La Crosse, WI – Minot, SD
Daily Mileage: 736
Total Mileage: 2735
Total Number of States Traveled: 17
I departed from La Crosse, Wisconsin (located on the eastern bank of the Mississippi) and headed east on I-90 for 27 miles until I hit the small town of Sparta, where I took Wisconsin State Route 27 north toward Eau Claire where I picked up US 53 north. The dairy farms were still covered with snow, but although the day started out pretty cold, it was in the mid-forties by lunch.
I rolled into Superior, Wisconsin and crossed into Minnesota and the city of Duluth on the western shore of Lake Superior:
… I talked to a ham while passing through Cameron who told me just earlier this week the first ship came into Duluth as the ice is starting to break up. Duluth is built up on a steep hill over looking Lake Superior. After climbing to the west, I rejoined US Route 2 – the road I started out on when I left Plymouth, Mass.
I had an enjoyable conversation with a ham near Deep River who ended up having two kids who had gone to my rival High School back in Sunnyvale, CA. As I approached Bemidji the repeater was pretty quite, except for one conversation I heard between three hams who were making coordination to help about with the funerals that will take place this Saturday. Most of the stores along US 2 had their flags at half mast, mourning the terrible loss at Red Lake High School…
I made good time through the rest of western Minnesota, stopping for fuel and food in Grand Forks, North Dakota. The sun set as I continued west on US 2 – and I watched as the temperature slowly dropped. It’s suppose to be 9 degrees tonight here in Minot…. but I’m guessing that’s probably pretty warm for the locals.
Best Western Kelly Inn
1510 26th Avenue SW
Minot, ND 58701