Ride Across Minnesota (USBR 20)

US Bicycle Route 20 (USBR 20) is a planned bicycle route from Washington State through Michigan. Portions of Washington, Minnesota, and Michigan are complete. The Minnesota section goes from just east of Fargo, ND to St. Cloud, MN. The plan for this trip is to ride from Fargo to St. Cloud and then down through Minneapolis and across the Mississippi River down to La Crosse, WI.

Palatine to Chicago and then Fargo

Day 0. I rode to the local train station and then took the METRA train from Palatine to Chicago. I was able to get a fellow passenger to guide the handle bars, so it was much easier to board this time than when I went to Kansas City. They’ve added bike stands to some of the cars, so there would normally be a place to strap my bike. However, the space was filled with suitcases. There was a group of three early retired women traveling into the city for a ladies weekend that included attending the Metallica concert. Definitely not your typical senior citizen adventure. One of them was kind enough to help guide my bike back off the train, so it was a good trip downtown.

I then rode the four blocks over to Union Station and got my bike tag for the Amtrak trip. Bike space must be reserved, and only certain cities support bike loading and unloading. But Chicago and Fargo are two of those cities, so I was good to go. I was first in line for early boarding - I’m getting better at knowing where to wait and when to get in line. I took the bike up to the baggage car just behind the engine, took off all the panniers, and lifted the bike up to the baggage handler.. Then I hurried back down the train for a seat in coach.

The ride to Fargo was nice enough. We left about 40 minutes late and then fell further behind because we missed our window of free track space. So we were about 55 minutes behind for most of the trip. I had three different people beside me. The first was a navy medic going to Tomah, WI to help with training. The second was a local worker who used Amtrak for his daily commute and went two stops. The third was a large man who proceeded to fall asleep on me about a half hour after Minneapolis. Eventually I was done with that experience and moved to the observation car for the rest of the trip.

Fargo to Fergus Falls

Day 1 - 81 miles and 2,300 feet of elevation gain. We got into Fargo just after 5 a.m. They took the bike off for me this time and had it waiting when we pulled up to the station - the train stops for baggage and then moves up for passengers. I put my panniers on the bike then went inside to move everything around and strap it down for the ride. Then I headed off. There is a 24-hour restaurant about a half mile south from the train station, the Fargo Fryin’ Pan. Breakfast was good, and it was light enough to travel when I was done.

For the first part of the ride I detoured down along the Red River trail. I saw a deer in the distance and a fox on the trail. About four miles later I crossed the bridge into Minnesota and headed east to join USBR 20. The route goes about 20 miles along Highway 52. The paved parts are good, and the shoulder is wide and in better shape than the road surface. The concrete portions are fair, with the shoulder more narrow and not in great shape. I didn’t feel unsafe at any point, but I’m still not a fan of biking beside 65 MPH traffic.

South of Barnesville, you have a choice. You can continue on down Hwy 52. It’s shorter and flatter, but not a lot of viewing pleasure. Or, you can follow USBR 20 to Pelican Rapids and then head south. I followed USBR 20, but detoured about four miles further east to have lunch at Maple Beach Burgers. It had good reviews and a nice lake view (below). It turns out that the restaurant is not much more than a shack. They only take cash, dining is outside on picnic tables, and the burger was overcooked. The fries were good and the view was very good.

Unfortunately, the ride south from the restaurant is immediately uphill followed by several miles of loose gravel and dirt roads before you rejoin USBR 20. So I recommend not visiting Maple Beach. Stop for lunch in Pelican Rapids instead. The next part of the route has a nice bike path for awhile. Then you’re on a country road. In most cases, I assume the road is quiet. However, there was road construction going on and I was getting passed every three minutes or so by a large construction dump trailer, loaded for the first part and empty for the second part. And hauling ass the whole way. I had to pull off several times to feel safe.

There are also a lot of rolling hills and climbing on this route, almost 2,000 feet worth. So, be prepared and train for climbs if you’re going this way. Some of the views were very pretty. But if I were to do it again, I’d seriously consider staying on Hwy 52, particularly if I was riding on 3 hours of sleep again.

My plan was for camping on this trip. But it turned out to be very cold. Overnight lows were 48 degrees Fahrenheit. Unfortunately, I had packed for the mid 50s based on weather forecasts and decided hotels would be a better option. The Country Inn and Suites in Fergus Falls is brand new and very nice. There are not a lot of food choices around, but the nearby Pizza Ranch did the job. It definitely wasn’t as good as the Pizza Ranch in Newton, IA, but when you’re hungry, pizza is pizza.

Fergus Falls to Sauk Centre

Day 2 - 76 miles and 2,200 feet of elevation gain. This morning at breakfast I met a woman who used to
do triathlons. She said she was good until one day where she actually fell down at mile 20 of the run. She had never bonked before and had to call her husband to pick her up. She was done. Anyway, she highly recommended the Mickelson Trail in the Black Hills of South Dakota. So I’ve added that to my list of rides to explore.

This was one of the best one-day bike rides I’ve ever been on. I would ride the first 30 miles every day if I could. The views were stunning. Lake on the left, lake on the right, lake on both sides. Lots of corn and rolling hills beside the trail. But it’s a paved rail trail with very little in the way of rolling hills for the trail itself. And almost all of it is in good shape with some having just been repaved. And although the elevation gain seems high, it didn’t feel that way. The climbs are very low in terms of grade percentage.

I stopped for water in several small towns along the way. All had a gas station or convenience store where I could fill up the water bottle. I didn’t use the second bottle until the very last part of the trip, and only then because I didn’t stop and fill up knowing I only had an hour or so to go.

I stopped for lunch in Alexandria at the Depot Smokehouse and Tavern. The food was very good. Just after I sat down, another cyclist pulled up. I invited him to join me. His name is Tim. He lives in the area and uses his e-bike to run errands. He also rides extensively, frequently doing 40-mile rides up or down the trail. We talked for quite a while about bikes and biking. He recommended bike vacations in Greece. He and his wife had done a trip where they stayed on a small ship and cruised around, riding e-bikes on a different island every day.

There aren’t a lot of hotel options in Sauk Centre. The AmericInn was booked up so I stayed at the Sauk River Inn and Suites instead. It’s a good-enough hotel with a pool and hot tub. There ia a Chinese buffet restaurant nearby, the Four Seas Buffet. It was excellent. They must have had 30 different entree options available and almost all were good or very good. Highly recommended.

Sauk Centre to Ostego

Day 3 - 83 miles and 1,800 feet of elevation gain. The weather today was beautiful. It started in the upper 50s and clear and ended in the mid 70s and partly cloudy. There was very little wind. The ride to St. Cloud was fairly nice. It’s all trails. The trail frequently parallels Interstate 94, sometimes only 50 to 100 yards away. So the views aren’t as good as yesterday, but the ride itself is fine. Also, there was more of a transition from lake views to tree-lined farmland. Not quite a green tunnel, but more so than yesterday.

Getting through St. Cloud is a mixture of main streets and side streets. After that, it’s a mixture of trails and shoulders. The closer you get to Ostego, the smaller the shoulders become. I can’t say that I felt unsafe at any point. But it’s really not much fun constantly checking the mirror to make sure cars are moving over. Have a really good blinking rear light for this part of the journey.

There was plenty of water on the trip as long as you stop when you get the opportunity. There is also an interesting artifact along the trail just past Albany. There was a train that derailed into a lake back in 1896. Someone recovered the bell from the engine and kept it in their family. At some point it was donated back to the community and placed trailside. I rang the bell (below) in honor of those impacted by the crash.

Other than that, the only significant stop I made today was a late lunch at Beef O’Brady’s. It was very good and definitely recommended. After I arrived in Ostego I had a beer at Boondox Bar and Grill. They have three sand volleyball courts in the back and there are Sunday evening leagues playing. The beer was good and the games were fun to watch. Definitely amateur, but everyone was trying hard. Some teams were clearly better than others.

I stayed at the Wyndham Garden hotel. The room is probably the best I’ve had on this trip so far. But there is no “pool”. There is a water park, and it closes at 2 p.m. on Sundays. I’d rather just have a small pool and hot tub. But this hotel was much more convenient to the bike route than the other options.

Ostego to Prescott, WI

Day 4 - 73 miles and 2,400 feet of elevation gain. Today’s ride was almost entirely paved river trails. There is one section of bike lanes going down through Minneapolis and another across St. Paul, occasional shoulder riding, and one section of gravel / dirt, but definitely better and prettier than either Day 1 or Day 3.

It was a slow day today. I might have gone a bit too far or too hard yesterday, or maybe a lack of carbs yesterday caught up with me. I never felt like I couldn’t do the trip, but there were also never any reserves I could draw from. Most of the long climbs were in first gear. No hurry, just finish.

Other than some great views of the river, there really weren’t a lot of special things to mention on the trip. There weren’t any stops other than parks or community centers for water and restrooms. Everything east of St. Paul was a food desert and only three places for water that I found. You definitely need to be proactive on water in this section and camel up or carry extra when and where you do find it.

There is a nice bar / restaurant in Prescott called Muddy Waters. They were very busy but the food and service were good and they had several local beers to choose from. I sat next to a retired anesthetist from the Mayo Clinic and we talked about both trips in the area and our former careers. A very pleasant evening.

Today marks a successful trip across Minnesota. 4 days, 313 miles, and 6.700 feet of elevation gain. It’s doable in four days if you’re committed to the effort. If you prefer to spend time along the way or want enjoy the overnight towns, five days would be more pleasurable.

Prescott to Wabasha

Day 5 - 58 miles, 2,900 feet of elevation gain. This was a tough day. Google Maps was off on the elevation gain by almost half. I was expecting 1,500 feet of climb rather than 2,900. I’m always checking RideWithGPS going forward instead of trusting Google Maps.

The day started with breakfast at The Twisted Oak Coffee House. It was very good. While I was there, two gentlemen from Switzerland rolled up. They’re riding the Northern Tier from Washington State to Maine. They looked like they’d been on the road for a month. Well-worn but otherwise in good shape.

The road down from Prescott to Nelson / Wabasha is a 55 MPH highway with shoulders marked as bike lanes. Unfortunately, a good part of the northern section is only a 2-foot shoulder, not really enough for bikes and trucks together. I had to bail a couple of times when there were wide trucks coming in both directions. But it does get better with wider shoulders as you go south. Most of the truck traffic is done by noon, which improved the afternoon perspective.

About half of the day’s ride is next to Lake Pepin. It’s still part of the Mississippi River, but with this section as a 23-mile designated lake. There were multiple overlooks and it’s very pretty from the bluffs. Of course, you have to get to the bluffs, meaning multiple long climbs. I had to walk two of the steeper parts but I was able to ride the rest. It seems like I max out between 5% and 6% grade. Above that and it’s not worth trying to pedal long sections.

Somewhere near Bay City I met a birder with the largest camera lens I have ever seen taking pictures of eagles, hawks, and falcons on the cliffs. He said he had taken 500 pictures the day before. This is how he spends his retirement, following the eagles through the seasons along this part of the river. He showed me a couple of bald eagle pictures he had taken that were beautiful.

Water was scarce for the early part of the trip. I wish I had brought along some extra. I had to stop at one farm and one bank to refill. The other stops were the more typical gas stations and convenience stores. By the time I got to Wabasha, I was too tired to stop for dinner. I went straight to the hotel and then had dinner delivered from Riverboat Lanes. Delivery was fast and the food was good.

Wabasha to La Crosse

Day 6 - 66 miles, 1,500 feet of elevation gain. Today was better than yesterday. Riding on the shoulder didn’t bother me as much. The shoulder was medium or wide for most of the day and most cars and trucks moved over. A few didn’t, but I was too tired to worry about them anymore. There also weren’t any significant climbs today.

The views were similar today. Almost the entire day was spent in the Mississippi flood plain. Bluffs on the left and lilly pads on the right were very common. Other times it was corn on either side, but very typical Wisconsin / Minnesota views.

Today’s challenge was the wind. I didn’t read the forecast correctly. I thought it was going to be tailwinds, but it was 10-15 MPH headwinds with 15-25 MPH gusts. And I realized the wind is stronger when you’re riding the river road next to the bluffs. About 35 miles of headwinds riding at 9-10 MPH was plenty.

Fortunately, the last 28 miles of the ride were on the Great River State Park Trail. It’s a two-track dirt / well-packed gravel ride which is mostly tree-lined and blocked the wind. I was consistently hitting 14 MPH. Much better than the morning experience in terms of wind and effort required.

I decided to stay in a hotel again this evening. Dinner followed by a soak in the hot tub has definitely improved the overall touring experience. I’ve found I’m not nearly as sore the next day after spending time in the hot tub. Dinner was at the North Country Steak Buffet. It was very busy, but steak, salad, three kinds of potatos, and a bunch of other sides were a good way to catch up on calories and celebrate the trip. 

La Crosse to Chicago and then Palatine

Day 7 - A couple of miles riding from the hotel to the train station, a half-mile between stations in Chicago, and three miles to home. This was an interesting Amtrak ride. The train was about 45 minutes late, and we had several maintenance issues along the way. We were almost two hours late arriving in Chicago. It was almost 9 p.m. by the time I arrived home.

Epilogue

Six riding days, two travel days, 442 miles, and more than 2.5 miles of elevation gain. The views were excellent and what I expected. Coming from flat Illinois, the altitude gain always surprises me. And while I didn’t enjoy the shoulder riding at all, I did get used to it. I’m not sure what that means for future trips. I’ll still avoid it whenever I can, but I probably won’t immediately dismiss a trip just because it has a good bit of shoulder riding included. As long as it is a full three-foot-plus shoulder.

Day 2 south of Fergus Falls was amazing. I’d still ride that every day. The flood plain east of St. Paul was also very nice and worth repeating. As was the last day's ride on the Great River State Park Trail. The only part of Day 1 I would repeat would be the river trails around Fargo. Day 3 was okay, but Day 2 had better views for a similar experience. Day 5 had great river views, but I’m not sure the narrow shoulders and steep climbs are worth the view.

I’ve now connected from Fargo to Lake Michigan. Sometime later this year I’ll connect the Wisconsin ride to home. That’s just one or two days, depending on which route I decide to take. Then it’s time to head east and do Indiana and Ohio. Once I get to Pittsburgh, I’ll have done Fargo all the way to the Chesapeake Bay.