Day 51, 6/29/12, to Skogfjorden Language camp, Bemidji, Mn.

Terry, Mari, and Erik--the Rudds reunited! That was the good part about the day. The bad part, the very bad part, was that Terry was hit by a car on the way to Skogfjorden and his arm was broken. The bike trip is over for  us. Very bad, very sad.

Terry's awesome nametag made by Dina. Notice the cross country skis on his back as he bicycles along. Awesome!

Erik told Dina that I play the accordion, and she made a name tag that has the Norwegian name for "parsley", which is Pernille.  (pahr-NIL-uh. Wow, such art work!

And Dina made a Mari name tag with parsley in the background. Wow wow wow.




Hometown  Brazil reunion--Parsley and Bob

 

Mari, Erik, and Terry at Skogfjorden. Kjempe fin to be with Erik!!!!

Daily: 7 miles. Total: 2620.3 miles. Terry was hit by a car, which resulted in a broken arm, and the remainder of the trip is on 'pause', to resume in October, following our Oktoberfest season.

E-mail about the accident follows:

Hi everyone,

On day 51 of our tour, a car ran into me at 7:35 am just after we were leaving our camp spot at Bimidji State Park, Minnesota, on our bicycles. The road was the worst of the entire trip with no shoulder, narrow,lots of traffic, and cars driving fast. The car hit my saddle bags (panniers), ripped them off the racks, and I went down, cussing.  The car then passes within 2 feet of hitting Mari.

My left arm hurt, and after Mari's assessment, I was able to cycle the remaining five miles to our planned destination, Skogfjorden, a Norwegian Concordia Language Village language camp where our son Erik is working. A few hours later, after lunch at Skogfjorden, we went to urgent care. My arm was broken and this requires six weeks in a sling.

Our bicycle trip now has a detour; we stop cycling now, drive our route to Atlantic, and return home in three weeks for my Hernia surgery.  I can recover from both the broken arm and the Hernia surgery at the same time. After recovery, Mari and I have our German dance and band performances. Following our final Oktoberfest performance in October, we will resume our cross country bike tour, starting from the Norwegian Skogfjorden language camp in Bimidji, Minnesota.

Life is an adventure, and this is just a new chapter that has opened for us. I am fortunate that I did not receive further injuries, and that I was not killed in the accident. I am very lucky, and received fantastic support and welcoming from all the Concordia Language Village /Skogfjorden staff and campers (villagers). Throughout the trip, Mari's unending support made this trip posible. If we would have stayed at home, I would not have a broken arm, but then we would not have had this fantastic bicycle trip adventure of a lifetime of approximately 2600 miles so far!

Stay tuned for the next chapter, starting in October 2012.

Tove and Hans Erik (Erik Rudd) at Allsang.

In Hans Erik's folkdance class.

In Hans Erik's folkdance class.

In Hans Erik's folkdance class.

Mari dancing with Hans Erik.  :)

Terry Rudd.

Day 50, 6/28/12, to Bimidji, Mn.

Two Inlets.  The grocery store owner invited us to spend the night last night in their back yard behind the store. It was a beautiful big back yard, like having our own private park.

Terry at Itasca, the headwaters of the Mississippi River.

Mari.  Itasca State Park is where the headwaters of the Mississippi River are.

This is it. The mighty Mississippi River starts flowing here.

Mari and Terry at the headwaters of the Mississippi River.

Mari crossing the Mississippi.

Mari crossing the mighty Mississippi River.  It took a couple of minutes because the rocks were slippery.

The mighty Mississippi River near its headwaters

Mari at the headwaters visitor center

Mari and Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox, Bemidji.

Terry and Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox, Bemidji.

Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox, Bemidji.



Hometown Europe reunion--Parsley and Webster!

The sign close to Bemidji State Park, where we spent the night.  The irony is that the next day, when we were only a quarter mile from the park on our way to Skogfjorden, a car hit Terry, broke his arm, and ended our bike trip.



Daily 64 miles. Total: 2613.2 miles. We spent 3hours at Itasca State Park, and saw the headwaters of the Mississippi River.

Day 49 (6/27/12) to Two Inlets, Mn.

Terry packing up from the Hitterdal city park.

 

Daily: 62.0 miles. Total: 2549.2 miles. Back in the trees, a beautiful change, and no headwinds. Hot (mid 90's).





Beautiful big, park-like backyard for our private camp setting.

 

In the backyard of the Two Inlets grocery store owners.



Day 47 (6/25/12) to Moorhead, Minnesota.



Mari's morning shadow.



Terry--finally made it to North Dakota!

Mari and North Dakota!

In Minnesota now, at Wolverton grain elevator.

Wolverton grain elevator, Minnesota.

Lots of grain silos in Minnesota and South Dakota.

Tailwinds most of the day. Daily: 105. Total: 2450 miles. Stayed with friends.

Day 46 (6/24/12) to Sisseton, SD

Mari at Summit, South Dakota, the highest point at around 2000 feet elevtion, the highest point between the Rockies and the Appalacians.

Terry at Summit.

Water sighting in South Dakota!

This horse was very curious and friendly.

Headwinds all day, eith a lot of hills,so called this a short, hard day. Daily: 38.5 miles. Total: 2345.

Day 45 (6/23/12) to Summit, SD.



Has Mari been eating too much?



Terry and Oakwood Lake

Mari and Oakwood Lake

Camping.Daily: 77.5 miles. Total: 2306.7. Another long day.

Day 44 (6/22/12) to Oakwood Lakes State Park, SD.

 This church was established in 1886.  The Ladies Aid Society held lutefisk and lefse dinners to raise money for it.

Corn field

Mari happy to be biking

Oh what a treat! Lunch at a city park and there was an electrical outlet--time to charge the Blackberry!

Terry's bike and a corn field.

Mari and a big bale of hay

Mari t Brookings United Methodist Church.  We had stopped to hopefully meet the pastor who had helped Erik when Erik drove to Minnesota in January.  The pastor wasn't there, but we made a donation to the church's fund for helping out people who ask for assistance.

Terry and our Oakwood Lakes State Park campsite.

Daily 76.3 miles.  Total miles: 2229.2. Camping.