GMRR Day 24 - LaCrosse, WI to Red Wing, MN

The link to today's route and the ride statistics is here.

Today, the winds were out of the northwest, so which way do you think we were riding.  Of course, straight into the wind.  While they weren't helping, they could have been worse.  Other than the wind, the weather was perfect for riding.  Temps started in the upper 50s and probably were still in the low 70s at finish.
I found the first two thirds of the route fairly uninteresting.  The river was mostly hidden, and when we saw water it was mostly marshland.  Here is a shot with our mechanic to give you an idea.

We saw a couple of more dam and lock combinations.  I will only show one, since they are all pretty similar.  This one was in the town of Alma.

After the town of Pepin, the route became more scenic.  In fact, according to one of the historical markers, it is one of the most scenic in the country.  That is because it borders Lake Pepin, which is pretty nice.  But first, I must comment on Pepin the town.  It is the birthplace of Laura Ingalls Wilder of the Little House books.  Here is the historical marker.

The town also has a museum, but I didn't have the time to visit.  I did like the map of her travels that was outside the museum.

Since it was a nice day, there were a number of boats on the lake.

Finally, after a long day on the road, we crossed the Mississippi into Minnesota.  Here is a shot of the Red Wing marina from the bridge.  Red Wing is also the home of Red Wing shoes.

Since tomorrow will be the final day of the ride, and many folks will be leaving quickly after they get in, we had our farewell banquet tonight.  It is clear that everyone very much enjoyed the ride, and appreciated the very fine staff we had supporting us.

We have one last chance for a rainy day, and the forecast is pretty iffy.  Wish us well.