I woke up to a great sunrise and make coffee and breakfast in bed. I was eager to get a start on the day, but the beautiful sky was just calling for me to fly the drone, so I launched while everyone else in camp was still tucked into their campers. The lack of riding any meaningful miles before taking on this trip can already be felt in my sit bones but a little extra chamois butt'r helped.
The day's route from Grant River to Wyalusing State Park was 48 miles and included a few more climbs than the day before. There were some truly beautiful sections including a gravel climb (mile 25) up to the top of the bluff and another section of road called Dugout Road. I stopped to setup my tripod and camera and got some funny looks from the person driving by as I made loops in the road firing off the camera with my remote shutter button. You'll certainly understand why it is called Dugout as the section is literally dugout from the sandstone bluffs.
Pedaling into the town of Cassville I stopped at the Okey Market for a few small supplies and then waited until 10:30 for the Silver Spigot saloon to open to have lunch. You don't always get to plan lunch around a noon hour when you want to enjoy hot food and a cold beer so 10:30 it is. It was nice to sit on a bar stool, converse with a few regulars who were stopping for their morning coffee and then wolf down food (bacon cheeseburger #2) and a Spotted Cow (Only available in Wisconsin for anyone reading this not from Wisconsin) to wash it down.
Arriving at Wyalusing State Park I had reserved my site ahead of time and though it wasn't a weekend the camp was nearly full on the side with the view of the river valley. I was able to get settled in and enjoy the food I had purchased back in town. The showers are free, so I took a lukewarm shower before heading for a small hike to the scenic overlook to take in the view of where the Wisconsin and Mississippi rivers merge.
I began my usual process of charging all my electrical devices: Garmin cycling computer, Garmin Varia radar taillight, iPhone, headphones and before long was asleep.
