June 20, 08. Day 09 - Stillwater, Mn - Bemidji, Mn.

Early in the morning some of our new friends and local residents came to see us and show support. The warmth and support was at times overwhelming! We left Stillwater, Minnesota, with a full-fledged police escort and fond memories. We had also made new friends in the form of the Tom Schramm and Sandy Yocum (recently engaged!), who graciously offered to drive their Smart Car in front of the XOF11 as escorts (as required by the Minnesota State Patrol). The drive started really well. We had hopped we would be able to drive all the way to Canada. Unfortunately, the overcast weather and strong head winds dampened our hope. In any case it turned out to be a great stop. Bemidji is a beautiful town worth seeing it. We are glad we had the opportunity to see it. Friday saw a milestone of the trip: we broke 1,000 miles! Friday also saw the car's first flat tire, which resulted in a 14 minute pit stop - not bad for changing a flat! We stopped briefly to have our photo taken in front of the beautiful Lake Winnibigoshish before ending the day in Bemidji, Minnesota. We made it 270 miles - a new daily record! While we charged our batteries, Bruce Slinkman, a Bemidji resident, stopped to chat about the car. He liked it so much that he called Laurie Swenson of the Bemidji Pioneer, who quickly arrived and interviewed the entire team. Her article can be found here: (LINK) Bruce took the team on a guided tour of Bemidji (who knew that Lake Bemidji was the start of the Mississippi?) that included the famous statues of Paul Bunyan and Babe. We took in a quick dinner (yay for pizza!), then returned to our make-shift campsite for some much-needed rest. Thanks Bruce!

	432.km (270 miles)
	Tom Schramm and Sandy Yocum. Thanks for all your help, much appreciated! While talking about the challenges will be facing in remote areas for getting meals ready, Tom gave us a small camping stove to be used once we get to the remote areas of the trip. Hey Tom, we'll let you know what the first meal we cooked once we get there :)
	Some of our supporters and new friends came early in the morning to wish us a good trip.
	Tom did a super fantastic job as the escort lead vehicle. Sandy's smart car was getting as much attention as XOF1.
	Changing our first flat tire, we ran over a nail or something flat.!
	Quick stop for a photo op by Lake Winnibigoshish, it was extremely windy!
	Beautiful scenic drive in northern Minnesota.
	As the batteries were running flat, we stopped just outside Bemidji.
	Bruce Slinkman next to the solar car while charging the batteries
	A sure site to visit while in Bemidji, Paul Bunyan and Babe.