2019, Day 7: Bridging the Gap

From Dad:

"Somewhere between Floodwood and Saginaw, MN, we crossed that dividing line where water flows into the Mississippi basin to the Gulf of Mexico, or to the Great Lakes and east to the Atlantic. I didn't see a sign, so one of those may hills I climbed today must have been it. As expected, strong headwinds today. Temps were in the low 50's, so it felt like high 40's. I expected rain to cut the ride short, but the worst we had was a good mist--which the wind dried as quickly as it hit me. Despite the wind we did 45 miles in 4:45. Afterward, we went exploring to see where we could cross Superior harbor. The bridge I was hoping to cross is closed for construction. So we will have to cross the Highway 2 Bong Bridge. Fortunately, it has a bike lane separated from the rest of the traffic. Unfortunately, it took us a long time to find the entrance! But we finally did, so, weather permitting, we can reach Wisconsin tomorrow. We finished up at Adolph-Hermantown today."

Spurred by curiosity of what a "Bong Bridge" is, I did some hesitant googling. I couldn't believe it, but not one marijuana-related picture made it on page one of the Google search. Turns out, it's actually called the "Richard I. Bong Memorial Bridge," though I still expect it draws quite a crowd on 4/20. It has a fascinating history.

Some interesting facts about Bong Bridge:

1. It's about 11,800 feet long (just over 2.2 miles), which puts it at about 3,000 feet longer than the Golden Gate bridge

2. Construction required 82000 cubic yards of concrete, and 31000 tons of steel

3. Each of the 54 steel pilings drives about 200-250 feet into the river bottom

4. The bridge is a Tied Arch Bridge, which allows it to maintain its integrity in unstable soil.

Tomorrow, dad will get to bike the length of the bridge (I hope there's a bike lane...) to cross into Cheesehead country.

Meanwhile, in Minnesota, Mom and Dad didn't have a place booked to stay yet. So, they put their tax dollars to work and stopped by the local library to use the computer and book a spot. (*cough* get a hotels app *cough*) At the library, they encountered a sunny welcome! #greenenergy #sustainability #supportyourlibrary #solarflowers

The hotel pickings in Duluth don't exactly rival Disneyland, but beggars can't be choosers. They found a mediocre hotel with a great view! It may be cold, it may smell slightly of mildew, and it may not have been remodeled since the 70's, but who needs comfort when you can hang out on the rooftop patio and see a lake larger than some countries?

Tomorrow, Wisconson!