Yesterday was the first riding day with no rain. That was nice! We ate at Eddie’s cafe in Apgar, home of Brent’s favorite french fries (only $1.45). We exchanged tips with, and encouraged an 18 year old young man riding cross country by himself. We stumbled upon a nice bike path before getting on the highway. All the roadside stores and attractions reminded me of stories of Route 66. Wood carvings, funny billboards, mini-golf, and a gas station sign bragging about ethanol free gasoline. We purposely went thru Columbia Falls to find a “back way” to Whitefish. With some help from locals, we zig zagged our way and rode past the towns bread and butter, a lumber mill, including the biggest pile of sawdust we ever saw.
We hung out at a friendly bike shop in Whitefish called Great Northern Cycles. I got new brake pads, more spokes for Drew and I. Bob got his bottom bracket tightened and a washer, and Brent found out his old style freewheel was nowhere in town.
Drew (aka “the negotiator”), found us a local “bike hostel” and got us a lower price on a small 4 bed cabin. The host, Bob, is an avid local cyclist that gave us all sorts of stories, route tips, and hospitality. We had our first fire and watched a late sunset.
