6/7/26 MRT Minneapolis to St Cloud

It was a good start to the tour, got all packed, checked my bags at the hotel and just missed the blue metro train from Mall of America so 20 minutes to the next one I decided to ride up a couple stops to Bloomington Center where I discovered the banana in my back pocket hung down too low and got squished all in my pocket and in my pants lol lol, what a way to start the day and the tour. Luckily i had brought a couple paper towels for greasy work so i was able to get the most before the train showed up... Rode to the last station down town which is at Target field, the concession workers were showing up for work and a bunch of people with KC Royals gear on were around and on the train so i guess the Royals were in town for an afternoon game, i rode around the stadium and started west out of town, thought about taking a bus to the furthest transit station at Brooklyn Park but i would have to unload all the panniers and bags to get on a bus so decided just roll out, this was my first mistake and I did pass the Brooklyn Park transit center about noon... but I figured it was only 40 miles i was going to Elk River so I had plenty of time, I was concerned about my rear tire pressure i could only get so much air pumped in with my little hand pump and didn't have a pressure guage (presta) or an adapter, it went missing sometime in the last couple months, well then I rode up the river trail a while and was concerned my phone battery was going low this my first time using the Ride with GPS app it seemed to be going down pretty quick and my power pack is usually good for 2 recharges so started using that and thought i'd take a short cut didn't need to follow that path on the river so i saw a sign for the shingle creek traril on a mapoboard and decided i'd go that route, this is when i passed the Brooklyn Parjk transit station... Finally i cleared town and stopped at a Deli for a sandwich and bought a loaf of pumpernickel bread, my plan to buy some cheese later or pbj rather than power bars thought i'll eat more regular food on this trip. Got to Elk River well it was only 3pm or so so I pressed on toward Monticello, the river is so different here it's a place every community has a park on the river and people were out boating or fishing or messing around at parks by the river, got to Monticello about 4 ish I was pretty tired planned to stop but it was a nice big tailwind so i kept on, only another 35 miles or so to St Cloud, and i had a big tailwind Ride with GPS said i would get there about 700 so i went for it, not realizing i had already rode about 50 miles with all the out of the way stuff and not being in shape i started to get saddle sore a bit... But i did make it to St Cloud about 730 and it was pretty empty, St Cloud State University is there, home of the Huskies, they are a hockey power... the Herb Brooks National hockey training center is there... but there were a few places open downtown and i got a burger and fries and na Corona while looking for a hotel, settled on the Holiday Inn express where points + cash got me a nice room for $38, only it was 5 miles back to Clearwater but it was a nice ride and i felt better after having a good meal. You can imagine i was sore and tired when i got there, then unpack but they had a hot tub open til 11 so i went in there for 15 mins to soak everything then jumped in the cool pool and finally got all done about 1230 am... it was a long day and pics a prob but in a day or two i'll sort that... oh i met a guy Jerry from South Carolina on the road he was coming from Seattle going to he didn't know where, maybe Milwaukee... had a nice little chat he obviously had been alone too long wanted to chat forever but no i have to get to my stop by dark so see ya later !