Today was our first day of rest since July 2nd. We slept in and hung around our host's residence for the better part of the day. It was great to do nothing bicycle related for most of the day. I went to a local bike shop, hoping they could pinpoint the origin of an infrequent popping noise. However, upon arrival I found that the shop was closed due to the mountain bike race going on in the area today. The bike was absolutely rideable, so I figured I'd have it looked at elsewhere down the road. Later this evening, Garrett and I joined our host and his girlfriend for dinner. We had a fun time going to a different restaurant in downtown Bismarck. Afterwards, we went to a local establishment that was themed as a prohibition style speakeasy. Patrons walked into a corridor that appeared to be a dead end. However, a wall with a few decorations on shelves opened up into the speakeasy. This place was neat! True to the theme, the interior was decorated with in 1920's paraphernalia. Employees also were dressed in apparel from the Roaring 20's. We stayed at the speakeasy for a little over an hour, and had a great time chatting with our new friends.
Afterwards, we retired for the evening as we would have a 104 mile ride ahead of us the upcoming day.
