Day 90 (8/14): Tyler to New Ulm, MN

Mileage: 90.6; 2,505 total



The long ride today made up for the low mileage yesterday. I had never ridden more than about 75 miles before, so was glad to do 90 and still feel good at the end of the day. This distance resulted from several factors: I got off to an early start; the terrain is relatively flat; it was a cool day, starting at about 60 degrees and never getting any warmer than about 80.


The terrain in Minnesota (and in eastern South Dakota), is quite different from what it had been. No longer arid, as it had been so long, the land is now rich, undulating farmland, with frequent stands of trees and lakes. Lush fields of corn and soybeans stretch out into the distance on either side of the road.




Another notable change is that there are now towns (and places to stop for refreshment!) every ten or fifteen miles. For example, I passed four* Dairy Queens today, a sure sign of civilization. This is a great convenience, and a real relief after pedaling through the extremely desolate areas of Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota. But I need to stop taking advantage of all the places to stop, in order to make better time.

* I stopped at only one of these four Dairy Queens.