Pepin! (just like the musical, minus all the music)

I've never actually seen Pippen and don't know what it's like. But regardless, if there was a town that deserved its own singing, dancing, commemorative production, it would be this town of Pipen Wisconsin.

Yesterday, I bagan my walk from the wayside rest where my mad dash from Bay City ended. All along the road, historical markers and scenic outlooks became the perfect rest stops. I met bikers, learned the history of Maiden Rock Wi, and found a place to stay for the night all during these stops; but the latter is the greater story.
Resting beneath the historical marker sign nearly 4 miles befor Pepin, I was savoring some reprieve from the sun. Two young women stopped by on their road bikes to ask where I was headed. When I told them my geographical finale, one gal asked if I was headed to the Simple Way!? Well, color me dumbfounded that she had even heard of it!

As it would be, a friend of hers had spent some time there and still works with them on other projects.

They invited me to lunch where they worked in Pepin and promised to pick up the tab. By this point I could nearly run to Pepin out of my excitement! I was thrilled to have somewhere to look forward to and a couple names to go with it.

Just before the town I'd stopped at another rest to find a vacationing retired couple and talked with them a while. They offered me a ride into town and to the restauraunt called the Harbor View.

The view was spectacular! The Harbor View was down by the docks that serviced Lake Pepin. The couple who drove me down decided to stay for dinner with me, so I greeted the young women I'd met earlier and we all sat down to browse the menu.

I had no idea the type of meal that I would be getting. Turns out that the Harbor View has been voted the best area dining by Twin Cities publications and it's not even in the same state!

I talked with the lovely retirees over my marlin, coffee, and later some chocolate torte. My meal couldn't have been less than forty dollars. And as I sat by the docks watching the sunset after dinner I knew that I didn't deserve any of this, and to God be all the thanks.

One of the young women, who was also our waitress, had invited me to stay with her and her husband that night. So after close, she and her husband, met me outside then drove me to their place in Stockholm.

I am continually amazed that I met this young couple here in smalltown Wisconsin. These young christians have such a similar heart to mine in so many different ways (they even have a little tree-hugger in them). Artists, adventurer's, idealists, and more.

They live in a majestic old colonial home (not theirs, though they are currently the only residents) while another friend lives in a refurbished barn in the back yard. This morning after an awesome breakfast, I asked to stay another day. I immediately felt that these were good friends, and they were glad to have me a while longer.

We spent the morning tubing down the Rush river, though do not be deceived, there is no rush in this river. We floated and talked as if we knew each other well, as our arms were sunburnt and our hands froze in the 'chilly' waters. This one or two mile stretch of the river took two hours to meander down in our tubes; getting stuck in the shallows, and tipped in the quasi-rapids.

I am incredibly relaxed and at peace as I write this from their home computer and I am so excited that I have met them.

God has blessed this trip in so many ways, and I know that none of it is my doing. So thank you God! I don't always understand you, but I love you!

Christopher Andrew