Just a quick update: we’re halfway across Minnesota now, about to go “discover” the geographic center near Brainerd. We had a nice break for our 2nd anniversary at a hotel in Albert Lea, then enjoyed another rest with some AMAZING hosts in St. Paul. While in the Twin Cities, the local TV station did a really good piece about our journey. Check out the video while it’s still up.

Yesterday we pushed 76 long miles (against a headwind!) to make it to Brainerd, because our maps indicated that the city park offered camping. We rolled into the lush park on Rice Lake around 6:30pm, encouraged to see so many people out enjoying the beautiful evening: frisbee golfers, picnicers, people swimming in the lake, and groups playing volleyball. But our excitement at the park quickly turned to disappointment when we saw the numerous signs surrounding the lovely “campground”: NO TENTS ALLOWED. We tried to plead our case to the campground host, but she was away from her RV.

Luckily, we ran into a nice guy who’d seen us on the TV news the night before. His name was Tim, and he invited us home to stay at his place without hesitation. “I lived outside for a couple of years, so I know how it is.” It turns out that Tim and his wife and kids had been homeless for two years, including two brutal Minnesota winters, here in Brainerd. “Yeah, it was tough, then some people let us stay with them because they were Christians. But now we’re square, got a nice rent house, and I’ve been planting a garden in the back this year to grow some vegetables.”

We had a great evening hanging out with Tim and his two daughters, admiring his garden, and looking over his portfolio of wicker furniture that he hand-crafts from willow branches. Tim’s experiences had allowed him to empathize with our vagabond life, and his eager hospitality was truly touching.