Somerset, Wisconsin to Saint Paul, Minnesota Saturday, June 19, 2021
Kind of a head-slap moment. If I’m trying to see all the states, and their highpoints, how about the state capitals? I had to memorize them as a kid, and they’re all kind of grand. Looking back, I realized I was only 10 miles away from Albany, and not that far from Columbus, Indianapolis, and Madison. OK, Harrisburg, Lansing and Springfield would have been a stretch.
Whatever, I was excited to see the Twin Cities, and St. Paul. The capitol did not disappoint.
It even sits on a Capitol Hill. I had to grunt up Cedar Street to get to the dome. My next must-see was the Fitzgerald Theatre, where Garrison Keillor recorded most of the episodes of The Prairie Home Companion, but that was down the hill, and I didn’t want to climb it again. Instead I settled for the Cathedral of St. Paul, pretty iconic in its own right (the third largest cathedral in North America), giving St. Paul’s in London a run for its money.
It was up an even higher hill, but that meant Summit Street was all downhill to my Warmshowers hosts for the next two nights, Rene and Matthew Swanson. Their house was so ideal, renovated with so many modern touches (Matt is a contractor) and so artfully landscaped.
Matt and Renee are ardent bikers, as are their children Adam and Claire, and their garage was packed with bicycles. We talked about our respective adventures over homemade bruschetta and BLTs deep into the night. The family has crossed the country and taken many trips to Europe. I was amazed that they could get away so much in the middle of their careers. Renee is a biology teacher for a charter school focusing on hip-hop artists, and Matt is self-employed, so they make it a priority to take long vacations in the summer. What a great gift to give your children.
The Twin Cities area is famous for its bike-friendliness, and that was apparent thirty miles away. I crossed back into Minnesota at Stillwater, which has repurposed an old lift bridge for pedestrians and bikers only; the scene was very festive on this lovely Saturday afternoon. I couldn’t get the crowd shots to download, but I did catch the lift bridge in action.
I’d dealt with the steep bluffs of the St. Croix yesterday and was dreading the climb now. Not to worry. The Brown’s Creek State Trail managed to lift me so gradually I barely noticed the climb, and the Gateway State Trail took me almost all the way to the Capitol while avoiding the busy streets. A biker’s paradise indeed.
Distance 40 miles, 2,882 total. Time 5 hours with stops. Elevation gain 1,541 feet.
©️ 2021 Scott Luria
The Ends of the Earth 