Covered over 100 miles Thursday with help from 80 miles of paved and canopied bike paths, including the Paul Bunyan State Trail leading to a gorgeous lake region at the foot of the Northwoods. Caught lunch right off the Trail with cousins Ward and Heath in their quaint village of Nisswa en route to the town of Walker, which boasts spectacular sunsets over the lake. My late father used to emote about returning to his roots (fyi the MN pronunciation rhymes with “foot”) and “heading to the Northwoods” someday to escape the New York area. He commuted into the city for many years up Highway 9 from the Freehold area…yes, cue the “Born to Run” lyrics, but as opposed to being “sprung from cages on Highway 9, Chrome wheeled, fuel injected, and stepping’ out over the line…”, his 6’3” frame was squeezed into a cramped NJ Transit bus, getting backed up at the Lincoln Tunnel. I can certainly see what drew him to his Northwoods fantasy. Spoiler alert, he and my stepmother Sue wound up choosing the mountains and rivers of Montana as opposed to deep woods and lakes of Minnesota…less mosquitos! More to come on that later as my Montana route will take me on a bike path right alongside their community in Stevensville. For now, just taking in the pine-scented air and “lake life”, ahhhhhh.
