Dave,
We usually stop at The Smiling Pelican for lunch on the tour, it was cleaned out this year, and we ate at a bar in the same town-the waitresses were a bit too friendly, as I remember. We ALWAYS hit the cheese factory in Nelson, at that point in the ride you are very much ready for an ice cream cone, and to get your hindquarters off of a Brooks saddle. After that, I head across the bridge into Wabasha, and a well deserved hot tub, dinner at Slippery's, and an early bedtime. Most of the animals on the tour camp, at the big campground in the middle of Wabasha. I'm over camping.

Gene,
The original poster would appear to have had his question politely answered, and since my name made the title of the thread, and the conversation has veered off into another of my irrational interests (postwar English consumer bicycles) I am going to attempt to just as politely correct a few points about that topic.
The "English Racer" you posted a photo of, is actually a 28" rod braked version of the more commonly imported Sports model, of the same era. I can assure you, few to no children rode such a bicycle in this country, they were too large and expensive. It would have weighed more than 51 lbs, also. The name "English Racer" while commonly heard in your era, is a misnomer, these bikes were never intended for racing of any sort. They were simply what a typical Englishman rode for basic transportation from the late 1920s until perhaps the 1970s, and sold well in the US at the same time-fewer Englishmen owned cars in this era than their American counterparts. WIth a bit of maintenance, these are bicycles that can easily see 50-100 years of daily use, and many Englishmen are riding bicycles their Grandparents purchased decades before they were born.
My daily rider:





This, a model I own three of, is the rarely encountered five speed version of the Sturmey Archer internal gear hub, the S5, fitted to the "Sprite", a higher end Sports model. There are actually six gears in that hub, but, the two in the middle are the same ratio, so it is known as a five speed. I modify the gearing on all our bikes, typically using a 20-22 tooth sprocket on the hub, and a 44 on the crank. The Sturmey, either S5 or AW three speed, as delivered, is simply geared too high for actual use. I bought this bike at a garage sale, and it had leaned against an outside storage shed for so long, the hubs were level with the ground, the bottom half of the rims sunk in the dirt. All I wanted was the hub, and the owner told me I could buy the hub for $10, or get the whole bike out for free. I have completed 7 or 8 Lake Pepin tours on this old bike, a 1967.

A few shots of my Son's bike:

This is a five year old, ready to begin his rather chilly first Lake Pepin tour, 6 years ago:





This is a 1963 Raleigh Colt, built before the company had gone to the cost cutting measures of Dutch wheels versus the heavier Westrick rims, and plastic fittings on the shift cable wheel, and fulcrum clamp. I got it from the founder of the Lake Pepin tour, 81 year old Noel Robinson, a man who still rides and completes the tour every year. My Son INSISTED the bike not be restored, simply cleaned, repaired, and put back in service. You 'gotta love a five year old who appreciates patina. The bike has been modified with short 10 speed cranks to allow Chris to "spin" which, keeps him riding all day, but, it still doesn't go up the Bay City hill by itself!

The survival rate of 17" boys Raleigh bikes in this country is likely less than 1/10 of 1% of production.

Lake Pepin Tour "bling":



Christopher began riding the tour when he was 5. He had trouble getting his feet on the ground the first year, but, we practiced a move where I came to a stop in front of him, and "caught" the stem of his bike as he came to a stop next to me. It worked beautifully, and, along with starting from a curb, he became the youngest rider ever to do the Tour in the self propelled catagory (babies have done it, from a bike trailer) and the youngest record is one Chris still holds.
A young lady, seeing Chris buzzing around on the start of the tour this year, asked him if he was going to "try" the Tour. He came to a stop and replied "I tried it when I was five, and have done it every year since. I'm doing the tour, again"
I don't know if she was impressed or horrified when she saw the bag tags on his bike.

Best,
Ted