Tag: Iowa

IM15 – Doesn’t Get Better

Posted on August 4, 2016October 12, 2016 by Rich

Monona, Iowa to Brownsville, Minnesota Distance: 68.2 miles Ascent: 3,583 feet http://cyclemeter.com/51ced2364be66c17/Cycle-20160804-0808 Cumulative Distance this tour: 680.5 miles Wonderful overnight tenting in Monona’s Gateway Park. Once packed, we each headed over to Subway or Quillin’s grocery store for things like lemon-filled donuts and coffee. In the center of Monona we picked up Pleasant Ridge Road headed east, and took it 14 miles in the early morning mist prior to sunrise, through fields of corn and soybeans. Reaching the river bluff, we were rewarded with a 500’ drop in elevation to reach the town of Marquette. Giddy-up! Marquette is a tiny

IM14 – Beautiful Iowa

Posted on August 3, 2016October 13, 2016 by Rich

Dyersville, Iowa to Monona, Iowa Distance: 61.8 miles Ascent: 2,075 feet http://cyclemeter.com/51ced2364be66c17/Cycle-20160803-0827 Cumulative Distance this tour: 612.4 miles If Iowa could get any more beautiful, it did today. A late rise for me in the Dyersville park, and it seems I farted around more than usual this morning while Jack and Phil waited. Finally ready to go, I then couldn’t find my baseball cap, and was about to unpack my tent to see if I’d rolled it inside. Fortunately, Jack and Phil produced it – I’d left it in the park rest room. We rolled south a mile to find

IM13 – Field of Dreams

Posted on August 2, 2016September 27, 2016 by Rich

Oxford Junction, Iowa to Dyersville, Iowa Distance: 54.4 miles Ascent: 2,246 feet http://cyclemeter.com/51ced2364be66c17/Cycle-20160802-0746 Cumulative Distance this tour: 550.5 miles Not a single drop of rain last night. The winds did not even pick up. I’m certain that locals are expressing care for us, but I think they also like to exaggerate the possible weather hazards. A real strange thing last night, though. Around 4AM I had to get up for a stroll to the latrine, which was maybe 100 yards away. The stars were out and it was peaceful. In near full darkness, I returned to my tent but then hesitated. The

IM12 – Team Dumbass

Posted on August 1, 2016September 26, 2016 by Rich

Muscatine, Iowa to Oxford Junction, Iowa Distance: 50.1 miles Ascent: 1,186 feet http://cyclemeter.com/51ced2364be66c17/Cycle-20160801-0827 Cumulative Distance this tour: 496.2 miles Jack and I were packed and outside the motel by 7:00AM. Incredibly, Phil nearly overslept, but came rushing out only a few minutes behind us. In the meanwhile, a local resident pointed us down the street to the Muscatine Family Restaurant for breakfast, where we found good eats and good service. Jack and I even had grits – yummy! North on SR38 and then Y14. OK, it’s officially official. Phil is now a touring cyclist. All three bikes were loaded down but

IM11 – Rest Day in Muscatine Iowa

Posted on July 31, 2016September 26, 2016 by Rich

Muscatine, Iowa Distance: 3.6 miles Cyclemeter app not used Cumulative Distance this tour: 446.1 miles Good bye and good luck to Roger, who left fairly early this morning. We also said goodbye to Chris, who left us a “charge” to talk to every bicycle tourist we came across as a gesture of goodwill. Noted. We’d decided last spring to add a rest day today. Jack had examined the Muscatine motel rates and found them fantastically high on Saturday night (like over $250), and then back to normal on Sunday night. Hence Saturday night in the tent and Sunday night in

IM10 – RAGBRAI 2016 Day 7

Posted on July 30, 2016September 26, 2016 by Rich

Washington, Iowa to Muscatine, Iowa Distance: 54.6 miles Ascent: 1,314 feet Cyclemeter app not used Cumulative Distance this tour: 442.5 miles Sure was nice to have hot coffee right beside our campsite this morning, courtesy of the Washington Kiwanis Club. Jack and I hit up Farm Boys one last time this morning for breakfast. They’re real friendly, provide tasty hearty food at a market price, and run an efficient operation that typically churns through long lines. I tend to shun away from the mainstream RAGBRAI vendors, but not these guys. Two thumbs up for Farm Boys. This morning they were

IM09 – RAGBRAI 2016 Day 6

Posted on July 29, 2016September 26, 2016 by Rich

Ottumwa, Iowa to Washington, Iowa Distance: 70.2 miles Ascent: 2,541 feet Cyclemeter app not used Cumulative Distance this tour: 387.9 miles I’d set my tent beneath a huge tree yesterday. The advantage is minimal dew in the morning. The disadvantage this time was poop, little white blotches all over my nice turquoise rain fly. I even woke up with a sore throat that I knew was from snoring, and felt that I might be allergic to something in this park, possibly even the trees themselves. I noticed Jack was sawing logs this morning too. Seventeen miles to Hedrick, our first stop.

IM08 – RAGBRAI 2016 Day 5

Posted on July 28, 2016September 26, 2016 by Rich

Centerville, Iowa to Ottumwa, Iowa Distance: 52.1 miles Ascent: 1,999 feet Cyclemeter app not used Cumulative Distance this tour: 317.7 miles RAGBRAI is great fun, but one of the annoyances is the plethora of novice cyclists and campers. To wit. We tented last night next to a pickup truck parked on the grass, license plate from Illinois. Behind it was a big trailer. Yesterday afternoon its owners had erected a tremendous tent, reading the instructions all the while. Obviously novice, but ya gotta start somewhere. To the distraction of adjacent campers, this party stayed up until the wee morning hours

IM07 – RAGBRAI 2016 Day 4

Posted on July 27, 2016September 26, 2016 by Rich

Leon, Iowa to Centerville, Iowa Distance: 67.1 miles Ascent: 2,708 feet Cyclemeter app not used Cumulative Distance this tour: 265.6 miles A lovely 24-hour vapor light illuminated my tent all night – land of the midnight sun. The 3 of us departed together this morning from Leon, but Jack and I separated from Phil leaving town. Breakfast at Garden Grove – Farm Boys again. You go through a line and tell the servers each item you want in your bowl, like eggs, sausage, bacon, potatoes, onion, salsa, etc. When I got mine, I grabbed the edge and went to tote

IM06 – RAGBRAI 2016 Day 3

Posted on July 26, 2016September 26, 2016 by Rich

Creston, Iowa to Leon, Iowa Distance: 62.9 miles Ascent: 3,318 feet Cyclemeter app not used Cumulative Distance this tour: 198.5 miles RAGBRAI days blend into one another. Imagine spending 7 straight days at a huge carnival. An abbreviated writing method for today. Phil out 30 minutes before Jack and me this morning. Coffee and zucchini muffins at a farmhouse outside Creston. The muffins were full of chocolate chips – mmm! Farm Boys breakfast in Diagonal after 20 miles of riding. Hearty burrito in a bowl. 14 more miles to Mount Ayr, who did a great job with the town. Jack