael! I got a nice early start this morning (around 7:15), trying to beat the heat. Every day, it keeps getting hotter and hotter. The routine is the same: Keep the water bottles filled at every opportunity, sneak as much ice as you can get away with, look down at the ground, and just

keep cranking out the rotations. Try not to focus too much on the odometer. You'd be surprised how long it takes to go 1/10th of a mile. Even though I went over the continental divide 2 years ago when I crossed the Rocky Mountains, somehow I managed to cross the continental divide again. Go figure.

I rode 19 miles to New Rockford, ND, where I had breakfast. This was a very nice little town, and the people were all very pleasant and upbeat. I noticed that when the economy of a town is good, the people are pleasant and are more outgoing. Very well-kept town, with lots of flags flying.

Along the way, I rode through some nice country with lakes.

Along the way, I stopped in the town of McHenry, and had lunch at the McHenry Cafe. Everybody was old, except one lady who told me she was single-handedly repopulating the town. She had five children,

and two of them worked at the café. It was her 14-year old daughter’s first day on the job, and she was my waitress (and ice provider).

Besides corn, soybeans, and wheat, the fields are painted yellow with canola.

I finally arrived in Cooperstown, which ended up being 77 miles, not 71. Doesn't sound like much, but the when the temperature is around 100 degrees and the humidity is maxed out, it's a big deal. When I arrived at the Park Avenue B&B, I put my bicycle against the side of the house and just collapsed on the grass, and laid there for around 10 minutes. Then, I went to the front door, rang the doorbell, and sat on the step. Poor Trish, the innkeeper. She must have wondered what she and her husband Ernie invited in to their home for the night. I was about 99% spent, and could hardly stand up. Before Trish showed me to my room, she played happy birthday for me on her laptop and gave me a sweet roll with a candle to blow out. (When I made my reservation last year, I mentioned it would be my birthday, and she remembered.) Being as it was Sunday night, not much was open for dinner. Trish and Ernie invited me to have dinner with them. She made a gluten-free pasta with Alfredo Sauce and served it with leftover BBQ chicken. We shared a bottle of wine I had in my bag (OK, there are limits on what you leave behind to keep the weight down). As good as Trish's cooking was, I had little appetite. Ernie told me about his business. He is a garbage man, and owns several trucks. He contracts with the city, and also does commercial pickups. He works 14-hour day, and drives as far as 85 miles away. The unemployment rate is around 3.5%, so he has trouble finding employees. Anyone with a DUI is pretty much disqualified, because they are uninsurable for a commercial operator’s license.

I hit the sack around 7:30 PM, and Trish made me breakfast around 6:30 AM. Again, it was a great meal, but my appetite was still lacking. Day 4, Monday, July 2: Cooperstown, ND - Caselton, ND. This was supposed to be a 74 miles day, but turned out to be 78; pretty close. Today was hotter than yesterday, and the long, straight roads seemed to go on forever. I noticed that it was really hard pedaling, so I stopped to check out the bike. As much I as try to avoid the rumble strips along the road, I inevitably cross them occasionally. This must be what knocked my rear wheel out-of-true. The rear wheel was not even moving, it was so wobbly from side-to-side. I had to disengage the rear brakes, so the wheel would turn. No problem, as stopping is not exactly on my list to things to do, when there are no

cars. Just outside of Cooperstown, I passed the now-defunct November-33 Missile Silo.

I stopped for lunch in Page, which had one of the widest Main Street’s I’ve ever seen. Must be expecting big expansion down the road! Very interesting parking situation: They not only park on both sides of the road, but they also park in the middle of the street. When I mentioned this seemed odd, I was met with strange stares.

The road heading east from Page was straight as an arrow for 24 miles. You can't imagine the monotony. You can only listen to the same songs so many times. Michael Savage, with his ranting, did keep me company via internet radio playback. At one point, I just laid the bicycle down alongside the road, and lay in the grass. A few trucks and cars passed, but interestingly enough nobody stopped to see if I was dead or alive. After realizing I was not making very good time lying alongside the road, I put my sore butt back on the saddle and trudged on. I actually saw a house up ahead on the side of the road, and it had a few trees planted in the back yard. I stopped to ask if I could lie under a tree, and was greeted by Rosie the barking dog. Probably one of the first humans this dog had seen in a long time, absent her master. An 82-year old lady came out, and offered to let me sit with her in her open garage and drink ice water. She told me how her husband had passed 14 years earlier, and how they used to raise cattle. Her family lived close-by. She had two fly strips hanging in the garage, but there was no room on them for any more flies. Rosie came into the garage to sit with us, and brought a dozen man-eating flies with her. It was time to go; I chose the sun and the heat over the flies. The lady told me the town of Arthur was just 7 miles away, and I could get something to eat there. Caselton, where I am staying the night, was another 14 miles. I stopped in Arthur and had a terrific bowl of soup and a very good chef's salad. I hit the road to Caselton. Lo and behold, the wind turned favorable and the sky clouded up. I had newfound energy, and the 14 miles to Caselton went by pretty quickly. There were really nasty storm clouds behind me and heading my way, but I really didn't care. I'd welcome getting wet

. In Caselton, I stayed at the Governors Inn and Conference Center. Caselton could actually be considered civilization. As much as I appreciate solitude, it is overrated once you experience it. The hotel had a Country Buffet attached to it, and served a fantastic meatloaf with mashed potatoes and gravy and baked beans. My appetite had finally come back. When reviewing my route for the next day, when I would finally leave ND and enter MN, I realized I neglected to pack a Minnesota map. I have a long checklist so as not to forget anything, but somehow this fell through the cracks. Sure glad I have my iPhone! Day 5, Tuesday, July 3: Caselton, ND - Detroit Lakes, MN This 68-mile day turned out to be 70 miles, so it was pretty much as expected. I hit the road really early around 6:30, as I knew it was going to be hot. The first 20 miles or so really flew by. The towns of West Fargo and Fargo had a really nice feel to them. There is a college there, so I began to see young people again. I victoriously crossed into Minnesota, which is apparently quite the turkey raising area.

The towns were now getting closer to one another, and Subway sandwich shops started appearing. Subway was my salvation on the second half of this trip, with their tuna salad and plenty of ice. I am now Subway's biggest fan. Every day just keeps getting hotter and hotter. Popsicles never tasted so good!

Everyone along the way was telling me Detroit Lakes was a big tourist area, and would be packed for the 4th. I arrived around 3:30 PM, and stayed at the Best Western Plus Holland Hills. I noticed there was a Raymond James office next door to the hotel, so I walked over to say hi, but nobody was home. Coming back to the hotel, I could hardly touch the doorknob to my hotel room, it was so hot. After showering, I walked 1/2 mile to dinner, and was drenched by the time I arrived. I had a great dinner of Italian food, soup, salad and Chianti. I needed that! I was having trouble with my Bluetooth ear buds, so figured I'd go to Wal-Mart to purchase a replacement pair. It was 2 miles away, and just too hot to walk, so I went to the main road and stuck out my thumb. No takers after a few minutes, so I crossed back over the road to my hotel room. Good night. Day 6, Wednesday, July 4: Detroit Lakes, MN - Staples, MN This was going to be an easy day, just 62 miles but it turned out to be 67 miles. (Notice a pattern developing here? It's never less than you expect, only more.) Little did I know what the day would bring.

I started out from Detroit Lakes around 6:15 AM to beat the heat. I had a 15 - 20 MPH headwind the whole way. I felt really weak from the minute I hit the road. This was not going to be the easy day I hoped for. The heat was even worse than the day before, which was worse than the day before which was worse than the day before, but the headwind was the worst of all. It felt as if I had a bungee cord attached to the rear of my bicycle. There turned out to be a lot of hills too. Strange think is that the hills always seem to be going up. Somebody else must be getting all the down hills! I was averaging a meager 8 - 9 MPH. Every stroke of the pedal was miserable. I couldn't help but keep watching the odometer, which hardly moved. Would this day ever end? I was surprised to see an Amish horse-drawn carriage pass by. I waited till they passed to take their picture. When I saw the sign to the town of Nimrod, I thought it was appropriate that I take a photo in front of it. I don’t know where I found the smile.

When I arrived in Staples around 5:00 PM, I had nothing left in me. I stayed at the Super 8, which left a bit to be desired. This had to be my worst 4th of July ever. It was 100° when I arrived. Very little was open as this was a holiday, but a bar and a Burger King were open. After stopping for a cold one before checking in to the lovely Super 8, I later had a whopper and a salad, which was actually very tasty. I hit the sack right after dinner. The forecast for Thursday and Friday promised favorable winds from the north, so I was hoping for a better day tomorrow.

Day 7, Thursday, July 6: Staples, MN - St. Cloud, MN Sure enough, the forecasters got this one right. Although it was still very hot, the wind had shifted from the south to the north. By 9:00 AM, I arrived in Little Falls, MN, and already had 30 of the day’s projected 71 miles behind me. If you click on the file below, you’ll see I felt like Lance Armstrong himself, flying down the road around 20 MPH.

More Powerful than a Locomotive.mov I reached the Mississippi River. Veterans Bridge crossed the Mississippi in Little Falls, MN, and was lined with the flags of all five armed services. That sure is a wide river!

I had breakfast in a little hole-in-the wall cafe. A couple sat down across from me, and we struck up a conversation. The lady suggested I get off the Rt. 10, and instead travel to St. Cloud along the Great River Road, which parallels the Mississippi River all the way to New Orleans. It was right around the corner from the cafe. This turned out to be a fantastic route, as it was lined with trees, nice little towns, and well-kept houses. The houses along the Mississippi had great views of this enormous river. I rode by Charles Lindberg's house. This was a really nice ride to St. Cloud, and a big turnaround from yesterday. I really enjoyed the day.

I arrived in St. Cloud around 1:00 PM, and stayed at the Heritage House B&B in St. Cloud. While riding through this very nice town, I asked another man on a bicycle where I could find a shop to fix my wobbly wheel. He said it was a couple blocks down the road, and right around the corner from my B&B. Wow, this was a perfect day! First bicycle repair shop in 500 miles, and it just happens to be around the corner from where I’m staying. I checked in nice and early, and the B&B was gorgeous. The hosts, Deb and Jerry, were very gracious. Seems they couldn't do enough for me. They had cookies and a small bottle of wine for me in my room, and were really interested in what I wanted for breakfast on Friday.

I showered and took my bicycle to be repaired. Then I went for Chinese food buffet, which was the best food I had eaten in a week. I had to be careful not to overdo it. I walked back to the B&B and watched CNBC, to catch up on what was going on with the markets. What a relaxing afternoon. I lied down a half hour, and then picked up my bicycle. I cost just $20 to true the wheel and straighten out the rear derailleur, which must have gotten bent when I laid the bike on its side with the 60 pounds weight of the trailer. He said he couldn't get the wheel completely in true, but still got a lot of the wobble out. The derailleur will have to be replaced, but he straightened it out as best he could. For dinner, I walked a few blocks to a pizza and pasta restaurant, and had spaghetti and meatballs and sausage and a glass of Chianti; nice dinner! I went back to my room to get to bed early, planning tomorrow’s effortless 66-mile victory lap into Minneapolis - St. Paul. I checked the weather forecast, just to verify the heat wave was still supposed to break, with the temperature falling into the 70's, and the wind staying at my back from the north. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the wind was now going to be out of the south, and the temperature around 100°. This was going to be just like Wednesday all over again... NOOOOOO! Deb offered to cook breakfast as early as I wanted. I suggested 6:30 so I could get on the road to beat the heat. Also, I knew it was going to be slow-going with the headwind. The breakfast was as fancy as you could imagine, with stuffed French toast and strawberries, a ham and cheese omelet, and a big bowl of fresh fruit with coffee and juice. Deb and Jerry sure take a lot of pride in their B&B. If ever you're in St. Cloud, ... Day 8, Friday, July 7: St. Cloud, MN – Minneapolis - St. Paul I left St. Cloud early and made good time for the first 20 miles. Going out of town, I passed the most imposing penitentiary. It looked like a fortress. I'd hate to be delivered there in shackles!

I got on Rt. 10 and was moving along well. It was not yet hot and the wind was on my flank. I stopped at McDonald's for an orange juice and ice replenishment. Was I going to need it! This was when things started going south. Shortly after leaving McDonald's, I felt that all too familiar flat tire syndrome. Sure enough, I was right. Not only was the rear wheel flat, but I had the unthinkable: a broken spoke; so much for my rear wheel being repaired. I think the repair shop over-tightened the spoke, which cracked the hub and ripped the spoke right out of the hub. Good thing this was towards the end of the trip. I unhooked the trailer and put the bicycle upside down, removed the rear wheel, took off the tire and replaced the tube. It was a new tire, so I was afraid it was going to be a real struggle to get it back on, as new tires tend to be very tight. Fortunately, it came off and went back on with relative ease. As I was repairing the flat, a big trailer truck flew by and blew my bicycle over. Thanks Jack! I reflated the new tube, but lo and behold it was defective, and would not hold air. This was my lucky day as I got to do it all over again! (I carry plenty of spare tubes and a spare tire.) Having gotten the flat repaired, I was back on the road. In Monticello, I decided to get off the main highway and onto more suburban roads. It started turning hilly (mostly uphill, of course), the headwind picked up to around 20 MPH, and the temperature was rising quickly. I was getting low on energy, and plowing through the ice water pretty quickly. (I probably drink 20 bottles a day.) I'm glad I had my iPhone with navigation system, as there were a lot of twists and turns to make as I entered a more industrialized area. I spotted a trusty Subway, and stopped in for my traditional 6” tuna sandwich. Being as the trip was almost over, I treated myself to two bags of chips. As always, I cleaned Subway out of their ice and slipped out the door. By now, the sun was really scorching and the wind gusting in my face relentlessly. Nevertheless, I knew it was almost over, and pressed on. Finally, the twin cities were in sight. My how the landscape and traffic had changed.

Just outside of Minneapolis, I got another flat. I found a shade tree to repair it under, as the sweat just poured off my head. I was as wet as I would have been having just jumped in the water. Flat fixed, I was back on the bike, determined to make it to the St. Paul Amtrak station, so I could ship my bicycle, trailer, and gear bag back to Seattle. I knew I wasn't in North Dakota anymore, when I entered the rough part of Minneapolis. The neighborhood sure has changed! After overshooting the Amtrak station, and taking one more unnecessary hill, a FedEx deliveryman pointed me to the Amtrak station. By now, it was after 4:00 PM and I logged another 70 miles, for a grand total of approx. 589 miles over 8 days. I knew I hit a low point when I was sitting in a pool of sweat on the floor of the Amtrak station in my stocking feet, trying to take the pedals and handlebars off my bicycle, to fit it into the bicycle box. The puss-faced Amtrak customer service lady scowled at me when I asked her for shipping tape. She was not very pleased when I later asked for a marker, asking me if there was anything else I forgot to pack. Having delivered the bike, trailer, and gear back to the luggage people to destroy, I splurged by calling a cab to take me to the B&B. Isn't the iPhone amazing? I push a button, say "call me a cab," and it does. This trip really brought home what Apple has done for us: navigation using GPS, maps, music, internet radio, personal/business e-mail, telephone. Once my iPhone can be dialed to "stun," we'll know that Star Trek has arrived. Throughout the trip, it was readily apparent to me that America is still the breadbasket of the world. Only through efficiencies brought to us by companies who make our massive agricultural equipment, seeds, fertilizer, and pesticides, can we possibly sow and harvest all those acres with so few people. Many of the towns I visited have so very few young people that they will cease to exist in another 10 - 20 years. Most everybody told me the economy was pretty good, with some telling me it's excellent. It doesn't take a lot of money to live in these very small towns. It was very obvious to me that America really does need to slim down. Having said this, I stepped on the scale when I got home… exact same weight as before my ride! Social Security and Medicare may not be the big problems we expect, because it seems obvious to me our longevity is going to start decreasing if we don't start controlling our weight.

I feel strong as an ox after having completed this 8-day odyssey, and am confident the American spirit lives on. This truly is a land of plenty. Next year’s odyssey: Minneapolis - St. Paul to Chicago. Michael Fisette