Last weekend, I completed a 165 mile bike-ride to Duluth with my nuera (Daughter-in Law), Annika. If you want an easy way to remember "nuera," you can think "la que no era!" She wasn't in our lives at all, and then she was! They met so young and married a year ago, and I am so glad they did, for now I have this lovely addition to my family who is goodness embodied.
I regard this marriage somewhat like a novelty...a thing you look at on a shelf that may break if you take it down, and yet time and again, these two heal my cynical heart with their simple devotion and the pure workability of their relationship.
"What's one thing that's surprised you about being married?" I'm thinking she'll complain about his stinky shoes or morning breath. Without a pause, she says through a bright smile, "How wonderful it is!" He speaks the same exact way of her, and both have been incredibly patient as I adjust to the turning of his heart from me to her. "It's like you two are joined at the hip," I complain, and he says, "I really like Annika, Mom, we are one flesh." What a thing to behold!
"He is a catalyst for the growth of my soul," she explained, looking earnestly at me over her red iced lemonade from "The Fort," which is the restaurant downstairs from the Grant House Hotel in Rush City.
Our training alone was a delight, allowing us to see our cities from the inside out, rather than zooming by the details in a car. We loved the lakes trails, and especially the Gateway and Brown's Creek bike trails.
We trained once a week for about 8 weeks prior to our ride, working ourselves up to what at the time seemed a whopping distance of 35 miles. That ride was from my house in Uptown Minneapolis to Stillwater. I couldn't stop exclaiming how lovely were the Gateway and Browns Creek State Trails! It's way more fun to arrive into a city via bicycle than car. All the good stuff is on the inside.
We departed from Sam and Annika's house Friday morning and made it all the way to Rush City, where we spent the night in a cozy room at the Grant House Hotel. The lobby, which sits just around the corner from the kitchen of this old house that has been converted into the only tourist spot in Rush City, has brown leather easy chairs in each corner, with a cozy blanket draped over each one. It's a perfect spot to enjoy the free coffee and morning snacks. Everything is Victorian, from the rich wood to the floral wallpaper and piano in the corner. There's a bookshelf with great reading on local history.
Saturday we left early after enjoying their complimentary coffee and some breakfast snacks. We made it to the Willow River Campground after stopping for a big breakfast at a little cafe on the way. We were delighted when the waitress said, "Yes, we have real maple syrup," but I think by "real" she meant "not imaginary." Her answer to the question, "How's the coffee" was also cute. With the warmest up-north smile, she said, "Well here's the coffee right here, and there you have some sugar and the cream!"
The best part of the ride definitely began at Hinkley, where we enjoyed the unforgattable Fire Museum and caught the William Munger trail, which leads all the way to Duluth. What a fun city to arrive to by bicycle, with it's expansive views, roaring industry, and adorable small businesses!
The scenery we enjoyed on the way was delightful!
If you've ever considered a long bike trip, do it! Our bodies and our bicycles worked wonderfully and the whole thing was an unforgattable experience!
