Riding to the Root: Time to head home

Sometimes, a morning of unexpected leisure can be a good thing.

My ambitions to explore the Root River Trail were stunted today, as a trail bridge between Lanesboro and Rushford is currently closed for repairs. One of the guys on the construction crew pointed me in the direction of back roads detour, but it would have added about 6 miles to my ride and involved going up some BRUTAL river valley hills (think Main Street in Mankato).

Consequently, I instead spent the morning walking around Lanesboro, checking out all the shops, conversing with some of the locals and buying a giant caramel roll at the local pastry shop (delicious!). I also rented out a fishing pole to get a few casts in at a popular pond in town (no luck).

I was going to partake in their famed "Amish tour," but the tour would've taken more than three hours to complete and likely would've kept me in Lanesboro longer than I planned for. The kayak rental service in town was also tempting, but according to locals, the river is still very chilly from the late start to summer, and after spending the last couple days feeling soaked from the rain, I'll gladly stay dry.

Can't say that I mind taking a more leisurely morning than planned. I did my fair share of biking to get here and still have a heck of ride to get home. A little relaxation was definitely welcome, and in a town like Lanesboro, leisure is at a premium.

I'll touch more on the Lanesboro experience in a later post, but for the time being, I need to hit the road. On the advice of some of the locals, I'm adjusting my return route to Mankato in lieu of dirt roads that I was unaware of. I'd map the route out for my readers, but the internet here is frustratingly slow.

My goal is to make it to the Stewartville/Blooming Prairie area in time for dinner. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that my bike can hold together for the rest of the trip. It's been good so far...