We spent the morning on a bicycle ride through the countryside of central Minnesota. The Tour of Saints is billed as a “heavenly little ride” and today it lived up to its billing. The thunderstorms that moved through prior to dawn cleared by the start of the ride, and the clouds and cooler temps made for comfortable conditions. We opted for the 50-mile ride and enjoyed every uphill and downhill along the route. Starting at the College of St. Benedict in St. Joseph, we wandered the back roads until the rest stop in Cold Spring where we were treated to delicious (and ride-hearty) cinnamon rolls and baked goods. Another 13 miles and a stop near St. John’s University for bananas and cookies. Then it was 15 miles for a stop of candy bars and Gatorade in Avon (when you ride 50 miles you need to eat and stay hydrated, and rest stops are much appreciated!). The countryside was green and verdant, with wildflowers in bloom, fields of soybeans and corn, and wonderful old barns. These horses seemed quite intrigued by our mode of transportation as we rode by. We ended back in St. Joseph, tired but appreciative of a morning spent in a beautiful countryside.
landscapes
Kansas Flint Hills
There is a section of central Kansas known as the Flint Hills. This area is the last large expanse of tallgrass prairie in the country. During the westward expansion in the 1800’s, the settlers found the land was not good for their traditional crops because of the outcroppings of limestone and flint. Cattle ranching became the main agricultural activity, so the land was not ploughed over and remained intact. Due to the abundant rainfall the past few months, everything is wonderfully green. The hills undulate and roll slowly across the countryside, and at sunset they take on a golden hue. It is an area where the horizon is a long way off, and one can revel in the beauty of the expanse in an almost 360 degree vista.
End of the Trail in the Ozark Mountains
On our last night in the Ozark Mountains of Missouri, we went to the Buffalo Bar at the Top of the Rock, near Ridgedale, Missouri. As the sun was setting after a warm summer-like day, it illuminated the clouds that were on the horizon and in the sky above, and all was reflected in Table Rock Lake. At the Top of the Rock is a water pool that has a statue of the End of the Trail, all at the precipice overlooking the lake. In researching the statue, I learned that the sculptor James Earle Fraser was originally from Winona, Minnesota, and the piece was first modeled in 1894. This area of the Ozarks had been home to the Osage Indians, and this evening’s sunset beauty seemed a fitting tribute to them and the area they loved.
A lush green spring in southern Missouri
We’ve just returned from a full week of traveling, bookmarked on each end with a graduation; one nephew’s college graduation and another nephew’s high school graduation (congrats to them both – I couldn’t be more proud!). The first part of the week found us in southern Missouri, south of Branson. With all the rain that has fallen (including while we were there), everything is a beautiful and lush green. The Ozark mountains were in their prime, and waterfalls were running full and fast. In other areas, flowers were in full bloom – iris and peonies, foxglove and phlox. We truly couldn’t have picked a better time for our trip. It was a great time to explore the area with its natural beauty – a wonderful relaxing time.
Wind and ice
We made a day trip south to Faribault Minnesota yesterday. The day dawned with a dusting of snow, and a front moving through, prompting strong northerly winds up to 45 mph. Not a problem for driving south….As we were following along the southern shore of Cannon Lake, I was amazed at the whitecaps rolling across the water. I have never seen that much wind blowing over the open water. But then my eye caught the southern shoreline where the wind-blown waves were crashing. Because of the cold temperatures, the water was freezing along the trees and bushes. Everything was coated in ice, and even some of the icicles were leaning towards the south because of the incessant winds. As cold and windy as yesterday was, the pendulum of spring swung the other way today and we enjoyed sunshine and 60’s, with no signs of ice.
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