Day 21

42 Miles
The rain was persistent throughout the night.There were two tiny spots where water dripped through the zipper of my tent. But my gear stayed dry. The rain was still quite heavy. I laid listening to it for some time. I looked at my day's route. I planned out a 60-70 mile day. I had hoped the rain would stop so I could pack up without the inconvenience of getting my gear soaking wet. I wasn't so lucky. I packed up as quickly as I could. My gear stayed relatively dry considering. I messed around doing nothing for a bit. I ate breakfast and called my mom. Then rain finally started to dissipate as I set off for the day. It was after 10 when I started pedaling.
I chose to make my own route again. I found that this pleased me for several reasons. First, I liked the not having to backtrack. Backtracking is a huge pet peeve for me. Anything over a mile, and I'd rather find an alternate route. The second reason my chosen route pleased me was the scenery. It was mostly farmlands, which I suppose should be expected in the region. The rolling hills and freshly paved road proved enough to make me smile.
I connected back to my Adventure Cycling route. I encountered some incredible views. I could hear trains echoing back onto itself creating an eerie chorus in the hills. I liked the song. I smiled. The hills were bigger than I had anticipated. The wind had picked up and I felt like I was making no progress. My efforts were hampered even more as the rain again began to fall.
The rain met me at the top of a big hill. The next town was only 7 or so miles away, but the next listed camping after that town was 30 some miles beyondt. I wasn't feeling up to that battle. I resolved to find lodging in town. I had several miles of downhill. The rain increased with my speed. As I rolled into town it was an all out downpour. My shoes sloshed with each push of my pedal. I was soaked to the bone. I found a Dollar General and bought some food. My shoes squeaked on the floor. People looked at me but didn't speak to me. I climbed back on my bike. I just wanted to find somewhere to sleep. A man in a truck offered me a ride, but I declined. I was already so wet that I didn't see the point of trying to get dry until I was ready to settle in.
I found a small motel. It was very overpriced. But they didn't want to come down on price. I reluctantly put my card on the counter. I was too wet and tired to find somewhere else.

I went to my room. As I was pushing my bike into the room my front right rack fell off. Awesome. Just what I needed. I began the now ridiculous task of removing all the zip ties from the bag and rack. It was then that I realized I no longer had my knife. I must have lost it somewhere along the way. I borrowed scissors from the front desk. I managed to get the rack and pannier back on. It was tedious.
I finally showered and ate. I crawled into bed. I checked email on my phone and watched television. I got excited when I saw the weather. Not only was it supposed to be much nicer but the weather map showed me just how close I was to Minneapolis. Looking forward to the big city.