The first time Mary Mitchell hosted a long-distance cyclist at her home in the Bemidji area, it was a person from Quebec, Canada. Actually, three different parties from Quebec. "These are native French speakers for whom English is their second language. I found that interesting and it was a lot of fun to learn about their culture," Mary said.
Since then, Mary has been hosting touring cyclists through the Warm Showers community. The site connects long-distance cyclists with hosts around the world who provide them with a place to camp, a room to stay in, laundry facilities, and yes, warm showers.
"It's a totally appropriate name," Mary said, "because when folks come in they're covered with grime and sweat and they've been riding all day and all they want is to take a shower."
Warm Showers is a community of bicycle tourists and those who support them. The community is based on "reciprocal hospitality" where hosts volunteer their time and space to cyclists with the idea that someday they may also be in need of a warm shower somewhere on their own long-distance journey.
"Reciprocal hospitality?" Heidi said. "That sounds like a nice way to live a life!"
There are lots of ways to be a host, according to Mary. "You can say 'people can camp in my yard, people can use my guest room.' You offer bathroom facilities and sometimes laundry. Sometimes 'I'll provide a meal' or 'you can use the kitchen but I'm not going to cook for you.' Whatever you're comfortable with."
"It's a little bit of extra work, but it's very rewarding," she said.
Hosts are especially needed in this area because of the unique position of Highway 2. "In Bemidji and Grand Rapids, we happen to be on a major route for cyclists riding across the nation," Mary said. "A lot of people like to go from Washington state to Maine, or from Maine to Washington state, and they end up on Highway 2. The need for hosts is important along the way,"
The main reason to be part of the Warm Showers community is to expose yourself to people from cultures outside of your own. Along with the Quebecoise, Mary hosted a cyclist from Germany this year. Next year, Mary will be hosting a cycling tuba player from Scotland who is cycling the Mississippi River from south to north, playing tuba concerts along the way. "Sometimes people have a personal reason for doing a big ride," Mary said. "Maybe they're turning 60, or maybe they're recovering from cancer. It might be a self-empowerment journey."
And according to Mary, there're absolutely no downsides. "You don't have to worry about hosting an axe-murderer," she said. "It would be very hard to carry an axe on a bicycle."
Check out the Warm Showers website to learn more about becoming a host to touring cyclists on their way through northern Minnesota.
