Day 18: Little Mogadishu

I am back on the road after an extended sojourn at home in the Twin Cities. From here westward, population thins out, distances grow between services, and route options become more limited. However, none of these issues were immediately apparent on today's ride as I made my way out of the western suburbs of Minneapolis. A stiff tailwind pushed me along at a quick clip through rolling farmlands and up a gentle incline; an imperceptible increase in elevation will feature on most of the rides for the next week as I make my way through the Great Plains towards the Rockies.

Grain elevator outside Kandiyohi, MN

Unlike the farms I passed in previous weeks further east, the more industrial aspects of modern agriculture were evident on today's ride. The quaint wooden barns and small enclosed pastures of southwestern Wisconsin gave way to towering grain elevators adjacent railroad lines and large steel dairy and poultry barns housing thousands of animals. This slice of rural America felt far more impersonal than places further east.

The preeminence of agribusiness in this area of Minnesota explains a curious aspect of Willmar - the large Somali community that lives in the town. Refugees of a country that has had no functional central government since 1991, many Somalis (like other immigrants) have relocated to places like Willmar to work in the local meatpacking industry. Somalis now make up nearly 10 percent of the town population and a visit to the town center illustrated their impact with small shops like a grocery store selling goat meat and phone cards - a testament to the changing face of rural America.

If you're driving (or cycling) on US-12 and looking for a place to eat in this neck of the woods, I definitely recommend a stop at Cricket Meadow Tea in Litchfield, MN - excellent food and drink with an antique store next door.

STAGE SUMMARY:

Starting Point - Eden Prairie, MN

Ending Point - Willmar, MN
Distance - 93.7 miles
Cumulative Distance - 1507.2 miles
Vertical Elevation - 2732 feet

Counties - Hennepin, Carver, Wright, Meeker, Kandiyohi, MN

Wind - strong tailwind