The great food, friendship, and rest we received in Janesville was rejuvenating. It allowed us to have our longest day yet, making it all the way to Monticello which was farther than hoped.

After a short time meandering through the beautiful arboretum and outdoor learning areas by Janesville, we walked County Road A straight west to Albany. As far as trail goes, it certainly was the most boring portion so far with about 17 miles of straight road. But, the views were always changing and we still met some fun folks along the way.

Around 8:55am, we passed a Lutheran country church (on Church Road) and stopped for a break from the sun at a picnic table under a tree. They were just gathering for service, but no one said 'Hi'.

At about 11:00am, we got to the Magnolia Advent Church, six miles away and still out in the country. As we went to sit on the Magnolia town hall steps in the shade across the street, a man came out the church doors and spotted us. He said 'Hi' and said he had seen us down the road a couple hours ago and we were making good time. He also let me come in and refill my water bottles, so we chatted a little about our hike. On my way out, a lady smiled and said, 'God bless you'.

When we reached Albany in the high heat of the afternoon, we needed a rest. On this trek through Wisconsin, I've discovered that taverns are frequent and friendly, and good places to rest and refresh. We passed a woman in her yard when we entered Albany and she recommended 'the Center' as a nice place to get a cool drink.
When we walked in the door, all 40+ heads turned to stare at us from the dark gloom as our eyes tried to adjust. The place was packed at 2pm! We were expecting to be the only ones there. As it turns out, many taverns have contests, drawings, games, and such during slow times (like Sunday afternoon) and this place had a drawing each month.

Being strangers, we were considered impartial so I was told to come up behind the bar and pull a numbered chip out of a bucket. I pulled #45 - 44 groans of defeat and one scream of excitement. Tammy had just won $1000 dollars. We were best friends now! :-) But, I sat with my back to the wall, just in case anyone was a sore loser.

After resting in Albany, we continued on and hiked until sunset, reaching the tiny village of Monticello. Ann and Karl were out for their evening stroll and, after hearing of our trip, invited us to camp in their yard. Ann, like so many mothers, insisted on food, so she made us hamburgers, grapes, clementines, and milk. We slept very well after that.

Also, our bug suits again proved their value during our evening walk.