Set sail on the Wobegon Trail

Our St. Cloud correspondent, John Herdan, was Johnny on the Spot Sunday morning with his Jazz.Combo at the Osakis end of the new 50-mile Wobegon Trail. Most boomers can remember taking the Great Northern from Alexandria to Minneapolis. Now you can take your bike at least as far as St. Cloud on the same right-of-way. The railroad ties have been replaced by a nice smooth bituminous path to cushion your 60-year-old bottom.

Garrison Keillor was the big hoop-ti-do at Sunday's event (above). He saw John's song written in honor of the new trail and confessed to some professional jealousy in an autograph.

Our high school speech teacher Bill Riggs played his trumpet. His wife, Ann Falvey Riggs, as well as Bev Roers Korkowski and her husband, Cliff, were in the crowd.

Here's John's report:
Stan,

Sorry we missed you. We were in Osakis by 10:00 a.m. and set up to play at 11:00. In the crowd were Cliff and Bev (Roers) Korkowski. As it turns out Cliff went to school with one of the best known teachers at Cathedral who is also coach of our state championship baseball team, Bob Karn. Bev recognized my family from the wedding pictures you posted.

Since all of our kids go to school in the St. Cloud area we thought it was only appropriate that we have a guest artist who was a graduate of St. Cloud Tech, Bill Riggs (left). Ann was also in attendance.

We played early and Garrison came late, on his bike, but several of us did connect with him. Later on that evening he was back in Avon (long after your picture was taken but within two blocks of where you were). He is part owner of Fisher's Club which is where my son frequently plays. The house band was playing for the last time this summer so the place was packed. All of the Stearns County guys were there with Garrison. I got to chat with him for a few minutes and got a really nice compliment from him on my "Wobegon Trail" song.

Out of the day, we got two bookings, one at Fisher's Club, and one in Alex next summer at a new summer concert series to be held on Thursday evenings. We'll let you know when.

THE WOBEGON TRAIL

(Sung to the tune of "Route 66")

If you ever plan to cycle west

Travel my way,

Take the highway that is best --

Set sail on the Wobegon Trail.

It winds from St. Joseph to Osa......kis,

More than 47 miles all the way.

Set sail on the Wobegon Trail.

Now you go through Saint Joseph,

Collegeville and St. John’s,

and Avon City Beach is mighty pretty.

You see downtown Albany,

Freeport and old Melrose,

Memoryville, Sauk Centre

Don’t forget West Union,

Then you come to beautiful Osakis.

Won’t you get hip to this timely tip:

When you make that westward cycling trip

Set sail on the Wobegon Trail.

John