Cyclist tells tale of Mississippi River ride

QUINCY — When a buddy called with an invitation to a World Cup game in Kansas City, Cory Mortensen started thinking about a bike trip on the side. “I wasn’t going to bike the Mississippi River. I was going to bike the Katy Trail,” the Phoenix-based author, cyclist, and wanderer said. Then he changed his mind. “I’d been wanting to bike the river for decades, attempted it twice, and this time I was going to do it,” Mortensen said. “I headed out on a route partly picked to stay as close to the river as I could, knowing at times there are no roads close to the river. Other times I found history I wanted to learn about, routed a little far from the river to some towns a few miles away.” Starting June 6, Mortensen spent 26 days bicycling solo from Minneapolis to New Orleans, following the Mississippi River through small towns, historic communities, and landscapes that have shaped America’s history. “There’s a magical sense of community along the river,” Mortensen said.

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