Here we go, Day Two.  A key to successful long distance touring is carbo-loading. And the Baraboo Best Western did not disappoint! Scrambled eggs, sausage, English muffins….

…oatmeal, waffles…. all the calories one could want!

We left promptly at 9:00 after the rains ended; two inches fell overnight! We rode up Old Hwy 12 through a construction zone that was not bike-friendly!

We then rode a lovely stretch toward Reedsburg, along North Reedsburg Road. Past historic farms…

…with prairie natives like this spiderwort blooming in the ditches.

emJay stops to admire the no-till soybean field (camera wouldn’t focus because of her magnetic personality!!!)

And after 14 miles of riding, we were in downtown Reedsburg, looking for a bakery! We couldn’t find one so  we settled for donuts and long johns at the Kwik Trip.

Beautiful historic homes along the main drag.

….as well as a puzzling mural.  Where are they hauling these giant ice blocks?

And why is there a hatchet on the pole atop the time capsule? Rick was told the hatchet was in homage to  the woodsmen who squared up the timbers into rectangular shapes. Of course!!

h

Where but in Wisconsin do we advertise the cheapest markups allowed by state statute? Let’s buy some more beer, then!!

The Reedsburg Chamber of Commerce staffs the trail headquarters owned by the WI DNR. This is the trail head for the 400 Trail. What’s in a name? It took 400 minutes to travel from Minneapolis to Chicago, back in the Day. Beverly was welcoming and answered all our questions.

EmJay shows off her new 400 Trail T shirt!

Reedsburg business is venting and burning off excess natural gas. But why?!

Here is a biker’s oasis along the trail. Friendly! And lots of tricycles on display too.

Baby robin displaced by all the rain last night. S/he sat very still as we checked him/her out. Nature notes: riding across Wisconsin is as much about what you hear as what you see. Yesterday on the Lodi-Springfield Road, and today, lots of dickcissels, eastern meadowlarks, towhees….Lots of singing, especially in the mornings.

MJ rides across one of many wooden bridges over the Baraboo River and its tributaries.

As we rode into Wonewoc, we wondered why a trail station would be closed for the season in June. There was an adjacent horse trail, so maybe the horsies are done until later in the season…due to the deerflies! See below.

Along the trail we saw several areas where turtle nests had been disturbed. Snacking raccoons or coyotes? We hope we are wrong and that everyone hatched and went on to live happy turtle lives. The painted turtle can live to be 55!

Bucolic biking.

We stopped in LaValle which used to look like this! The bluffs are completely forested today.

We were pestered continually today by deerflies. See the 4 or 5 on MJ’s shirt! They enjoyed biting us through our shorts, gloves and shirts.

We stopped in tiny Union Center and shared a sandwich.

Across the street was a chapel….

with a year-around, 24/7, round-the-clock vigil. Hey, who is on for 4:00?!

Shhh. Vigil at work.

You don’t say. Where is Tommy today?

Here is our new home, the Trail Gate B and B. Up a very steep hill!

Our cozy room, the Steeple View….

And this is our view.

All the local restaurants are closed on Mondays. So innkeeper Debra will make her famous “the Works” pizza if you make arrangements. Only for Trails Gate guests!

Deelicious!