Across America by Bicycle: Alice and Bobbi's Summer on Wheels

4. Through the Upper Midwest: Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Indiana

4 Through the Upper Midwest Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Indiana 144 Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Indiana The scorching, arid West seemed long ago and far away. Because our route called for us to angle across Minnesota, we anticipated seeing some of the 10,000 lakes advertised on the state’s license plates. We thought we might even swim in one or two of them, but our self-proclaimed ability to deal with the unexpected would be tested in the next few days. Day 40 Friday, August 8 Fargo to Cormorant, Minnesota 30 miles We woke up ready to head over the border into Minnesota, but Deb surprised us. She reluctantly informed us that she needed medical attention . She planned to visit a clinic in Fargo to find relief for a severe case of anemia. So we retrieved our gear from her trunk, repacked our bikes from front to back, arranged to stay in touch via cell phone, and rode off, fully loaded once again. Oh, well. We were used to the way the bikes handled, and although we found a strange sort of comfort in having everything we needed within easy reach, the change of plans was a bit disappointing. We had looked forward to riding lean and mean, but it was more important that Deb get the care she needed. Winding our way through Fargo and across the Red River to Moorhead was difficult because of fairly heavy traffic and streets badly in need of repair. We stopped at the Welcome to Minnesota sign for our obligatory pictures, then continued until we spotted a sporting goods store. There we decided to look for long pants that might offer some protection in a cold rain. We had adopted the habit of taking turns staying with the bikes when we couldn’t keep them in sight, so first Alice tended them while I shopped, and then it was my turn. While I was inside, Alice reported later, a shaggy-haired drifter wandered by, offered his hand to Alice in greeting, and began questioning her. Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Indiana 145 “So, where’re you headed?” he asked in a gravelly voice. Alice replied, “To Maine.” “Yeah?” he replied. “Where’d you start?” “Fargo this morning, but we began in Oregon.” “Oregon Oregon?” he asked. “Yup.” He seemed impressed as he inspected the loaded bicycles, nodding and shaking his head in alternate motions. “I had a bike once—when I had a day job,” he said. “But I’m not so good at following orders. Don’t work no more.” He poured out his troubled work history, every thirty seconds or so reaching out to shake Alice’s gloved hand. Even though the glove’s padding must have felt funny, he kept on shaking her hand as the conversation continued for almost fifteen minutes. Alice then took her turn in the store, and when she emerged, he watched as she stowed her purchases. “Well, have a good trip. Be careful out there,” he said as we pushed off. “You too,” Alice called back. “Take care.” We remarked to each other again that the men we thought of as way down on their luck always stressed the danger of being “out there” and made sure to caution us to be careful. I wondered what they may have seen in their on-the-road adventures. Many people had expressed concern about our safety on the road, and we knew they were concerned not only about traffic but about human threats as well. As we pedaled on, we discussed again the question of just how much danger was real and how much was perceived as a result of Hollywood suspense thrillers and sensational media reports. I was beginning to think that maybe there was far less danger than most people thought, and Alice agreed. All it would take was one crazed person to do us in, we knew, but the farther we went, the more we believed that the odds were mighty small. 146 Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Indiana U.S. 10 was one of the worst roads we had traveled. Traffic was exceedingly heavy because a rock concert was about to begin at Detroit Lakes, a popular nearby summer entertainment venue. The pavement was breaking up, the shoulder was littered with broken glass, a strong crosswind hampered our progress, and after about ten miles Alice had her first...