Basically, I just wanted to use the day to go and find some new roads, stretch the legs so to speak, ride around by myself and generally have a good old time.
Mission most definitely accomplished.
I new I had to go south east for todays fun, as most of the roads around where I live and to the west are very straight, and well laid out in a nice grid pattern. Excellent for the WOT test I wanted to do, but that achieved I needed more excitement.
I headed southwards into the Minnesota River Valley on county roads, through Blakely and Henderson, and then on to New Prague. I like that area, because the valley is carved deep, so there is some uppy downiness to enjoy, a rare thing in the flat prairie land.
From there south on Mn 21, which was loaded with sweeping curves - nothing real tight, to Faribault.
They used to have a thriving mattress industry in faribault, and they even had a rugby team for a while, which was named the Faribault Boksprings (a little Homage to the (as it happens) world Champions South Africa Springboks). But I digress.
From there eastwards on Mn 60, and then a swift jaunt south on some county roads again, nice and quiet, and plenty of open country like this:
I found some good winding roads though - fun!
I rode through the little town of Kenyon, through West Concord to Pine Island, and then back onto Mn 60 again. This was a blast - this stretch of Mn 60 between Mazeppa and Wabasha (of Grumpy Old Men fame) is a great fast road, which twists and turns, and goes up and down through more bluffs as you headtowards the Mississipi river. Good stuff.
Mn 60:
