Day 45 Detroit Lakes to Thief River Falls, MN

We began today with the intention of stopping somewhere around Erskine... Well, we really hit our stride right out of the starting gate and with a nice tail wind we didn't need to stop much, even with the heat. So each time we discussed stopping it was always at the "next" stopping point. At Erskine we finally quit kidding ourselves and decided to just go for it and run straight to TRF.

It turned out to be a 95-mile day for us getting back home. I went out this evening and rode just five more miles to bring the daily toll for me right up to 100 miles. I keep thinking of Jay Trimble doing all those "century" rides back in Quincy, Illinois and I wanted one for myself... except I wanted mine on a loaded touring bike.

We rolled into Thief River Falls at 2pm, having done 93 miles since 6:30am. We were met first by Norma who had bicycled out a few miles into the wind to escort us back in to town. Along the way Andy's relatives were a veritable paparazzi, snapping photos at every intersection and then speeding ahead to the next one! Of course we had to stop at the city limits sign and take the group photo... traditions must be observed!

We stopped at the Hayloft for a late lunch (actually our 3rd or 4th meal of the day), courtesy of Andy's parents-- Thank you Janeen and Ken! Afterward we split up, each going our own way. It felt strange to be riding without Andy and April, but I reminded myself that we still want to make it to the Canadian border, so we'll probably do that jaunt together after a couple days off.

People have been asking me "how do you feel having made it all that way?" Well it feels GREAT to be home and in familiar surroundings, with faces that I recognize, and people I know and care about! As for the experience, I have learned that achievement is its own reward, and finishing is just one small part of the overall experience. It was the journey itself that was important, not just finishing. I can say definitively that whoever said that "the person who begins the journey is not the same person who finishes it" was absolutely correct.

I'm certain that Andy and April will agree with me when I say that the trip was absolutely worth every peddle stroke, every early morning, every swallowed insect, every discomfort and irritation. Meeting all the great people that we did, and experiencing the regions of the country as we did was an excellent adventure. I'm also certain that there are still many unforeseen benefits waiting to reveal themselves to us in the months and years to come.

Our total mileage to date is 1720 miles or 774,000 peddle strokes. The ride to the Canadian border should bring that to 1790 miles, and I intend to continue riding locally until I bring that total to an even 2000 miles.

I want to thank everyone that has been involved in this journey including: our sponsors, friends made along the way, loved ones and family waiting patiently at home, all the great people that offered us their encouragement, and of course those of you following along in this blog.

Its easy to forget amid all the excitement that our main purpose in making this journey was to raise funds for part-time student scholarships, and to raise awareness for these under-represented students in our communities.
If you haven't already contributed to the "Pennies for Parttimers" scholarship, please consider contacting the Northland College foundation and pledging to help us meet our fundraising goal.