We woke up a bit before 7 at our Sparta hotel, the girls were cold already. Katie borrowed Laura's air mattress even though she only used the top third.

We had a nice breakfast at Country Kitchen in Sparta and hit the road. The waitress suggested a shortcut that would entail a dirt path down steep slope, and picking our bikes up over a fence. We took the long cut.

The bike trail sure is slow on a loaded tadpole trike. Laura and Katie a slowed too. The day was not as hot as yesterday, but the humidity again was horrid. The shirt and shorts I washed yesterday may have actually gotten more wet as I rode.
Laura, Katie, and Chuck riding down the LaCrosse River Trail.

Chuck riding on the LaCrosse River Trail

Roger at a rest stop, a bit downhill from the trail. I decided it wasn't worth the climb back up.

After a day of gravel, we finally find pavement! Here Katie squeezes through the gates onto the LaCrosse city Trail. The bikes barely fit.

We stopped for lunch at the Pizza Doctors. The people were really friendly and helped give us directions through town to find quiet bike paths.

A peaceful trail in southern LaCrosse.

Taters stops for a photo by the Mississippi just south of LaCrosse.

The 4 amigos by the Mississippi.

We stopped for the night at Big River Inn in Genoa. It is a great place for bikers; Laura locks ours up in the impound.

The only restaurant in Genoa is closed Sunday evenings and Mondays. Food options were very limited. This is Rogers dinner. Sorry Dee! We actually ate a very late lunch, so this is mostly a snack. We got a 5 bed suite at the hotel for dirt cheap and it has a kitchen. Tomorrow morning I will make pancakes for the crew. Pancakes and rootbeer.......mmmmmm.

Chuck and I were wiped from the days ride, yet walked to a gas station for maple syrup. It was very horid and hot, and we mostly staggered back. The guy staggering with the bottle in a paper bag is not drunk, though the locals didn't seem so sure.

We arrived fairly early today and didn't find any local entertainment. This enabled me to post quite a bit. I apologize in advance for those times when our posts are short or absent.

I also want to wish my wife a happy 6th anniversary. A lot of people seem to give us undesirable responses when they find out it is our anniversary. There is no place I would rather have been today than here, and nobody I would rather be doing it with than Laura. Best Wife Ever.

45 miles (94 total)
Google Earth File