Jacob Friend
Our first morning in Wisconsin brought us a thunderstorm right as we were leaving camp. We delayed our start time and took the opportunity to watch the storm pass from the protection of the back porch of the campground bar. For an hour we listened to the rain fall around us and watched lightning bolts flicker in the sky. It was the perfect white noise to send you into a slumber which made it a little harder for us to regain the energy to begin biking after the skies cleared up.
Brian and Michael wait out the rain in Balsam Lake, WI
Every time a storm passes us I’m always sure to check every corner of the sky for a rainbow. After 40 days of biking I expected to see at least a few by now, but they continue to evade us. My fingers will remain crossed and my eyes peeled. Instead of a rainbow we were rewarded with bright puffy clouds which complemented the rich farmlands of Wisconsin wonderfully.
A lot of today’s ride included sections of Wisconsin’s Rustic Roads program. This is a network of scenic roadways intended for hikers and cyclists to explore the state’s countryside. These lightly traveled roads have provided great views of water lilies, wildflowers, and white-tailed dear! This makes for very serene riding and happy times 😊.
Scenes from Wisconsin’s Rustic Roads
Similar to Minnesota, a nice luxury of Wisconsin are the plentiful lakes. Every town we stop at seems to be nestled beside a different lake giving us an opportunity to dip our toes in the water. Today we stopped for lunch in Cumberland, a small lake town, and ate at the public lakeside beach. After our meal, Brian touched up on his front flip technique while the rest of us enjoyed quick naps on the picnic tables.
Brian takes a post-lunch plunge in Cumberland, WI
The rest of our ride to Lake Chetac featured more rural roads and beautiful skies. We arrived with ample time to jump in the lake, enjoy the campground, and eat as a family. A common ritual during our family dinners has been ‘High, Low, Buffalo.’ Round-robin style, each one of us will talk about our favorite, least favorite, and weirdest moment of the day. It’s a silly time for reflection that allows us to laugh about the good times and talk through the harder ones. I love High, Low, Buffalo time and it’s something that I hope to integrate into my routine after the trip is over.
As we were getting ready to sleep in our tents for the night, two new friends stopped by our campsite. They asked about our adventure and we learned about theirs. ‘Warren Girls on the Loose’ is a group of girlfriends riding on ATVs around Wisconsin. We exchanged some stories and they gave us a froggy with their names as a gift. Shoutout to them!
A souvenir for the road