Hank – Sister Nina sent us off with bananas and some brownies she made from scratch. We had sidewalk and paved pathway almost all the way to West Salem. Then we got on the La Crosse River Trail and took that to Sparta. The unpaved trail has a very nice hard and smooth surface. I enjoyed it very much.

Sparta declares itself to be the Cycling Capital of America. I don’t know how that can be verified so I’ll have to take their word for it. They certainly decorate the city accordingly. We had lunch at Dorinne’s Family Inn Restaurant. The food was good. When we were leaving I noticed there was a museum nearby. The Deke Slayton Memorial Space and Bicycle Museum. So of course we had to go there. There were lots of cool bikes in the place as well as some space memorabilia.

Kathy had her sixth flat tire of the trip. This time it was a thin piece of wire, probably from a shredded steel belted tire.

Leaving Sparta we took state highway 16 all the way to Tomah. Kathy was feeling run down so we stopped for a rest and an electrolyte boost. She felt much better for the last ten miles. We stopped at the Kwik Trip in Tomah and picked up food and wine for this evening and tomorrow morning. Kwik Trip is great because they carry fresh fruit and vegetables. Bananas are only 38 cents a pound.

We finished up by riding to the KOA campground in Oakdale. Today was s 55-mike day. Tomorrow we’re looking at 51 miles to Coloma.

Kathy – Today we rode a total of 56 miles. Our 14 miles on the LaCrosse River Trail was little slow since it was not paved. I usually not a fan of unpaved roads but this one was very hard packed with dirt and gravel so it was good. It was also beautiful.

When we had about 17 miles left of our ride, it was really hot and I was feeling really sluggish. I decided to try one of the electrolyte packets that Tara our new friend from Mason City, Iowa had given me. Remember, Tara is an endurance cyclist who rides 100 miles everyday for fun. She is very knowledgeable about keeping your body nourished during rides. She also pretty bada$$ too. 😄. Anyway, I used a half packet of “The Right Stuff” and within a few minutes I was feeling great again. This is a great supplement to replace your depleted electrolyte balance. I will be ordering online some of “The Right Stuff.” Thank you Tara! Overall, it was a good day of riding. 🚴‍♀️🚴‍♂️