Sunday, July 9, 2000

Today we rode from Sparta WI to Reedsburg WI, a distance of 59 miles. We did not leave the motel until after 10:00 AM as about 3:30 AM a violent thunderstorm woke both of us up. This storm lasted until after 9:00 AM and during the storm, electricity to the motel was shut off at least 3 times. We did not want to leave the motel and get soaked unless we had to.

Except for three or four miles. The entire route was on bike paths that were built on the abandoned Chicago and Northwestern railroad right-of-way. Instead of climbing steep grades on the road in the lowest granny gear, we climbed up three percent grades for 3 or 4 miles at a time. We went a steady 10 miles an hour up these grades. At the top of each climb, was a tunnel that the bike route went through. The first tunnel we went through was ¾ of a mile long. The two other tunnels were each ¼ of a mile long. Again it was like being in a different world where rabbits, squirrels, and birds are everywhere and are not disturbed by automobiles. Twice I saw cardinals fly away from the bike path. A good portion of the bike path led through marshland. In other areas, the trees made a tunnel of the bike path. We did not meet or see very many other bicycle riders and it was a most pleasant day.

Our only regret is that because of our late start we were unable to visit the Norman Rockwell museum in Reedsburg.