seven hours of education, and we get their attention.” “And,” he adds, “no texting.” A SCENIC RIDE By about 10:30 a.m., the group had completed their lesson on the trail and gathered for a Q&A session at the shelter in Holdingford, after passing over Minnesota’s longest covered bridge. They had made their way around farms, pastures, and through fields of black- eyed Susan asters, and sumac as the sun was getting stronger. It took 18 months of planning, and a staff of 12 volunteers to turn Dr. Bottini’s idea of a new approach to CME into reality. Nurses Kelly O’Brien and Ginny Ogle were in charge of logistics for the day. They were very busy, but cheerful, despite a pre-dawn start to their day and hours of driving. They and their volunteers leapfrogged from intersection to intersection to alert riders of approaching traffic and fire them on with chants and posters. “It was a unique experience and very worth it, “ O’Brien said. After Holdingford, everyone continued to the Soo Line Trail’s pastoral setting and scenic views of swamps and natural areas, dotted with family farms and grazing livestock while taking in yet another lecture. At the Bowlus community center, a modern version of the town’s former train station, it was time to eat. Post lunch, presentations about Neuro-Oncology, Seizure Management and Spine Surgery kept everyone busy, and resting, until 2:30. Just four miles northeast of Bowlus, the group crossed the Mississippi River at Blanchard Dam on their way to the trailhead on Highway 10. After 27 miles and seven intense lectures, they were shuttled back to Freeport. (In the last six miles there was one more ipod lesson, this one on Parkinson’s disease.) THE BENEFITS “You form a great relationship with your students and have a chance for a one-on-one experience,” said Dr. Bottini. Most of these people have never seen this trail and they may come back to visit. I think we will do this again and I think it is scalable,” he said. “It could be a two- or three-day event and participants could bring their families.” Maybe Educational Tourism is a new facet to recreational trail use in the future, but it was definitely an above-average day in Lake Wobegon country. Minnesota Trails Summer 2015 11 1505Summer.indd 11 5/5/15 1:26 PM
seven hours of education, and we get their attention.And, he
adds, no texting.A SCENIC RIDEBy about 10:30 a.m., the group had
completed their lesson on the trail and gathered for a Q&A
session at the shelter in Holdingford, after passing over
Minnesotas longest covered bridge. They had made their way around
farms, pastures, and through fields of black-eyed Susan asters, and
sumac as the sun was getting stronger.
It took 18 months of planning, and a staff of 12 volunteers to
turn Dr. Bottinis idea of a new approach to CME into reality.
Nurses Kelly OBrien and Ginny Ogle were in charge of logistics for
the day. They were very busy, but cheerful, despite a pre-dawn
start to their day and hours of driving. They and their volunteers
leapfrogged from intersection to intersection to alert riders of
approaching traffic and fire them on with chants and posters.It was
a unique experience and very worth it, OBrien said.After
Holdingford, everyone continued to the Soo Line Trails pastoral
setting and scenic views of swamps and natural areas, dotted with
family farms and grazing livestock while taking in yet another
lecture. At the Bowlus community center, a modern version of the
towns former train station, it was time to eat. Post lunch,
presentations about Neuro-Oncology, Seizure Management and Spine
Surgery kept everyone busy, and resting, until 2:30.Just four miles
northeast of Bowlus, the group crossed the Mississippi River at
Blanchard Dam on their way to the trailhead on Highway 10. After 27
miles and seven intense lectures, they were shuttled back to
Freeport. (In the last six miles there was one more ipod lesson,
this one on Parkinsons disease.)
THE BENEFITSYou form a great relationship with your students and
have a chance for a one-on-one experience, said Dr. Bottini. Most
of these people have never seen this trail and they may come back
to visit. I think we will do this again and I think it is scalable,
he said. It could be a two- or three-day event and participants
could bring their families.Maybe Educational Tourism is a new facet
to recreational trail use in the future, but it was definitely an
above-average day in Lake Wobegon country.
