Western WI and Eastern MN: Home of Bag Milk

From Reedsburg, we headed out for La Crosse. The trend of rolling hills in this part of the state continued, much to my enjoyment. That type of terrain is my favorite because it provides us riders with some challenge while allowing the ride to still be very enjoyable. And, we were lucky enough to have great weather this day as well.But, what was most important on this ride day was our introduction the most glorious beverage this country has ever seen: BAG MILK. For those who are unaware, at most Kwik Trip gas stations in WI and MN, one is able to purchase a half gallon bag of milk for $0.99. Not only is the milk inexpensive, but it is delicious and comes in a package that makes it very entertaining to consume. We as a team are so fascinated that we have continued to buy bags at every single rest stop since then. I personally am dreading the day where this milk is no longer a part of my life.We rolled into La Crosse, a pretty college town right on the Mississippi river. The church we were staying at had a nice big room for everyone to sleep in, and arranged for us to use the showers at the YMCA down the street. The pastor Taylor was really cool as well! He himself runs triathlons, and was able to take me to a really nice bike shop to get a new cable for my rear derailleur. I would have explored the town a lot more, but I fell asleep at 8 pm that day haha.We woke up the next day and crossed the river into Minnesota. We had about a 2 mile bike climb up the bluff, but once on top we were afforded some great views! The rest of the day was plagued by head winds, but we managed to make it into to Rochester by 5 pm. Rochester, in case you are unaware, is the home of the famous Mayo Clinic, a place where many cancer patients go to receive treatment. Once we rolled in, we went to the local Hope Lodge, a home sponsored  by ACS where patients are allowed to live during their treatment. There, we got a tour, and met some great people, including a man named Rudy Butteri. Rudy is an elderly man receiving treatment for Lymphoma. Rudy was amazing to talk to because he was so upbeat and so positive about his situation. And, he was a packers fan! I got to participate in my first portrait with him, and it was great. He will definitely be an inspiration to all of us who met him when we get to the hard times on the rest of our ride.Tomorrow, Albert Lea MN, then Jackson, MN, and then we head into the South Dakota. It's exciting to finally start getting to some more western states.So long for now.-Kyle