My favorite gravel route

The other day I mentioned "my favorite gravel route" to someone and they asked me if I could share it? Well...my routes often are not grounded in maps nor do I even know 99% of the road names. I don't have a GPS, they are just roads I explore and find. They are also rated by bakery stops, and food.  Today, I'm going to take you on a little visual exploration of one of my favorite routes. The pics are not from one ride, but a series of rides and experiences.

It all starts with getting out of town and weather permitting, I always ride this road in U More park in Rosemount. I love it because it is a restricted road and I don't need to share it with automobiles.

I then like to head east, south east toward Redwing and Cannon Falls. Depending on wind and how I feel, I might end up out at the Welch Village area and then work my way back to Cannon Falls.

I like to go really early in the morning so that I can get breakfast in Cannon Falls. Here is my favorite breakfast, Sausage & Egg sandwich with coffee at The Old Market DELI.

I then like to hit the Sogn Valley. The Rawland ride of a few years ago turned me onto this amazing area South of Cannon Falls. It is filled with beautiful roads and STEEP hills.

It is also filled with barns. Here is one of my favorites. I've shot this barn a few times. I have yet to make it out there for sunrise or sunset. One of these days I'll get this barn shot in the golden hours of light.

I then meander south, south east to hit Nerstrand. I've shared this before, but this is the stop at the meat market. There is also a nice convenience store. 

I then head straight east through Nerstrand Big Woods State Park. If you miss going to the convenience store, there is a nice park headquarters that has clean bathrooms and great drinking water. I think the road is County 29. Depending on how I feel, I head into Faribault to see my friend Ben at Milltown and hit the bakery & cafe next door to his shop for an egg bake and some sort of calorie rich treat.  

Once I've hit Faribault, I head back towards Northfield with a ride up Farmer's trail and then it's almost a straight shot north to Northfield where I either stop at Goodbye Blue Monday coffee shop or at the Super America for a chocolate milk.

I then head back east a bit and zig zag north on gravel all the way back to Rosemount, again through U More on my other favorite road in the county. 

In the end, I finish up with somewhere between 100-115 depending on if I make it all the way to Faribault, MN and depending on what new road I see and explore. Regardless, I always finish up tired and happy.

So...In short it goes like this. Apple Valley to Rosemount to Trego to Cannon Falls to Nerstrand to Faribault to Northfield to Farmington to Rosemount to Apple Valley. There you go. My current favorite route.

Comments

[Wally]

Thats a great area. I've only ridden a portion with you and Ben but it was outstanding. Ben (and his folks) pointed my wife and I to Welch Village for breakfast last trip out and it was worth it. Great places up there J, you are in the middle of the good.

[herringbone]

So cool ! I really appreciate the strong lines. The whole composition in the barn shot is super sweet. The stonework in the foundation and the silo really speaks to me. The old school ethic of blending art,craftmanship and function. Awesome post...Thank you so much!

[Erik]

I've been to that 'destination barn' myself. It is one of those things that just forces a person to stop and take pictures. It's just got such great textures, in the stone foundation, the weathered siding, the silo.. Actually that whole area around it is just wonderfully packed with rolling hills, woods, old farms, and awesome gravel. Which brings up one of my country riding conundrums (conundra?). How many places do we all know of that are so perfect that we just have to tell someone about them, share the beauty, but on the other hand seem like special secrets that you don't want to divulge, for fear that they will get 'spoiled' by others?

Good stuff. Thanks Gnat for sharing.