While we were on the porch this tractor came rolling down the street--this reminds me of North Dakota!
We decided that instead of riding out of Winona on the River Road we would drive to a couple of Iowa rail trails. We headed out first to McIntire Iowa. There were hundreds of wind turbines along the border of Minnesota and Iowa.
When we arrived at McIntire our first stop was in the city park. It was a half mile ride to the trail head from there.
The Wapsi-Great Western Line Trail runs from McIntire. Iowa, near the Minnesota state line to Elma, about 20 miles. There is a break in Riceville where the trail is not complete.
This was a great trail! We all enjoyed the shady route on this hot day. We passed through rolling landscapes, agricultural land, upland timber, wetlands and pasture. There was a butterfly garden along the route, but we were rather late in the season; we did see some monarchs, as we have throughout this September adventure.
Bill and Doris were waiting for us in Riceville, and it was noon, but we decided to continue on. We made a poor decision on the way out of town and rode a couple of extra miles before we were back on the trail. It all worked out. They picked us up at Elma, the end of the Wapsi-Great Western Line Trail. From there we drove to Cresco for lunch.
The restored diesel engine and train are in Cresco at the beginning of the Prairie Farmer Recreational Trail. The World War I bomb is in Beadle Park, near the train.
It was hot again today; I took this photo just before we ate lunch. It was 91 by the time we got back on the bikes.
The Prairie Farmer trail runs alongside Hwy 9 from Cresco to Ridgeway. We are firmly into farm country now.
Bill and Doris were waiting for us halfway through the trail, but we all opted to continue to the end.
The southern terminus of the trail was at the restored Calmar railway depot. We loaded up the bikes and drove to Lansing, Iowa for tonight's lodging.
We arrived at our Inn around 6:30 PM. It was self check in; the owner had sent me the door codes in an email. Shortly after we arrived I called him and texted his manager that we had no hot water. Then again when we discovered one of the rooms was full of flies. Soon enough the manager showed up, and when she could not make things right, the owner came to the door. The room with the flies was closed up and Dennis and Tom moved to a new room--it turned out that a window was open behind the closed blinds! We finally got hot water about 8:30 PM. Fred and Doris, Diana and Dianne went out to get food, and we went to the basement recreation room to eat it. Shortly after we went down there the smoke alarm started going off, so I texted Rebecca yet again! This establishment shall go unnamed since they made it right by giving us half off the cost of our lodging.
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