June 22 - Prescott, WI to Osceola, WI (53 miles)

 What do you all imagine riding across the country on a bicycle is like?  Do you imagine lazily swaying from side to side as you pedal slowly along, seemingly without worry and unaware of time?  I think that is the fantasy that most of us have about doing this sort of bicycle tour.  The reality is that each day we have to worry about the basics - food, water and shelter.  And we are out in the elements most of the day and nature is not always kind.  Today, however, was more like a fantasy.  

Prescott to Stillwater is fully beautiful in scenery.  As we enjoyed our morning ride, we could smell strawberries in the air.  It turned out that we had come upon a pick your own strawberry farm!  So Jake and I stopped for a while and picked a couple of pounds of strawberries - alongside what looked like a group of kindergarteners out on a field trip.  It cost us $3 and we ate all our strawberries before continuing the ride.

We crossed into Minnesota just briefly today but returned to Wisconsin.  Stillwater - super nice town in Minnesota.  Happy, friendly people and the downtown is full of charm. Everywhere we go, people approach us about our adventure.  No different here... even the beer guy got in on the action.  After eating lunch at a place he was supplying, the beer guy ran across the street to meet us and give a a couple of fresh, cold Lagunitas IPA's.  Seriously!  

Stillwater is also the endpoint of Section #7 of the Northern Tier Route!

Then we pedaled onward to our destination Osceola.  On the way into town, a lady (say lady 'A') briefly talked to us as she passed us riding her road bike into town.  When we arrived, while searching for a place to stay another lady (lady 'B') came up to us and said she had just talked to lady 'A' about us.  Lady 'B' then proceeded to offer letting us pitch a tent at her farm.  Wow!  So nice - however we'd have to back track 6 miles... but what a gesture!   Then we go to a place for dinner (finally, we found super excellent food -see pics) and what the heck - lady 'A' comes up to us and talks to us again, giving some good local advice for breakfast food.  I'm telling you - throw panniers on a bicycle and people are immediately disarmed - it brings out their friendly self.