The ride from Worthington to Rochester today was a lot easier after a good 10 hour nights sleep, although not without some getting lost and getting pulled over by a MN State Trooper. I started late but felt strong after a big breakfast. I was poised to make a move, ride hard and try to catch as many riders as I could, until at about the 30 mile mark, I passed a group of riders who had missed a turn. I surged past thinking they knew where they were going and rode out hard looking for other penguins. But after about 8 miles of seeing none, I began to worry and looked at my route sheet realizing my error. The penguins I had passed who had led me astray, had turned back after a 1/4 mile. I had to retrace 8 miles thus adding 16 miles to a 100 mile day. The other penguins felt terrible and responsible for my blunder and not able to catch me did sent one of the support vans who found me after I had turned back. My pride dictated that I decline a ride and now last and way behind, I forged on. I was now last again but by the end of the day was into the rear of the pack. Thankfully the day was much cooler with cloud cover from the threat of thunderstorms.

The ride through MN was mostly farms, but sadly many houses abandoned as big mega-farms had bought the land.

We now are seeing more dairy farms, another beautiful farm with the threatening storm clouds behind.

After getting back on route the day was uneventful, until my final adventure of the day. While now, dutifully following my route sheet and just entering the surprisingly large city of Rochester, MN, home of the famous Lahey Clinic, I was pulled over by a MN State trooper. With his siren and lights flashing, I was livid and those who know me well, know of my issues with "authority figures". Uh-oh ...... He asked for I-D and when he saw my clean cut photo was immediately suspicious. Good sense fortunately prevailed on my part and I followed Sarah's good example of how to behave. He had pulled me over because in dutifully following my ABB route sheet it had put me on a busy and agreeably slightly dangerous main road, with a recently built bicycle path parallel along side the road. I was not arrested, issued a summons or even reprimanded, but instead was directed by the nice officer right to my hotel on a beautiful bike path. He even showed me a great spot for a swim in a cool clean lake along the way that I never would have found otherwise.

An old gravel pit filled with water, which was the great hidden swim spot I found thanks to a MN state trooper.

Believe it or not this is a bike path in Rochester MN. About 12 spans crossing a highway and a river. I am hoping to lobby the Commonwealth of MA will build one a fraction of this size to get bicyclists safely to Monument Mt. HS when I get home.