Grand Tour of Minnesota May 1-Oct 31

[Chump]

2022 Grand Tour of Minnesota

The Grand Tour of Minnesota (GTMN) was inspired by the Grand Tour of Georgia. The purpose of the GTMN is to give riders an excuse to go out riding.

The 2022 GTMN consists of 20 bonus locations within Minnesota. The bonus locations were chosen, in part, to try and provide a varied and scenic riding experience.
Entry fee: $35. Includes bonus location passport and GTMN stickers. A “Finishers” sticker will be provided to those who successfully finish the tour.

More info at :

2022 Grand Tour of Minnesota

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[Wallkeeper]

cool......thanks

 

[Madhatter]

is there a time limit to complete the tour ? sounds like fun . any body know if there is a Texas version ?

 

[Snert]

Sounds like I have a new summer goal!

 

[Abercrombie tenere]

That looks like fun as I'm only a quarter mile from MN.

 

[Abercrombie tenere]

Well I've finally found some time to change out the pretzeled shifter lever and scrub the 10 week old Copper Canyon Mexico dirt off the Super Tenere. Hopefully I’ll be able to find some time in the next couple weeks to get out and start hitting some of the Grand Tour locations.

 

[Sierra1]

. . . . any body know if there is a Texas version ?

That would take a while. And best done in the spring or fall.

 

[tntmo]

This looks like an interesting ride. I grew up in MN, I see a point near my home that I'm pretty sure I know what it will be. Now I might have to ride back!

 

[Snert]

Well I've finally found some time to change out the pretzeled shifter lever and scrub the 10 week old Copper Canyon Mexico dirt off the Super Tenere. Hopefully I’ll be able to find some time in the next couple weeks to get out and start hitting some of the Grand Tour locations.

I haven't hit any of the stops north of the cities, if you wanted to ride together. Also, if wanted a place to crash from all that riding I'm 15 mins away from the Zanz Photo location. I keep going back and forth on if I want to hit all the locations, or just hit the ones on my way to other events I'm doing this season.

 

[Abercrombie tenere]

I haven't hit any of the stops north of the cities, if you wanted to ride together. Also, if wanted a place to crash from all that riding I'm 15 mins away from the Zanz Photo location. I keep going back and forth on if I want to hit all the locations, or just hit the ones on my way to other events I'm doing this season.

Well I have yet to get out and hit any of the Grand Tour of Minnesota locations.

 

[Abercrombie tenere]

Well I got out and hit a few Grand Tour of Minnesota locations August 31st. I got my Grand Tour feet wet hitting the two closest Bonus locations. I hit Paul Bunyans' Anchor in Ortonville and Inspiration Peak in Leaf Mountain Township.

 

[Abercrombie tenere]

Last week I had a couple days free on the 5th & 6th so I planned a loop ride up to the NE corner of the state to hit some GTOM bonus locations. On Monday I got a late start and planned on hitting the Giant Walleye in Garrison, the Lift Bridge in Duluth, Eagle Mt Trailhead near Grand Marais, and Trails End Campground on the end of the Gunflint Trail before calling it a night and a near by called the Brand New Saganaga Lodge. The day started out a little late but the weather was beautiful and I made great time to Garrison got my pictures and was on my way to Duluth. I was crossing Minnesota on hwy 210 when a mother and two children flipped a car and landed upside down in a flooded ditch. The report was that they were all removed from the car, breathing and going to be transported. I made the wrong choice to just wait it out but nearly an hour later reports came back that the hwy was going to be closed for quite awhile so a detour was planned and I hit the lift Bridge in Duluth about 3:30 before heading North up the North Shore Drive. When I arrived at the turn off for Eagle Mountain Trail it was getting late so I decided to leave it till the following morning, gas up in Grand Marais and head up to the Trails End Campground. After picking up provisions and gas I took off up the Gunflint trail in an attempt to get off the bike before dark but I got a little over eager and a Minnesota State Trooper pulled me over just out of town. The guy was awesome giving a nice warning when I told him where I was going and just got a little over eager going 70+ in a 40 mph zone. I thought my goose was cooked! So the first day was sort of lame only hitting two bonus locations.

 

[Abercrombie tenere]

Tuesday morning I woke up in the Sagonaga lodge to get an early start making up for the two I ran out of daylight for and the other four planned locations. I hit the first location at the Trails End Campground which was under a mile away and made my way to the Eagle Mt Campground location taking a mostly gravel back road route through very thick fog and knocked that one out. I was now ready to hit my second days planned route hitting the International Wolf Center in Ely, Grey Hound Bus Museum in Hibbing, and the Bigfoot sign in Remer. I had been goofing around a bunch on Tuesday but after hitting Remer i figured I had enough day light left to knock out two more locations on my way home so I added in Paul & Babe in Bemidji, and the Mississippi Headwaters in Itasca. I got the head waters picture in just as they were closing the gates and made it home by 10:00 PM. It was a great 14 hour day on the Tenere!

 

[Abercrombie tenere]

Proposed overnight routes to knock out the last 9 GTOM locations. I might get out and polish the GROM this coming Saturday/Sunday or Sunday Monday. We'll see?

 

[Abercrombie tenere]

I forgot to post up pictures of the last nine bonus locations I knocked out on September 18 & 19th to finish of the GTOM.

I started out with Charles Lindbergh's boyhood home in Little Falls.

Next up was the Worlds largest ball of twine in Darwin.

The next location was a major blunder since I had avoid highways plugged into the GPS and it took me on surface streets to the Minnesoty State Capital burning up a hell of a lot of time.

The next stop was a near screw up also. After blowing so much time in the Twin Cities a messed up and loaded Winnona in the GPS as my next bonus location and the GPS routed me down the Wisconson side of the river. Luckily I seen a sign for Red Wing MN and it jogged a little spark of memory that I needed to stop there for a picture of the Red Wing Mural.

As soon as I left Red Wing it started pouring rain nearly all the way to Winona in the dark. When I arrived I found a hotel near my next bonus location Sugar Loaf Bluff in Winona and got the picture first thing the next morning from the hotel parking lot.

Next stop was a nice ride over to Inspiration Point Rest Area near Lanesboro.

Next up was a stop at the new SPAM Museum in Austin. I toured the old SPAM museum several years ago but did not have time to go in and take a look at the new location if I was going to finish the GTOM that day.

Next stop was Zanz Mexican Restaurant in Mancato and it was near lunch time so I had lunch. The food was just soso in my opinion.

Last Stop of the 20 included was Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum in Walnut Grove. When I arrived I planned on finding a spot to hang my hammock to snag a nap before the late ride home. I found a nice quite park with three chubby early teen girls quitely sitting on some playground equipment. As soon as I hung my Hammock and crawled in for a little nap the three girls decided to shoot some hoops next to my nap location. I put my ear plugs in and thought I could block them out just in time for a family to arrive in two cars with about 10 kids with basket balls showed up. I packed up the hammock and set off for the 180 mile trip home with the help of a 5 hour energy drink arriving home sometime around midnight.

 

[tntmo]

I'm certain now that at least two 2013 Tenere's have been to the Laura Ingalls Museum. You likely rode a half mile away from my parent's farm on the way there.