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Day 15 - August 3

It's 7:00 a.m. and I am packed and ready to roll. Two of my new Kansas friendsds are awake and I donate purchased but unused firewood for their Friday night fire. A brief but tearful goodby and I'm off. The first mile is all up hill. The second mile is all up hill. After the third uphill mile I pass a cell phone tower which usually signals the top of the hill.  Another four miles and there is finally a crest. The view is breathtaking but I have no breath left to take after 7 miles up hill. The remaining 47 miles is considerably easier.

It is all going on in Ashland, Wisconsin. Today is the first day of their annual festival. Sidewalk sales, food trucks and music. There is a Big Wheel tricycle race on Main Street and lots of happy faces. Tomorrow there is a swimming race in the 50 degree water of the bay and a 50 mile bike race with 400 contestants.  I had dinner at the South Shore  Brewery at the bar and sat next to a couple from Oshkosh that came up for the bike race. As first timers they have to start well back in the pack but they are hoping to post good times and move up next year. I ordered jambalaya and put out the andoule sausage fire with a nut brown microbrew.  Not Iechyd da quality but not bad.

James the bartender is a twentysomething Ashland local. He made a mistake on a frozen strawberry daqueri and proclaimed that, being from Wisconsin, free alcohol is always welcome. I politely decline explaining that daqueri is not my thing. I can tell he wants to chat it up so I order a Jack on the rocks. James has a need to flee Ashland and is not shy about expressing that desire. The last straw was an overnight snowfall totaling 68 inches. That is as much snow as Zimmyville gets in an entire year. He has his sights set on a small Arizona town near the California border. The escape plan is to go visit and never come back. I wish him good luck.

Ashland was a good layover. Nice peeps and pretty scenery. 54 miles and 834 trip to date.

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