Cycling Milwaukee to Fargo: Day 11 - Alexandria to Fergus Falls

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Route

Alexandria, MN to Fergus Falls, MN - 51 miles
For details of the route, click here.

Weather

Sky condition: Clear
Temperature: 61 to 74
Visibility: Unlimited
Precipitation: None
Wind: Light and variable

Significant Events

Crossed the Laurentian (Northern) Continental Divide

Today's Songs

"Crawling From the Wreckage" by Dave Edmunds

Wildlife Observed

Chipmunks
Deer (none with a deathwish!)
Red-winged blackbirds
Turtles
Pelicans
Yellow headed blackbird (warbler)

Today's Ride

A longer (medium length) day so we got a pretty early start, about 6:45 am. As we got back on the Central Lakes Trail, we ran into "Big Ole", a very large Viking statue. It is believed that Norsemen visited the area back in the 1300s. Big Ole was actually built for the New York World's Fair back in 1964. He was brought back here and prominently displayed ever since.

"Big Ole"

The Central Lakes Trail is a very nice trail. We were kind of amazed that this wide, well paved, and long trail is free for public use, while the trails in Wisconsin carry a daily usage charge. The Wisconsin trails are great trails and were some of the earliest in the rails to trails program. I guess it is a difference in the way states and localities fund stuff like this.

With all of the lakes and ponds we passed, we saw numerous waterfowl. Most significantly (to us anyway) was the sighting of a number of American White Pelicans. Ileana quickly identified these; I thought they were storks. Turns out storks aren't seen around here at all...

Grotto Lake (Fergus Falls)
with tree full of birds

Fergus Falls has a pretty nice downtown area. It is a historic town and had a lot of Norwegian ancestry. Apparently a lot of Union civil war soldiers settled here as well.