No casual breakfast restaurants today. I had to make do with the bagel and juice courtesy of the hotel. I took an apple too. My life is so boring that I’m writing about apples.
The 694 past Minneapolis is a breeze and makes getting past both cities a piece of cake.
The 94 south of Minneapolis is a nice drive, all green and treed, but unfortunately the speed and the traffic removes all the fun. So much for an interstate ride. Traffic is a downer on these highways. What can I say that’s good? Umm… well, one can make time. But that’s about all.
Can you tell I’m bummed by the interstate highway system? Furthermore, I have two more days of the 80 east – well, the 80 breaks off and I ride over the 76 and the 70. I’m hoping that Saturday and Sunday won’t be too bad for traffic. Is that a possibility in the day of four dollar+ gas?
700 miles to go. I could do it in a day, but why bother? I’m actually looking forward to getting off of the interstate system and riding the back roads on Sunday.
I have a severe case of interstate boredom. What’s the cure?
I needed fuel, so obviously I had to pull into Fergus Falls on the high end. To my complete and utter surprise, right beside the gas’n’go, I discovered these two places side-by-side. After I had a date square the girl told me the brownies were to die for. She was right.
They also had a variety of fresh-baked bread sitting on the counter. Fortunately, I didn’t have a pound of butter stashed away, or I’d have been in bread heaven.
Take a look at the storefronts.
And the next time you’re passing by Fergus Falls, Minnesota, stop in at the Falls Baking Company. I’m glad I did. And before I forget, I’m going down to my saddlebag to get the final brownie.
Just after departing Jamestown I happened across a delightful place to have breakfast in the quaint little college town of Valley City. I rode past all the fast food eat’n’puke places to get to the field where the local football team had a match. I passed that, and came across this little gem right downtown.
Updated August 12, 2012: It looks like the Lone Steer is no more as of today. Judging by the comments on Amy’s page, the Lone Steer held a lot of memories for the residents of the community. Thanks for posting the link in my comments, Amy.
Updated May 26, 2012: Well folks, according to jim and Kenny down in the comments section –
the rooms they remodeled are nice… They have new carpets, beds
So then, all is now well and good at the Lone Steer Motel.
*
Well, let me tell ya about back in 2008…
I’ve been trying to get to Chicago for two days now, and the weather is just not cooperating in the slightest. Since yesterday I’ve been following a system with lightning, hail, extreme high winds and torrential rain with the possibility of tornadoes.
Last night I pulled over at a place called Steele, ND and checked out a room at the Lone Steer Motel. Yes, that’s right. The Lone Steer Motel Casino Restaurant Lounge Campground.
The indomitable Lone Steer, home to the brave
I have some advice for you, people. Before you pony up the cash for a room at this place, get your key and check out the room first at the Lone Steer Motel in Steele, ND off of I94. When I stayed there, it was filthy. The room was filthy. The carpet on the floor was filthy. The walls were filthy. The ceiling was filthy.
It was dark and dingy.
Would you like to know why the lights in the room were underpowered? They were underpowered to disguise the fact that the sheets on the bed were hiding pubic hair. Fresh pubic hair, as far as I could tell. I wasn’t going to get too close.
I don’t think “MOM” would be too proud of the cook I suffered through at this place
The restaurant chef – such as he was – cooked me an egg over and served it with toast that wasn’t warm and wasn’t toasted either. The toast was dried bread that had obviously been left out on the counter to get hard and/or stale, and thus was served as toast. It was as white and as cold-as-the-driven-snow cold, but let me tell you, it had a crust.
At 0130 hours I loaded up and headed east on the 94 one more time.
I got as far as Jamestown before yet again catching up to the storm system.
I should have followed my temptation to ride south on the 15.
Last fall in 2007, while I was on a ride through Montana country and route 200, I noticed quite a few roadside posters bemoaning the problems related to methamphetamine use. While I was in the Lunch Box in Circle, I asked Bobbie what was going on, since I didn’t think the area was a hotbed for meth use or production. She told me that there was a poster competition going on, and that the winner’s poster would be painted on the the side of the local sheriff’s building.
Well, here it is:
Get the picture?
The cards get their name from the legend of it having been the five card draw hand held by Wild Bill Hickok at the time of his murder.
I had completely forgotten about Salem Sue until once again I had her in my sights from miles away. Proudly she stands, near exit 127 on the 94, west of Bismark. Up close, the horrendous sight of her pendulous and swollen udder is enough to send one running, screaming, back down the hill. I was almost sorry I had stopped and climbed the only hill in the region for a closeup look at this giant fiberglass milk cow.
Just try and imagine the size of the cowpie that little beauty could produce.
I’ll leave it to you to examine the link. I just couldn’t bear to take a picture of a giant plastic cow, because basically, it reminded me of all of those cutsie cow salt and pepper shaker sets with cow creamers that I see in folksie cafes on at least every second bike trip.
Sometimes, it’s best to look away from the wreck on the side of the road.
