GRABAAWR – Eagle River to Land O’Lakes to Rhinelander
After a fun night with friends, and a yummy dinner, I was more then ready to get started
riding today. And with the sun shining bright, Chris and I were more than excited to tackle
the Century option. Sure, we could ride the easier 48-mile route, but why would you want to?!
It’s gorgeous up here in the Northwoods… and we’re here to ride, right?!
After a good breakfast in Eagle River, we set off for a wonderful 100-mile bike ride!
When you’re pedaling through the Northwoods, it is so breathtaking With a beautiful hint
of evergreen scent permeating the air. Road after road of beautiful trees and rolling hills.
Along the way, there are always plenty of things to see & stop to look at. Like this little stop
along the road that told us we would see where the Wisconsin River originates from. And
since our entire week’s bike ride was going to follow the river, we felt we needed to see it.
The hike back was pretty short, but beautiful. The Northwoods were beautiful & lush.
I was actually a little surprised when we finally saw where the river begins…
So apparently, the Wisconsin River starts here… with a small, somewhat anti-climactic
trickle of water coming off Lac Vieux Desert through a very industrial-looking dam.
The dam may not be much, but the lake is pretty beautiful.
While in Land O’Lakes, the sky opened up and looked like something right out of Montana?!
A lot of “big sky” moments up there. An incredibly beautiful day for riding a hundred miles!
The route took us down the center of town, past two of my favorite Land O’Lakes businesses.
The Dari-Maid which sadly was still closed that early in the morning. As well as the Artistree
Gallery where some of my fellow Art Detour artists work and show their artwork. Sadly,
Artistree was also closed… so I didn’t get to stop in and chat with Wendy who runs the place!
And when you’re “that” far north, you might as well pedal across the border into Michigan!
It was just a half-block off the route, so don’t be too impressed…
When we finally made it to Rhinelander, I was a little more sunburned than I would like.
I had put on sunscreen earlier in the day, but then again, after a hundred miles of riding
& sweating, it’s tough to keep protected. Plus, my pastey white skin has not had much time to
be exposed to the sun this summer yet, so today’s Century ride was kind of a shock to my system!
Luckily, we had another evening of fun planned with Amy and another Northwoods friend.
This time we stayed nearby in Rhinelander and went to another Art Detour artist‘s house.
This time we met up with glass artist Kathy Furda and her husband Joel who took us for a very
relaxing boat ride around the lake they live on.
We then went to a wonderful restaurant, where I had grilled ELK for the first time!
Another great evening with good friends, great conversation, laughs & yummy food.
But the best part was that the restaurant was part of a local resort that reminded me
far too much of the resort in “Dirty Dancing.”
And no trip to Rhinelander is complete without a quick drive past the “official” town Hodag!
Yes, the city’s mascot is a huge Hodag! A what?… yeah, no one seems to know, really…
Luckily, Amy survived the Hodag Attack. And we made it home for a quiet night in our tents.
Getting ready for another day of riding tomorrow!
