Somewhere in Minnesota

So, as it turns out, Minnesota is a significantly better state than South Dakota. I use such a general term because I mean 'better' on almost every level. It is not as hot here, the hills are much more manageable, the scenery is nicer (though it is almost exclusively corn and soy beans), and Minnesotans are good folk with funny accents. Thinking retrospectively now, it is clear that there are very few redeeming qualities to South Dakota -- and I am not the only one that thinks that, it is basically everybody in the America By Bike group has at least a mild distaste for South Dakota... except for Opie that is. His goal in life is to one day live in Pierre (remember, that is pronounced Peer), his misguided rationale is that Pierre is one of few places where you can be in a state capital and only a few miles away from a totally rural area. We wonder what advantages being near the capital of South Dakota would provide, but then quickly remember that Opie is easily excited by mundane things.

Dad has been doing a lot of interviews with local papers as of late. He seems to have a lot to say when it comes to the subject of our ride and Partners in Health... which I guess is good. I wonder if reporters get bored listening to him rant, but then again, what happens in these small towns that is more interesting than the Len Burman. So if any of you have an option of picking up a copy of the Worthington Daily Globe, you should look for the article on Len Burman and his fantastic voyage.

Anyway, nothing of any real interest is happening. Tomorrow we bike some more in Minnesota and then the day after that we enter Wisconsin. It is supposed to rain -- maybe somebody will fall trying to take a corner too hard. Those 'raspberries' hurt, or so I am told.

I hope everyone is well.

Paul

Footnotes for July 19th:

• We are in a hotel with a good view out of our back window of the hot tub. For the past ten minutes there has been a gentleman down there that appears to be humping a jet.
• I was guest of the day in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. I got a really good, hand made sign -- the girl working the desk really liked me.
• Pigs smell really bad. Really bad.