Lake Wobegon Trail

Before we got to Minnesota, our nephew Jason told us about a rails to trail that was two miles away from his home called the Lake Wobegon trail. When we told our neighbor that we were going to ride this trail, he said, oh, Garrison Keeilor and Lake Wobegon, talk show on NPR on Saturday mornings. And that was the response we got whenever we brought up the trail name to a few other people. So we were anxious to get a look at what this trail is all about. Come to find out, Garrison Keeilor made up Lake Wobegon, and the trail was named after this fictional area.

Please notice that you are advised to wear bright clothing during hunting season.

On Saturday morning we got to take a ride on the infamous Lake Wobegon Trail from Avon, MN to Albany, MN. It was about 6 miles each way and was a very nice morning to ride. We were kind of looking for a coffee shop and found the Albany Home Bakery that almost made me not want to be gluten free. I have never seen so many pastries in every color frosting and covered in all kinds of glazes and sugars. I got a cup of coffee and Anthony tried out their cheese Danish, total $2.00. Wow. 

When we walked in, the only two tables that were in there were filled with over 75-year-old men and women playing cards, something we were told they do most every day, which was awesome. When they got finished, we saw them counting out their change and settling up their winnings.

We started talking to one of them, and they could tell right off that we weren't from Minnesota, so another fella, 90-year-old Andy, decided he would sit with us and chat for a bit. Come to find out, Andy's great grandfather from Germany and great Grandmother from Austria homesteaded in the area in the mid 1800's and started clearing about 160 acres. Those acres and about 170 more are what Andy still farms today, growing corn and Alfalfa. His grandson now does most of the farming, but Andy said he still runs the tractor. He said he is doing well but has bad ankles. He even showed off how well his new knees are working since he had his knee surgery. He was so fun to talk to. I am glad he took time to chat to us.

In the cooler of the bakery were about 20 Angel Food cakes and there was a sign that said they were reserved for the Avon church bizarre which was happening the next day, and while we were there they were loading them up and taking them out the door.  Most of them were covered with colorful buttercream icing and some were even covered with sprinkles. I had only seen Angel Food cakes plain, so this was unique to me. You can see them behind Anthony in the picture of him eating his cheese danish.

When we were at the bakery we also met a couple and we took pictures for each other in front of the Lake Wobegon Sign in Albany. When we got back to Avon, they were right behind us and we talked with them some more. Come to find out, they participate in Warm Showers in Duluth, MN, so we exchanged numbers in case we wanted to take a shower while we are in Duluth. How nice! We are talking about signing up for Warm Showers one day, as we saw how the generosity of so many who participate in Couchsurfing effected how our girls were able to travel more efficiently while they were in Europe. Warm showers allows touring bicyclists to take a warm shower at a home and also allows them to set up a tent or stay in a room at the residence.

This guy wins. What an insane amount of firewood.

As we are in Minnesota, it is difficult to believe that in the winter everything could be covered in unbelievable blankets of snow, but there are constant reminders.

Also, the house numbers are located on tall poles in front of people's houses instead of on the curb, which would be worthless in the winter in Avon, MN.

We spent the night beside the trailhead and got up the next morning and rode from Albany to Holdingford, MN. This whole rails to trail is so well paved, it was very pleasant and easy to ride.  When we got to Holdingford, we got to see the longest covered bridge in Minnesota.

We saw a sign on the side of the trail about a coffee shop, so we decided to try it out. When we got there, we saw it was closed, but someone driving by hollered out to us that if we were hungry to head to The Legion (meaning The American Legion) right across the road, so we did. The chef who was there looked like he was 18 years old, but he has worked for the Grand Hyatt as a sous chef in Hawaii and Florida previously. He is from the area and when he moved back they pursued him to see if he would take over the restaurant. It was surprising looking at the menu, as he had listed gluten free pancakes, so that's what we split. Being GF usually means eggs and bacon for breakfast, so this was a treat. 

In Holdingford, there was plenty of interesting art to enjoy and plenty of beauty along the trail.

When we got back to Albany, we sat at some picnic tables and there was another couple with an RV and we got to know them a bit. They are from Kensington, MN, and they proudly added, home of the Kensington Rune Stone. We said we didn't know what that was, and they couldn't believe it. Anyway, the lady said she thought the stone is cursed, and suggested not to get involved in investigating the Rune Stone because we could possibly get obsessed with it. What was the most interesting is that the husband is the president of the Kensington Area Heritage Society, and she was the curator. Mind you, Kensington only has about 285 people, but it apparently has a rich heritage that needs some curating. If you would like to know more about the Kensington Rune Stone, see this link:

http://www.kahsoc.org

(Picture credit goes to the Kensington Heritage Society website.)

But don't say you haven't been warned.