Fargo ND to Detroit Lakes MN

US Highway 10

Woke up bright and early. Turned on the Weather Channel where I saw a row of approaching storms on the local radar. Decided to wait for them to pass. Heavy rain and some lightning. "Do not stand by windows. Do not use telephones or electrical appliances." Why is there a first aid kit in the ServiBar? Gerbil tubes connect the Radisson to the limited world of conventionland. There's a lot of train traffic through this town. I heard train whistles all night long. The quality of the soap is better here.

Rolled out at about 11:30 AM. Got a bit wet as the rains had not fully ended. Rode US Highway 10 the entire day. Not a good ride. A strong crosswind, mostly uphill, heavy traffic, and construction. Decided to make a light day of it. I need laundry time. Riding in the rain has made the bike dirty. Hmmm, wouldn't it be nice if one of these small towns had a charity car wash. I could get the bike washed. Sure enough, it's like they're reading my mind. There's a bunch of kids washing cars in Detroit Lakes right across the street from a laundry. A perfect combo. "I'll be back." Just as soon as I find a room. I pass two motels. The first has a no vacancy sign and the second has nothing. I pull in only to find that the whole town is booked up for a Christian music festival. The desk clerk lets me use the phone in the lobby to call around. Only one room is available in the whole town at the double occupancy rate of $55. Whatever, I'll take it. This better not become the norm or I will be broke. So much time has passed looking for a room that the car wash has ended. Guess they didn't find my Terminator impression believable enough to wait around.