Bike trip from Minneapolis (MN) to Aberdeen (SD) 310+ miles

I had dream to ride across MN long time.. SO  this summer I decided to do that. I do not like to make hard logistics of my trips. So when we decided with Dan that we will go in our family road  trip to the Montana I  said that we  (me and girls) will start early (5 days before)  and will meet him at the Aberdeen in South Dakota. So now he do not drive special somewhere just to bring us home. It will be part of our adventure.
 I was little bit scared because it will be my longest trip with my girls for distance  and amount of the days. 
I packed my stuff, camping stuff, some amount food and girls stuff. As always full of stuff )))

DAY 1 We started from home. I do not have exactly route. Just use what phone map recommended for the bikes. So first day we rode just on the bike trail. about 60 miles of BIKE TRAIL!! This country is amazing. They used old railway roads and built bike trails on it. It is so awesome.

For this reason so many small towns on our way (years before it was train station cities)

 I know that Nadia will fine. Just wondering that Yeva could have fun too. SO  I make stops every 15 miles for the rest for Nadia  and play time for Yeva. And it is worked pretty good. Nadia love to ride on the bike trails because we can chat with each other and it makes our long way shorter.

 

For the night we stay at the city campground at the Hutchinson city. I do not big fun of campgrounds. I love wild style camping , but it is not always possible.  It is strange feeling you tent in the city park... 
I cooked dinner. We charge our devices and went to sleep.

Beautiful nature of Minnesota. The nature of Minnesota always reminds me my motherland and I feel so comfy about it ...

DAY 2

 This day we were at COSMOS ))) , Funny small town with such a awesome name COSMOS .

Good thing about my style of the trip I DO NOT HAVE REAL PLAN what is good, because when you are not done with your plan you disappoint.
I have a goal ,not a plan. This is about all trip and days goals to do about 60 miles per day.
One BAD thing about it  - you never knows what kind roads will be. This trip was terrible about roads.  After  bike trail we have to use pavement and shoulders of this roads was so tiny and more often do not have them. SO it was the most stressful trip with kids to me. I always have to feel roads, traffic and  teaching Nadia to take right as much as possible to be safe.  But you could not find on the Google this info about roads. We tried to use gravel roads. But gravel was so soft and with my full loaded bike + trailer it was super hard to ride gravel..

This day was super hot and we stopped near lake to  the break and  looking our plans for the night. Everywhere  everybody  tells us that tonight  will be huge storm . I looked at the weather and it is says that storm will be about 8-9 pm. So  it is only 3 pm . We still can go and to at least another 20 miles. Only one problem at this lake it is last campground. SO for the night we will have to find place for camping.

Nadia was OK to keep going.

 

 

So , in ahead was so many roads for reconstruction and traffic at the local roads was bad and makes me feel not comfortable..And last 15 miles we rode on the road without any shoulder ((. About 6 30 pm I start to looking for place . 
How I am looking for private property place to stay ? 

- it have to be house with some neighborhood
- not far away from the road 

- do not look so new or super old 

- if the place to have  children's playground less chance to meet creepy person )

 

SO Nadia was tired and I found house . I asked guy about letting us to put tent at their property and he was ok,

Honestly I was little bit scared. The guy from  "red neck" scary books (and I was not sure that want to stay here. I sent to Dan coordinate of the out place). When wife came - I was little relaxed that all good. But then another guy came to say hello and he is looks like ... not every one ))))

 

 

But it was mistakes )). This family and their friend was SUPER AWESOME and super nice to us. My relative never was so nice to me. The woman asked us about every thing what we probably need. 

Her husband said that tonight will be huge storm and he turn on air condition and let us to stay at his camper or they also have room at home.. Honestly , when I was kid and lived in Belarus I heard so many legends about american people and always heard that they thinking about them-self.. But every day, every trip I met so many awesome people... 

They do not know me.... but open door of their house to me..They had pool and invite us to swim. After super hot day it was so cool. 

Nadia was so happy about it. 

 

Yeva found 2 dogs and was so happy too. 

 

The sky was so wonderful before storm. The family give to us weather  radio  for reason if storm will be so bad that we have to move to the house.

We made dinner and talking with family about everything. I love this part of our trip you learn so much about people, culture ..... Kids  learing  farm life ... not from State Fair..

My new friends. I love to send  gifts to the people after tip to the people who was so nice to us.

Right at the time when we stopped at this house on the road was huge car incident . I WAS SO HAPPY that we were not on the road in that moment. Police stayed about 4 hours!!
So storm time came at 11 pm and it was DANGEROUS! I was lucky to be in the camper. The wind was so hard that camper moved from side to the side like a swing . I do not want to thinking how it will be with kids in the tent in that moment. ......  I have a lucky star to met this family.
Before night family said to us that that will leave to the work at 5 and 5 am. SO we can stay as much as we want.  They leave to us milk for Yeva, ice for container and some vegetables.
We did 67 miles in that day.

DAY 3

In the morning our new friend dog was waiting us near the door )
My girls had good night and do not scared as I do )).

Breakfast. Packed out stuff and ready to go!

As family recommend we changed our route and choose bigger hwy 169 with big shoulder
It was so many small towns on our way. We love to read sign about amount of people. The smallest was 47 people. But as Nadia said no matter how many people it will be at least one church!

 

WE stopped at the small town on our way Benson for the lunch under water tower and then keeps going. When we rode near gas station I herd my name!!!! Really ?  100  miles from the Minneapolis , in such a not famous city?????

Yes!! Bike community is so tiny and do not have boarders... My friend from Minneapolis Shawn  was here for the work..
After that Nadia said "mom, people knows you everywhere !" )))

WE do not have interesting roads in that that.. Roads on the reconstruction ... SO we have to made 15+ extra miles. No much cities. So our lunch was at the gas station with poor choice of food . Gas station in the small town nice place for conversation. People here is so talk active and can tell you a lot.

Out goal for that day to come to the border MN and SD.

And we did it. And late at the evening we made it. I decided do not cook tonight and have dinner at Subway. We were so tired.

 Campground was in the city Ortonville ( again!!!!) . Nobody here. Only one strange guy. Shit! I decided to put tent as soon as possible and went to sleep. I locked out bikes good. All this time he talked with himself .... Strange. When I went to the tent he started to make noise like a wolf "Wooooooo!" NO I DO NOT LIKE THIS!  At the exit on the campground was sign that police can come and control this place. I found at the internet number of local sheriff and called. Dispatcher tell me that soon police will come. 2 minutes and police was here. I explain to them that I am with 2 kids and do not feel safety with this guy. I want to be sure that they know who is he. They said to me that he is strange but not aggressive.   I can sleep ok. Also they will talk with him. So OK! Now I am ready to sleep. But I put my big knife close to me for "emergency" 75 miles on that day

 

DAY 4


We woke up. It was cold and we had to dressed up in our warmest clothes .
The hwy 12 is our main road for the rest of our trip. It is kind of boring.... You see straight line in front of you and keep going... Only water tower of small towns was like a orienteering for us . We could not to ride side by side with Nadia and I gave small radio to Nadia to make her way less boring.. Only  few towns was on our way.  And one huge hill (about 3 miles long) made our way different.

Sometimes we stopped at the nice places for the rest.

 

The Purple COW  ice cream place was so nice decorated that we have to stopped. Also this place had nice meat section.

At the start of the day I thought that we will stay at night near Webster city. This city that  have free track campground. But it was not as nice as I hoped. Map showed me no good perspective -swam area for many miles ahead. I wanted that last night of our trip was nice ... So I decided to find  private property to stay .  I found one farm and asked to put tent near old barn right near hwy. Woman was nice to us and let to do this.

 

My kids had a fun...so many animals around us. First of all cat came to us and  stay till morning..

When our tent was ready woman and her son came to us to talk. They showed  us their farm and let kids to play with. I love this way how my kid can learn about farm life .

The 10 years old boy was so proud to show us his farm animals and main of animal was his cow.

62 miles .

DAY 5
 We woke up   and packed our stuff. Eat breakfast.. Only 50 miles to go. Little  bit sad... as always at the last day of the trip....

 

We stopped at the turkey's farm and I was surprised that all turkey are WHITE color.

We came to the Aberdeen in the middle of the day.

Find motel which Dan already rent for all our family. We took shower and went to see local city
about
50 miles.+ 12 miles at city tour...
This report less about records.. It is more about how you can keep to do what you love and share this with your family..enjoy every moments which you can spend with your family ... life is short... time when kids live with you too... and this is nice way to be together..
All together for the 5 days 310+ miles 

after this trip we keeps going in another family 10 days adventure on the car with hiking, biking and many other adventure thru Soth and North Dakota , Montana,Wayoning....with all family..