I'm not Too Tents Anymore... :-)

Started in: Northern Iowa
Ended in: West Southern MN
Pandora’s Status: Purring like a kitten

This is the first day I am ending in a tent! Score; I luv sleeping in tents.

Today I performed maintenance on Pandora, figured out my packing scheme so that both my gear and Gage would have adequate room, attended Logan's first football game of the season, and drove back to Brittney's place.

I am making my way back to the Cities to finish up the last of the official business regarding the sale of my car.

Some unofficial observations:

• Stopping every 40 kilometers has many interesting side-effects. One side-effect is a very strong feeling of "having been there". When I am in a car driving through a state, it never quite feels like I was actually in the State. Stopping every so often lets me hear, smell, and physically be in the place I am driving through.
• People on the road are extremely friendly -- way more than I expected. My sister said she was less worried about me on my trip because she has seen how friendly and helpful the other bikers are.
• You get to hear a lot of stories while you are on the road. For example, tonight I was waiting for Pandora to cool down at a closed gas station. A couple in a truck pulled into the station to use the after-hours pumps. They talked with me for about 30 minutes. Their son had just been in a car accident and they were driving to the Cities from Sturgis, where they live, to visit their son in the hospital.

Some official thank yous:

• Steph, Alan, Levi, Logan, and Paula: thank you for the wonderful hospitality! I thoroughly enjoyed my time staying with you. Steph, be aware that the next time we take a road trip, we will have to drive further than the first time -- that's a road trip tradition!