9-8-2012 (Saturday) Muscoda to Prairie Du Chein

Miles biked – 60
Ride time – 5 hours 28 minutes
MPH – 11



After getting up and ready to go we enjoyed breakfast with Ron and Jodine before we gave hugs and said our goodbyes. Being we are riding the “Great River Route” we thought it only right to parallel the Wisconsin River for a stretch so we rode Highway 60 between Muscoda and Prairie du Chein. However, the water level is the lowest that it has ever been recorded at this time of the year so there were a lot of exposed sand bars where normally there would be nothing but water.  It was a very pleasant ride with comfortable temperatures and moderate hills.



It started out rather cool this morning so at 7:30 we left Muscoda with long sleeve jersey’s on and our fleece jackets and headed west on Hwy 60 towards Prairie Du Chein.  We stopped in a little café/gas station in Wauzeka and shared a turkey sub that was really delicious.

About a mile before Prairie du Chein we saw a gentleman in the AMPI driveway holding two bottles of water and waving us in off the road.  We pulled in and talked with David Martin and his wife Joan.  It turns out that he had seen us this morning in Muscoda and then again later in the morning as we pedaled towards Prairie Du Chein.  He was curious about where we were going.  As it turns out they are the owners of a café in Marquette, Iowa and they invited us to their café to have lunch on them.  They also knew Ron and Jodine Roh.  While having lunch David introduced us to John and Med Bickel who are from Cedar Rapids, Iowa.  David offered to take us on a boat ride on the Mississippi.  I am sure it would have been a wonderful ride but due to time restraints we declined the offer so we could go back to Prairie Du Chein to the Carriage Classic that was being held at the Villa Louis Historical Site.





We had a little bit of trouble finding a room because of the Carriage Classic and also a Bass tournament in the area.  We did end up getting a room at the Microtel.

We went to 4:00PM mass at St. Gabriel’s and then stopped at the grocery store for a few things before we settled into our hotel room for the night.  This has been another fantastic day!  Tomorrow we will leave Wisconsin and start biking in Iowa.