Day #74 - 5/25/2011 - New Ulm, Minnesota to Decorah, IA - 188 miles

It was 188 stormy miles from New Ulm, MN to Decorah, IA; I think this is how we went.



We were up at 3:30 and on our bikes by 4:15 in an attempt to get a jump on the worsening weather that was predicted.  But, we were already doomed. It was cold (48ºF) with rain and headwinds of 20mph…and dark.  We took off with a steady climb for the 5 miles out of New Ulm.  After reaching Courtland - the next town - and pulling into the Shell station to get out of the rain, Lani made it clear: this sort of conditions were not going to cut it…biking 60+ miles was tough enough without the crappy conditions.  (I didn't argue.) The plan?  Return to New Ulm and find a way to move forward. So, we turned around. At least the wind was at our back.

Even though we had checked out, the manager (from India, again!), 

let us back into our room.  It was trés gloomy.

The only vehicle rental option in New Ulm was U-Haul, conveniently located a block from our Super 8.  Guess who wouldn't walk over with me?

Lani returned to bed as I walked to the U-Haul, in the rain, uphill both ways.

 Eventually, I returned with a 10’ truck, loaded our bikes up and took off for Spring Valley, a small town about 130 miles farther along and the location of the next, nearest U-Haul according to Google Maps.

We bungeed our bikes to the side and tossed our gear in.  The beauty of  U-Haul is that it
allows for a one-way rental.

 We remained on highway 14 or, as it is known in these parts, the Laura Ingalls Wilder Historic Highway.

Janesville, population=2256 and a shocking 97.72% of them Caucasian (leaving room for 2 African-Americans and 8 Native American Indians, in case you're counting), dates to 1858 and like so much of this part of the country, was tied to the Chicago and Northwestern Railways. 

The weather was horrible…wind and rain, often severe, the exact sort of conditions any sane person avoids…and I was in a truck.   I hated it.  We eventually pulled into Spring Valley, located where the U-Haul  location was supposed to be and found out that it had closed shop 9 years ago.  Way to go, Google.

While driving in circles to find the non-existent U-Haul location that Google assured us was there,  I stopped to admire the handiwork that created these wind vanes.  I was thinking "I wonder how firmly they're anchored into the ground?" and would they notice if I walked away with one.  

 U-Haul proudly declares that their 10' truck gets "excellent fuel economy", with excellent meaning about 12mpg.  We stopped for gas and to figure out where the next U-Haul really was.

Pouring rain, Lani brushes up on her Angry Birds instead of being helpful.

Before leaving Spring Valley, we stopped for lunch.  Yelp offered up just a few choices, one of which was Elaine's Café.  Spring Valley’s main street , as with virtually all the small towns we’ve been through, had a 50’s feel.  Elaine's Café also looked like it was transported here from 6 decades ago.  

Were you aware that Almanzo Wilder, the husband of Laura Ingalls Wilder, lived on a farm not far from Spring Valley?  Or that Richard Sears, the founder of ...wait for it....Sears, grew up here?  Me, neither.  You can see the U-Haul parked by the curb.  We headed to Elaine's Cafe and tried to blend in.

We sat at the counter and were waited on by Mary, who knew everyone who stepped into the restaurant.  The menu offered a ¼-pound cheeseburger from local grass-fed cows for about $3 and a few cents more with grilled onions.  We both went for it, Lani with Elaine's potato salad and mine with onion rings, personally battered by Elaine.

For the life of me, I'll never understand how someone can take an out-of-focus picture in such a simple setting like this with a Canon 7D.  Yet...I must accept it.  I could blame myself for not checking the focus of the picture that Mary graciously took, I could...but I'd rather blame society.  Anyway, the meal was awesome, maybe the best restaurant burger I've had.  And the onion rings, also battered and fried by Elaine, were great.  I'd come back to Spring Valley just to eat here again.

As we enjoyed out burgers (expertly cooked by Elaine herself), a table of men sat near us for what Mary told us was their twice daily discussion of all things local and worldly.  

The men ranged in age from 55, or so, to 85, discussing hydrology, crop planting, soils, banana farming in Uganda and a wide array of topics as they enjoyed their coffee.  When they were done, they tossed dice to see who would pay.   The scene looked like it was out of a movie…except it wasn’t....it was America  (yuh...I know...corny, but it was pretty cool.)

Elaine's Café looked like a great place to hang out, as well as to have a great meal. Unfortunately, we had to move on.

So, I've noticed this hierarchy of business establishments as towns get bigger in size.  The smallest towns will have a gas station/food market and a post office.  Next in line is the beauty shop and place to get your nails done.  Then comes the bowling alley, which makes sense: a place for people to get together and have a good time, all year-round.

The next U-Haul, and this time we called for confirmation, was in Decorah, Iowa.  So, in the worsening rain/windstorm, we headed that way and found the Super 8.

This being my birthday, I felt that something more than quinoas/lentils was in order, so we got back into the U-Haul 10-footer and made our way to the Yelp#1-rated restaurant in Decorah: Rubaiyat.

What a surprise: great interior décor, classy menu, top notch wine list, reasonably priced.   The signature appetizer, baked brie with huckleberries, was outstanding and worth going back for.  On the other hand, our pizza with roast beef and gouda just didn’t work.  Still, I’d go back.

Minor point: Guess who brought his camera to dinner and didn't take any photos?