July 22, 2010 59 miles Fargo, ND 1790 total (more or less)

One last bowl of oatmeal!

Dark and cloudy skies this AM failed to put a damper on the day. Everyone seemed excited about getting on with our last day's ride into Fargo. A cool start is always good, as it gives our muscles time to warm up before the temp rises. I think the rain arrived just before the 1st sag stop but wasn't hard enough to matter much. My windbreaker was the perfect jacket. After that, the headwind hit with avengence, making the last 40 miles really difficult for me. I was so spoiled by strong tailwinds throughout this tour, plus my body was/is just exhausted. The 59 miles took me 5 hours! Along the way I took one last photo for my grandchildren - horses this time.  And, I got a good pic of the ubiquitous grain elevators.

Nevertheless, it's good to be in Fargo - a really nice town with a vibrant downtown which I plan to explore more on Saturday. Today, I only got as far as the Great Northern Bike Shop which has a small restaurant with a great lunch. Mary Palmberg (Group One) and my friend Ann Glass, who lives in Fargo, and I enjoyed lunch together and a good visit. The 3 of us rode together in '07 on Meandering Mississippi tour.

I have a lovely room tonight at the Radisson Hotel where the staff just bends over backwards to be accommodating. Our final banquet was a buffet feast (selected by our chef Linda) that included beautiful salads, smoked salmon (see pic), shrimp pasta, prime rib and several vegetable sides, a champagne toast and delicious cheesecake. Michelle and Linda made lovely toasts to all of us and to the SAG drivers and sous chef. Recognition also was given to Michelle and Linda to thank them for their excellent leadership as guide and chef. This tour truly had an outstanding group of women, staff and support staff. There are not enough words to adequately convey my thoughts on this. I wish everyone of us were meeting again next year. As it is, I think about a dozen of this group are signed up to finish the Northern Tier next year, plus some from Group One. We'll always remember our friend, Barbara, who was also signed up for '11. Her funeral is Saturday in Terre Haute, and four of our group will be there to extend love from her many friends in the WomanTours family.

Tonight there were many final pictures taken and hugs given. After dinner no one seemed ready to break up the fun, so the entire group gravitated back to the bar for final laughs, pictures, hugs, and perhaps a nightcap.  Vicki sang her original words to the tune of "What A Difference A Day Makes" about taking a day off to sag - so funny.  This group just had personality plus!  And, so many were such encouragers to me.  May God bless you all as you return to homes, children, grandchildren, jobs, etc., etc.  My life is so much richer for knowing each one of you!

The greatest support staff!

My friend Jean and me