This last two days I had some great biking with perfect weather along a well known lake and river here in the Minnesota Wisconsin area. This was on the Wisconsin side of Lake Pepin and the Mississippi River. Sure wished I had my camera along as some of the scenes are breathtaking. What was even greater and a motivator to pedal harder was the Burlington Northern Santa Fe trains. There is just something about pedaling with a train on your right or left that just gets your heart pumping. Headed south into Alma Wisconsin the tracks come right up next to the road. I hit it at a perfect time, I could hear the train and knew it was there and then all of a sudden we were only 30 feet apart heading the same direction. I tried to give it my best but car after car just kept passing me with the standard clicking sound a steel wheel on a steel track makes. This wasn't the first train I encountered on this trip but it was the closest. I could feel the wind off of it. I want to go back and have my wife go along with the camera as I think it would make a great picture if you could time it so to have the engines and you on your bike. On a good day there is a train once every 30 minutes I think I could make it work.

However I was able to keep up with a monster that carried even more freight. When that train cleared there was a large barge lining up to go in the Lock. That I had no problem keeping up with.

Probably the best ride I ever had.

That's a really nice area for riding:

https://www.3speedtour.com

Ive wondered how riding over there would be, such a picturesque area. I'm meeting a friend in winona this week, he has a route planned out on the wisc side of the Mississippi. Conquering the 'MN/WI mountains' should be rewarding!

If your headed North and West here is a map that will give you the elevations. At Alma Wisconsin I took you off the main route and up to Buena Vista Park a must see with a rough climb. Curvy so you won't be flying back down it. https://www.trimbleoutdoors.com/ViewTrip/1289262

If you are in for some more hills at Pepin Wisconsin here is a route that I did. Getting off the main road to Stockholm is a bit less than 40 miles. I went 60 miles on this route but the last 20 was just messing around waiting for my wife to catch up with to meet in town and eat. She was shopping and we had a planned meet time and was way ahead of schedule but thus my average went down quite a bit. Well I don't do that well to begin with. https://connect.garmin.com/activity/96374648

Maybe I will see you on the road as I will be back in the area again this labor day weekend. We have a place between Stockholm and Pepin. I am the old fart on a Red Madone 6.2

Thanks for the info. I'm in roch, and will make it point to get up in that area before years end!

I live in Rochester also. We have a cabin on Deer Island which is between Stockholm and Pepin.