Day 4: Celebrating America's Birthday. In America. At the Mall of America - July 4th Tour through Minneapolis/St. Paul.

**This series of posts recap my two-week trip to Billings, MT and back from July 1-16, 2013. For the entire list of my featured rides, click here.**

This was a very involved Fourth of July!

It started at dawn. I was up by 5AM for a 6AM departure from Apple Valley, MN and a 35 mile ride with my friends to an Emma Krumbee's in Belle Plaine for a very tasty breakfast. We parted ways afterward as they headed toward South Dakota and I backtracked to Minneapolis/St. Paul to do some sightseeing before I continued north to my next stop in Minot, ND. No worries, I was going to meet up with them again in Billings for the WOW International Ride-In™.

Salmon fillet Eggs Benedict? You betcha. You'll be seeing quite a bit of food during this trip.

My first stop was downtown St. Paul, the state capital of Minnesota. As a huge Peanuts fan, heading to Charles M. Schultz's hometown is like returning to Mecca. This state has not forgotten one of its most famous sons, and sculptures of his work dot various parts of the city and the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport among other locations. Of course, with giant statues combined with an empty downtown and free parking (thank you federal holiday!) come very absurd photos.

Food Review: The Green Papaya (Lincoln, NE)

Authentic Vietnamese food in Lincoln...NEBRASKA? It's a bit far from Westminster, CA but the flavor is definitely spot on!

I rode past this place on my motorcycle on the way to the Super 8 hotel in Lincoln, NE where I have my quarterly board meeting with the Women On Wheels® Board of Trustees and just had to try it today during our lunch break. It's been a while since I had Vietnamese food; the last time I had a nice hot bowl of pho (beef portions and rice noodles) was in La Habra at the then newly-opened Olivia's Bistro almost three years ago.

I took a couple of my fellow WOW board members along for what turned out to be a very tasty first-time experience for both of them.

We came into the restaurant and were immediately greeted. For my pho, I ordered the combination bowl that included beef sirloin, flank steak, brisket, tendon, tripe, and meatballs. When I go with pho, I like everything in it. The entire bowl was very well balanced. I was able to taste all of the ingredients in the soup and it wasn't salty like some other bowls that I've had in the past. It disappeared quite quickly.

Huge bowl of pho! Bring your appetite!

For dessert, I indulged in a Thai bubble tea. It took me back home to CA for just a few minutes with its sweet and creamy texture. The boba (tapioca balls) at the bottom was plentiful and were properly cooked.

After hanging out in Lincoln area a few times, I would consider this place to be a local culinary gem in my book. The restaurant is Vietnamese-owned and completely authentic. If you're driving through Lincoln, NE on I-80, swing down 27th Street and make a stop here - and perhaps spend the night at the Cornhusker Super 8 (they've taken care of us every time we've been here)

The Green Papaya Vietnamese Cuisine & Deli is located at 2701 N. 27th St. in Lincoln. Check out their Facebook page and give them a like!