The Wind Always Blows in ND

Sixty miles into the wind was a challenge, but I made it. I decided not to fight it, instead just trying to maintain a steady cadence. My average was just under 10 mph.

I arrived in Minnewauken at about 5 p.m. and couldn't find a place to stay. I flagged down a resident and he sent me out to "Reel Em In." I am the first customer in this small office building that has been converted to a hostel. Its pretty nice and I have the place to myself tonight.



On the way here I met a group of riders coming from Bar Harbor. They had a sag wagon, and the wind at their backs, and so their pace was considerably faster. Nevertheless, they weren't traveling any further today than I was.

By the time I got to Minnewauken there was no place open to get food. So I ate everything in my reserve pack (cheese, sardines, trail mix, and nutri-grain bars. This morning I went to the only grocery in town and resupplied. Prices were very high and the selection was limited.

Minnewauken, like many other small rural towns, is gradually dying. Farms are getting bigger and it takes fewer people to operate them. Bigger communities have chain stores with much greater variety and lower prices. So, the few people who remain in these small towns drive the 25+ miles to the bigger towns to do their shopping. The small grocery stores like the one I visited are in a death spiral: less traffic, less product to sell, fewer reasons to shop there.







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Location:Minnewauken, ND