Day 28
The wind was still blowing hard from the west, but I needed to go south to visit a friend in Minnesota. I rode out of town on highway 220. On the maps it looks like you have to go east on 2 and then connect with 220 going south. This is, from what I was told, not a good idea. The turn off for 220 is hard to find and 2 isn't much fun going east. Instead it is possible to ride out of Grand Forks on 220 going south. It is a little tricky, but essentially you get in the V formed by the two rivers and head south. Get a map of motels from a local motel if you need to do this, that map has 220 marked on it.

It was a nice, sunny, Sunday morning. 220 is very flat and mostly straight with little traffic. It runs through prosperous farms along the Red River. You can't actually see the river, although you can sometimes see the row of trees on its bank. Unlike the land 50 miles to the west, there are lots of trees and they help to break the wind. 220 provided pleasant riding for about 25 miles before intersecting highway 75 at Climax. I was getting hungry and hoping for a cafe in Climax.

Climax, like the two little towns that follow at about 10 mile intervals, was shut up tight for Sunday. Not even a service station was open. I stopped shortly after Climax for a rest break and snack by the side of the road. In Nielsville I stopped at the Fire Station to take a break and buy a coke from a machine. Once I got on 75 the wind became more of a problem. A 15 mph cross wind made riding tiring, especially for my upper body. The road was flat (billiards anyone?) and straight with little traffic. I had enough food to make Moorhead, but I was not looking forward to making the ride without a real meal. In Halstad, about 45 miles from Grand Forks, the Riverside Cafe was open. Boy was I happy to find a good place to eat.

The ride into Moorhead was OK, but once in town I had to ride a busy 4 lane highway with no shoulder in order to get to 75 South. Not fun on a Sunday afternoon, and I really wouldn't want to do it during rush hour. Once headed south, things were pretty good; mostly nice riding through residential areas and past Concordia College. Things get busy again as 75 crosses I-94. I stopped just south of I-94, at Motel 75. After cleaning up I walked back towards the interstate and had one of the best meals of my trip at a Mexican restaurant. 80 miles today because of the cross winds and the fact that the next motels are another 45 miles down the road at Brekenridge.

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