We dedicated today’s ride to Michaeline’s teacher who passed away from pancreatic cancer this past November.

I must say, so far Wisconsin has consistently been best state that we have ridden through. Even though most of what we rode past today was farmland, something about elevation change just makes the backdrop that much more beautiful, and it was nice to see the green pastures with cows grazing. I did not know how bike friendly this state was. Pretty much all of today’s 81 miles were spent on a bike path that led us through several caves, a cute roadside ice cream stop, and even the “bike capital of the US” in Sparta Wisconsin.

Yet another over-the-top church member let us swim in their pool and Jacuzzi this evening, motivating us the move as quickly as possible during the day.  La Crosse surprised me. With the college campus nestled next to the church we are spending the night tonight, a nice looking downtown, and views of the Mississippi river running between here and the town on the other side of the river, which happens to be Minnesota. Tomorrow holds the promise of another rest day and another state line to cross.

But I didn’t even get cheese curds :(