Day 29: 06/05/18, Tuesday, Baxter to Walker, Minnesota

Map of today's ride:



Distance of Today's Ride: 63.1 miles

Trip Total Distance: 1957.6 miles

Elevation Gain:  994 feet

Riding Time: 4:28 hrs:mins

Today's ride was great. The wind was from the east and did not interfere with our ride which was in a northerly direction. The sky was mainly clear and the temperature started in the high 50's and reached the mid 70's when we arrived at our destination of Walker, Minnesota.

We rode a relaxing 60 miles of the 123 mile long Paul Bunyan Trail which starts at Crow Wing State Park (Brainerd) and ends at Lake Bemidji State Park (Bemidji). It is one of the longest rail-trails in the country. The continuously paved trail follows the route of a Burlington Northern railroad line from the 1890s that was no longer used after the early 1980s.  It was an easy ride due to being very flat, along with the absence of any vehicles whizzing by while riding.  Above is a typical example of the Paul Bunyan Trail.

One of many lakes we bicycled past today, this one being a smaller body of water. Minnesota's nickname is the "Land of 10,000 Lakes", as there are 11,842 lakes in Minnesota that are over 10 acres in size.  Minnesota's portion of Lake Superior is the largest body of water in the state at 962,700 acres and deepest at 1,290 ft.

Picture taken at Hackensack, Minnesota which the sign claims is the Home of the Original Chainsaw Carving Event. The event is held over a three day weekend in late September every year and is limited to ten highly skilled invited sculptors from all over the world.  The wooden carving of Paul Bunyan, a smaller version of himself, stands watch over the trail bearing his name.

This is a sculpture of "Lucette Dianna Kensack", Paul Bunyan's Sweetheart.  Standing 17 feet tall and made of fiberglass, Lucette has watched over the town of Hackensack since 1991.  She faces town on the shores of Birch Lake.

Another one of the many pretty lakes in Northern Minnesota. Tourist season is just getting into full swing for the year.

This is the boat launch in Walker, Minnesota, located on Leech Lake. Leech Lake is the third largest in Minnesota. Leech Lake is known for offering the best Walleye fishing and Muskie fishing in the Midwest.

Here is a boat with four happy anglers fishing for walleye in front of the city of Walker, Minnesota.

Tonight we are staying on Leech Lake at Chase on the Lake.  We are enjoying cocktails in the screened in patio at one of the condos on the left side of this picture.