On this day, we knew that we were going to ride at least as far as Red Wing, where a good college friend lived and worked. What were somewhat unsure of was riding further down the road (18 miles) to Lake City. However, weather would factor into this decision as the day played out.
The morning's weather was partly cloudy, but within the first 45 minutes of riding the sky became entirely overcast. We enjoyed riding through downtown St Paul past the state capitol building. Traffic was light enough to make navigating the downtown area easier than I had expected. Shortly after passing through downtown St Paul, the MRT took us onto a dedicated trail for about four miles along the course of the Mississippi River. Afterwards, the MRT wound away from the Mississippi River and back onto county highways. Similar to the day before, construction interrupted our planned route forcing us onto a short stretch of a busy US-52. We were only inconvenienced by this unexpected detour for about two miles. Shortly after leaving US-52, a light rain began to fall. At the time, the rain seemed light enough that, with luck, it might pass and soon dry up. After a quick stop in Hastings, luck was not had with the weather. We were approximately 20 miles out from Red Wing, when the rain and wind began to pick up. By the time the rain became steady, I was already drenched enough that putting on my rain jacket would have been pointless. This made the next 45 minutes of riding south on MN-316 tedious considering the distance. Fortunately, the rain let up and wind became less influential as we turned and rode eastward on US-61. By the time we reached Red Wing, the rain had ceased, and the clouds cleared up within 90 minutes.
Once in Red Wing, we met up with our good friend, Matt Racky, at a standout local eatery named The Smokin' Oak Rotisserie & Grill. I had dined here on a previous visit and was looking forward to dining here again! The brisket reuben sandwiches were outstanding, and even lifted my spirits after the drenching, windy ride from Hastings. Afterwards, we checked into a local hotel, cleaned up, and went to Bay Point Park by the Mississippi River to throw a frisbee. By this time the sky was void of clouds, and the absence of humidity made for a very comfortable late afternoon/evening. The mixture of sunshine and shade in the park coupled with the Mississippi only 75 yards away made for an idyllic setting to enjoy our common pastime: frisbee.
Afterwards, we went to a local brewery/pizza establishment (Red Wing Brewery), where we dined on two very delicious pizzas that were more than the three of us could consume. From here, we retired to the hotel and had a quiet evening that was just alright after a day of riding through cruddy weather.
