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Days like Sunday are not normal…

I wish that I had better words to describe what I was feeling and thinking while riding the State bike trail near Lanesboro, MN this weekend, but here are some that came to mind during the afternoon while pedaling. 

The air was about 85 degrees and slightly humid, just enough to bring out the scents of the path and the countryside, the wildflowers, the vegetation, the river, farmland, fertilizer, fish, and all the interesting scents of being in the woods with spice and floral, woodsy and warm, rich and fragrant, abundantly green and impossibly oxygenated, each scent and breath as complex and invigorating as fine wine.

The day itself was perfect, slightly cool in the shade, slightly warm in the sun, but just enough of both, so that moving from one to the other made for a refreshing break from the one before.

The ride from Lanesboro to Fountain on the State trail is beautiful beyond compare, with interesting rock formations, land formations, golf courses, pastures, farmland, and animals grazing, so you barely notice that you’re going slightly uphill for pretty much 11 miles continuously.  This is slightly tiring, but makes for a positively joyous return ride, allowing you to essentially coast all the way back to Lanesboro unencumbered.

I had no idea that Lanesboro was a central mecca for all the kayaking, canoeing, cycling, tubing, and fishing for the south-eastern part of the state, using the Root River and State Bike Trail as a basis for an outstanding economy of bike, kayak, and tube rentals, awesome little shops, and an amazing array of bars and restaurants.  The town is so charming and inviting on its own that you’d be hard pressed to not instantly start making plans for a return trip, but this is only capped off by the fact that everyone in the community is smiling, all the time, even while waiting in line at the gas station.

We ended up doing just about 35 miles on the bikes on Sunday, and we didn’t even break the surface of everything that the area had to offer.  Such perfect days are utterly rare and wonderful, and it will be a long, long time before I forget just how much I enjoyed the afternoon that Sharon and I shared on the Root River. 

Thank you, Lanesboro, and for the rest of you, I managed to snap some photos with my BlackBerry that I’m certain could never convey even a small portion of the beauty of this area.

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