7/24 - Pepin, WI to Osseo - Day 39
 

Theme for the day is: "Gee there are a lot of rolling hills out here".

We started the day at 7:15 following breakfast under cool overcast skies. At mile seven we encountered the first of many hills that we would have to climb. Though not very high, some we fairly steep.

It seems that each day we're noting the changing landscape. We noticed some pine forests today. The land is becoming more and more green and you can really see that the family farms are alive and well. From the best that I can tell, they are growing corn, soy and dairy. Were in South Dakota, the farms were measured in square miles; here Barns are located less than a mile between them. The farms remind me of farms you might see in New Hampshire or Vermont, with a farm house, garage, red barn and a couple of silos. We encountered many white wooden churches as well. Most of them Lutheran and almost all with graveyards dating back to the 1880s. Walking through the graveyards you could note that many were born as early as 1820's. These folks were truly pioneers in a new country.

In the town of Mondovi we stopped for lattes at a shop called Grains and Goodies. We weren't in a hurry to leave 'cause the picnic stop was only another mile down the road and it was only slightly after 10AM. We did reach the picnic stop by 10:50, had lunch and was back on the road by 11:30. The total mileage for the day was 61 miles and we only had 28 more miles to go. So in typical fashion, when we entered the town of Strun fifteen miles later, it was time for root beer floats!!! Gee I love this bicycling!!!

We stopped at the Coffee Cup Cafe after getting directed there by some kids. By now it was pretty sunny and 81 degrees. We reached the town of Osseo six miles later.