On to Minnesota!

Time for my reading to leave South Dakota. And I still haven't finished Bury My Heart or Black Elk Speaks!

But now I move on to Minnesota, home of ...

Charles Schultz

Mary Tyler Moore 

and

Lake Wobegon.

The states will come quicker now that we've left the West.

Smaller states, less time.

How many days will we have in each state?

Oregon               8

Idaho                  7

Wyoming           6

South Dakota     8

Minnesota          3

Wisconsin          4

Michigan           4

Ontario              2

New York         6

Vermont            1

New Hampshire 2

 I'm especially excited about Minnesota after reading the Moon Handbook...

"...a dream destination for those who love nature and the outdoors. 

The boreal forests of the northeast fade into the tallgrass prairie of the southwest and in between are the lakes - far more than the sloganned 10,000."

Minnesota is famous as a destination for canoers.

But this state is also a leader in rail to trail development!

And for 7 years in a row Minnesota was chosen as Quitno's Most Livable State.

Until they were beaten by...

New Hampshire.

Our final goal state.

In fact, the states we are visiting have some high honors.

The latest Men's Journal lists The Best Places to Live in 2010.

Of the 10 states we are biking through, they name 4.

They specifically like Casper, Wyoming (one of our rest days) for hiking and mountain biking.

They tout Idaho Falls for the mountain playgrounds.

The Black Hills of South Dakota are recommended for the house of your dreams.

And Minnesota wins for bike trails and organic farms.

I'd say we are going to see some of the best America has to offer this summer.