Minnesota-Central Lakes Bike Trail – Day 1

Yesterday we checked out of our hotel in Bemidji, and traveled south to Fergus Falls. We’ve left the Paul Bunyan Trail and started the Central Lakes Trail today and will also ride the Lake Wobegan Trail since they are connected. This leg of our journey will be a bit different, as we will not have a shuttle service moving our luggage from place to place. We found a shuttle service willing to transport us to the end of the trail, so we can ride the entire trail without having to double back at the end. But this shuttle service only provides transport for people and bikes, they don’t transfer luggage each day. We will miss that, but took some time yesterday to put everything we need for the 4 days we are away from the car in our bike bags.

We parked our car behind the B&B in St. Joseph’s, where we will be lodging at the end of the trail. The owner was very accommodating to allow us to take up that space in her small parking lot for 4 days prior to our night at her B&B!

We had a little extra time on our hands before the shuttle arrived, so we ate lunch at a new taco restaurant on the corner and I walked around and took pictures of the pretty little downtown St. Joseph.

We made another quick check of our bags before loading them on our bikes, and walked to the street in front of the B&B to wait for our shuttle. Before long, the shuttle arrived and we loaded the bikes and set off for Fergus Falls.

The Central Lakes Trail is 55 miles long and runs from Fergus Falls to Osakis. In Osakis, the Lake Wobegan Trail connects and extends to St. Joseph for another 65 miles. St. Joseph is where we left the car. We’ve divided this ride into 4 days to cover them both.

The shuttle (Central Lakes Trikes Shuttle Service) dropped us off in Fergus Falls just in time to check in to our Airbnb. We stayed on the upper floor of one of the oldest buildings in Fergus Falls, right on the main downtown street. It was quite a walk up all those stairs with the bikes, but we made it!

The little apartment was super cute and very clean. We left the bikes and walked up and down the streets below, taking photos of all the vintage buildings and vintage signs. It is a really cute town.

The next morning, we were ready to go early. We ate breakfast at the Viking Cafe right across the street. It has been family-owned and in the same location since 1965. It was like stepping back in time and was delicious!

On the way out of town, we had to stop by the park and get a quick photo of Otto the Otter. He is the town mascot I guess, since Fergus Falls is located in Otter Tail County, lol. It’s the first thing you see as you pass the lake into Fergus Falls.

We easily found the trail and set off to cool temperatures and bright blue skies. I took several photos. This trail has more open views, it’s not all shade covered like the Paul Bunyan, but that was fine since the temperatures were very pleasant today. We saw more big farms and an abundance of birds along the trail as much of the trail goes through marsh areas and of course beside lakes! There were several stands of wild asparagus beside the trail as well.

Alongside the trail, we found the Purple Heart Chapel. It was an interesting little place with a small collection of artifacts pertaining to the military service of community members and family members. There was also a cooler containing free bottled water. I took a peek in the chapel and signed the guest book. Posted near the water cooler, was this message:

Thank you for stopping!

People have asked what this is and why we did this. Our family has been on this farm since 1868. We thought this would be a good use for the little piece of land beside the bike trail.

It is to honor two people who were willing to die for us to pay a debt that we had.

We owe a debt to the American servicemen. Before you were born they defended you.You are the beneficiary of their sacrifice. Inside (the chapel) are some (information about) relatives. Most came home and a few did not.

The servicemen paid the debt for our freedom and our opportunity. Christ paid the debt for our soul.

The body that you walk around in is very temporary and will not last very long. Your soul never dies and will have a home and you have a say in the matter.

The reason that John 3:16 is the most quoted vderse in the Bible is because it tells what is necessary to save your soul in a few words. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in Him, should have eternal life.”

No one expects perfection. If that is the case – I am not a candidate. It is simply believing and acknowledging the debt.

Please take a bottle of water and thank you again for stopping. And sign the guest book!

Joel and Tuyet Rovang

We ate lunch on the trail in a small town where we found cheeseburgers and fries and enjoyed them at the trailside picnic shelter.

We arrived in the town of Alexandria at around 3:00 pm and it was hard to miss the big Viking standing alongside the trail as we rolled into town. His name is Ole (Oh-Lee) the Viking, and he stands tall (28 feet!) as a symbol of the town’s Viking pride. He is made of fiberglass and has some tales to tell!

He was built to accompany the Kensington Runestone to the 1965 World’s Fair. The Kensington Runestone is a flat piece of stone that was discovered in this area by a farmer in 1898, when the farmer was clearing his land. It was lying face down on a little knoll and was tangled in the roots of a tree. The stone contained chiseled inscriptions which, when translated, appeared to be notes made by Norse explorers. There has been much debate as to whether it is a hoax or whether it is a genuine artifact from the 14th century, and if it is, how did it make its way to a farm in Minnesota a century before Christopher Columbus began his exploration? The Runestone museum was not open today, so I could not see the stone or learn any more about it, but that’s a controversy for another time.

No matter which side of the debate you were on, the Kensington Runestone was important enough (or controversial enough) to make it to the 1965 World’s Fair in New York, and needed a big Viking to escort it! Ole was constructed to be the Viking escort and was part of the New York World’s Fair until it concluded in December of that year. The Viking returned to Alexandria (as did the Runestone) and has had a prominent place of display ever since. But not without incident.

In 1967, the town dressed him up for the Christmas holidays in a Santa suit, but low and behold, someone shot a flaming arrow at him in his Christmas finery and it sent him up in flames! His sword was once snapped off by a vandal and in 1996, he was knocked off base by a strong storm. When they lowered and removed the Viking to make repairs to the wind damage, his leg was crushed under the collapse of a snow-covered roof! But each time, the little town of Alexandria has come to the rescue, fixing him up, patching him up and repainting as needed. He stands head and shoulders above the town and is right on the bike trail.

We easily found our B&B, a few blocks ride through the town of Alexandria, and though we were a little earlier than the 4:00 pm check in, the innkeeper was ready for us. We stored the bikes in the garage, grabbed our bags and were shown to our room.

The Cedar Rose Inn is beautiful with a wide wrap-around porch that we have taken advantage of! We are in the James Herriott room, named after the author (but not because he stayed here). The house was built in 1903 as a private home, then for many years, served as a “hostess house” in the community. It was a venue for weddings, social events, baby showers, community gatherings, etc.

At one point, one of the owners of the home attempted to operate a funeral home at this location, and succeeded for 2 years, but finally the community sentiment was so strongly against it, he was forced to choose another location for his funeral business. I’m glad it was saved and still serves as a hostess home of sorts, welcoming travelers like us after a long day on the trail!