Well, finally I have been able to retrieve the data off of my failed hard drive!  Thank goodness, because I am behind on featuring the people and places I've become acquainted with since Day 105 of Education Ride 365.  It is now Day 137 and since my last travel update I've been in twelve states and covered thousands of miles!

It is always a challenge to balance the actual experience versus documenting the experience.  Whether to ride the miles or stop every time I see a good picture.  Whether to have a more lengthy and deeper conversation or try to document more of these conversations.  Whether to travel rested or risk life and limb traveling haggard and spent.  Like life itself, traveling on a motorcycle 'discovering' thoughts on education from across the country requires compromises and a constant search for balance!

I don't get to feature every person, every place, nor certainly every insight.  Instead, I feature a representation of my experiences and insights knowing that the actual experience is more important than documenting that experience.  Getting to truly know the people, understanding their perceptions and perspectives, and feeling the adventure of this journey matters more than recording it all.

On Day 106 I left Rapid City (South Dakota) on a long ride to Anthon, Iowa.  This was a day when cruise control was both a blessing a curse.  Having cruise control on a touring motorcycle is always a blessing.  Having cruise control on any motorcycle when the rider is sleepy is a curse!  Traversing South Dakota across a fairly barren and featureless interstate and on through the cornfields of Iowa is a long, straight-forward ride.  Given favorable weather, ease of navigation, and less than thrilling scenery, lethargy can easily set in.  The curse of cruise control I alluded to is my cycle powering on at 70-plus mph irregardless of whether or not I am sufficiently awake to operate it.  Several times I thought about how nodding off could be overcome for a minute or so before the cycle would lose its line and veer out of control. 

I was pleased to make it to Anthon and the home of Ben & Sue Wilson.  They are very kind folks with informed opinions on education and life in general.  Unfortunately, they are an example of my failure to document every aspect of this journey.  I left without a picture and, as always when I do this, I regret that omission.  From their home, I headed north to Fargo, North Dakota and the home of Jim and Twylah Blotsky.  I did not take the most direct route to North Dakota, instead preferring to explore a more rural route north through Iowa and into Minnesota, before turning west to Fargo.  After doing so I somewhat regretted the effort.  I didn't see much variance of landscapes along the way and the roads of NW Iowa were plain awful.  The ones I rode offered a bumpy seam every ten feet or so.  No fun!

Jim and Twylah have a beautiful home and are respectable in every regard.  We shared interesting conversation, wonderful food, and an interest in the same kind of music!  That is a lovely combination!  How did I get out of Fargo without a photo of Jim and Twylah?

On Day 110 I headed to Ottertail, Minnesota.  Everything in Minnesota seems to be centered around lakes!  It is not a myth.  They are everywhere and are beautiful!  Jon and Marge Ewy live on one of these beautiful lakes.  What a peaceful piece of property they have.  Birds are everywhere and there is not a thing about their home that is not peaceful!  Sitting on their porch watching spring arrive on the lake that thawed earlier this year than most reminded me that a beautiful home is so much more than the structure the inhabitants reside in.

Mark is the loving owner of the beautiful dogs I featured a few posts ago.  He and I have quite a bit in common.  I really enjoyed my time in White Bear Lake, Minnesota!  While there, I explored the Minnesota/Wisconsin border over a couple of days.  My next travel post will document these explorations.

To conclude my week in Minnesota, on Day 114 I made my way to Burnsville.  Bob Thaden welcomed me into the home he has owned for quite some time and now occupies part-time.  His wife Patti worked for Northwest Airlines for years and relocated to Atlanta when Delta bought Northwest out.  She and Bob now shuttle between these two cities.  Bob is a quality fellow and made my final stop in Minnesota (for now) an enjoyable one! 

From Minnesota I headed south, back towards Texas for motorcycle maintenance and family visits.  I'll catchup on more folks I met along my way south in a coming post.

Thanks so much to all the gracious old and new friends who are making Education Ride 365 possible by hosting me many stops on this trip!  I appreciate you all!

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Day 106---469.8 miles traveled, 6 hours and 39 minutes of moving time, 70.5 miles per hour average moving time, 1 hours and 17 minutes stopped time, 59.1 miles per hour overall average, and a max speed of 79.2 miles per hour.  Day 107---79.36 miles traveled, 1 hour and 30 minutes of moving time, 52.9 miles per hour average moving time, and a max speed of 72.4 miles per hour.  Day 108---423.7 miles traveled, 7 hours and 24 minutes of moving time, 57.2 miles per hour average moving time, 2 hours and 7 minutes stopped time, 44.5 miles per hour overall average, and a max speed of 84.9 miles per hour.  Day 109 & 110---127.6 miles traveled, 2 hours and 37 minutes of moving time, 48.6 miles per hour average moving time, and a max speed of 75.3 miles per hour.  Day 111---Rest.  Day 112---383 miles traveled, 7 hours and 41 minutes of moving time, 49.8 miles per hour average moving time, and a max speed of 80.5 miles per hour.  Day 113---119.2 miles traveled, 2 hours and 41 minutes of moving time, 44.3 miles per hour average moving time, and a max speed of 74.6 miles per hour.  Day 114---143 miles traveled, 3 hours and 9 minutes of moving time, 45.3 miles per hour average moving time, and a max speed of 75.1 miles per hour.  Day 115---178.6 miles traveled, 3 hours and 57 minutes of moving time, 45.2 miles per hour average moving time, and a max speed of 79 miles per hour.