Final Day Coralville to Davenport

The last night we have heavy dew and everything was sopping wet...good thing it was on the last night. I did a quick run, left town at 6:00 and stopped briefly a couple places along the way. Just a quick breakfast burrito, watermelon and a smoothie...and the required bananas! Day was mostly flat, with some hills here and there. I felt very strong and made good time. As usual the heat at the end was tough. I think I've been drinking more than three gallons of water a day. The ride was a little longer than planned. There was a detour because of flooding near the river. There is a dip site at the end where you can dip your front tire into the Mississippi. I passed on the dip...there were 25,000 expected and I wanted to do a quick turn out of town. I made it to the parking lot by 11:15...it was just over 70 miles for the day. After packing the car and getting a shower (which was not the usual  RAGBRAI experience...there was no line and plenty of hot water!) it was noon and I headed home. 13 hours later at midnight I rolled into Louisville. Made it to 7:30 Mass this morning. Dried out tent and stuff. Kris even washed the toxic bag of dirty clothes already (bless her). Imagine seven sweaty days of damp bike gear...yuck. I cut the neglected grass, and I sweat less doing that than sitting still in Iowa!

I'm off to Chicago tomorrow for a two day trip...I'll try to write a recap of RAGBRAI this week.

Glad to be home, but had a super time in Iowa. I feel great; no pains...butt is a little tender, but not bad. All is good.

Day six, Grinnell to Coralville

75 miles today, the longest distance   I've biked in a day in decades. It was a very good day, nice rolling hills not too hot early, but warmed up in the afternoon. I started at six to beat some of the heat. My goal for the day was to stop at Mr. Pork Chop. He is a RAGBRAI legond. He is known for yelling POOOORK  CHOOOOPS. This year his pink pig bus is in operation, but I haven't seen or heard the big Mr. PC himself. Every other day his location was too early in the day for.me to stop, but today he was about 50 miles into the ride. Unfortunately, Beekman's was at 45 miles, so I had to forego my sixth root beer float.
The chops are $7.00 and are a good inch thick. They are cooked over smoldering corn cobs. Nothing else on the menu (actually there is no menu), and I heard he only works  this one week a year. The chop was a good as I had heard.
A couple of miles past the pork chop, I came to Amana where they make Amana appliances. We got free ice for our water bottles, way cool! The area has German roots, I had a very big potato pancake, and was talked into a root beer made by the local brewery. They said it would be the best I ever had, which was.true, but again, fifty hot miles prime the taste buds. I also had the pale ale from the brewery and listened to a good oldies band for quite a while.
The last 17 miles into Coralville were hot and long...the pork chop and the potatoes may have weighed me down a bit! Everything feels good, but I'm a bit tired...the heat and miles sap me some. Haven't taken any pain relievers, except one when my back was a little stiff from sleeping on the ground.
I met a dog named Zuzu. Weird hairless thing, got a picture for Karen. The mechanical ice cream makers are powered by old one cylinder gas engines. A picture of the decorated road kill, and random RGBRAI pics.
I found a chinese restaurant for dinner...didn't want anything smoked, deep fried or on a stick!
Last day tomorrow...I may not get a post out for a bit, I do a quick turn in Davenport to head home. Still having fun but home sounds good.

Zuzu

Road Kill

Entry into Coralville

Entry Gate into Coralville

Beekman's Ice Cream Maker

Big Pork Chop

Health food

Day five Altoona to Grinnell

Overcast today...a bit cooler, but we5 had headwinds for a long stretch. I got in at 1230, and hung out st the pool for a couple of hours.

One more root beer float... I'm five for five days.

Things I've seen on the road: one unicycle, two penny farthing bicycles, one skateboarder doing the whole 456 miles, one tandem bike decked out as a cow, a dual recumbant made into a giant banana, multiple cyclists dressed as chickens pigs mules rabbits skunks chickens and ballerinas (of both sexes), two tiaras (one representing pork farmers, the other was 89 and put a tattoo on my arm at Weirick Drugs in Colfax).

Grinnell is a nice town. Had chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes and cream gravy for dinner (I'm so off my diet). Had the first good beer at the official beverage garden, a local IPA, met the brewmaster. A local pipe band played, way cool.

It is cooling down tonight, I may stick around in town for a bit, but we have 70 miles tomorrow. I need an early start. Feeling good, butt not too sore yet. Still making friends...

PS this post is out of order, it did not go though last night....

Day four Boone to Altoona

Twelve bananas so far (plus the ones in the smoothies). A little tired of them but still eating them. Lots of water, and then even more. Right now I'm in the Altoona library...free wifi and AC. Had a nice dinner at the Catholic church, rib eye steak, corn on the cob and pasta salad. Altoona is pretty big, things are spread out. Our camp is near the entertainment, it will be loud, so I may go over, it will be hard to sleep.

Very good ride today, cooler and overcast this morning, hotter and sunnier this afternoon. Forecast was for rain, but it looks clear. About sixty miles today, same tomorrow, these are the short days. Had hard boiled eggs on a stick for breakfast. Stopped for another root beer float and later for a Guinness at the first Irish pub I've seen. Phone is still acting up, I may not be able to post pics...I'll try later.

People wear mardi gras beads and when we pass road kill someone has adorned the critter with beads...gotta picture of one if it will go out.

Still having a swell time.

Day three Carroll to Boone

Hot, hot, hot. But not until this afternoon. We did 70 miles, pretty flat ending with Twister Hill, where they filmed the movie. 300 foot climb, most riders walked. Good thing I've done the Mesa Road, not bad, but after 62 hot miles it was work. Today was flat mostly, I made good time, averaged 14.7 mph. No weird food today, but I had my first "beer" on the ride, Coors Lite. All they had.

Took a short detour down a dirt road to an old church, St. Peter. The folks were very nice.

Stopped for a root beer float from Beekmans home made ice cream. Wonderful! May have been the 50 mile ride that made it taste so good.

Peed in a corn field for the first time, no lines!

I stopped for a guinness at the Giggling Goat in Boone, a fellow had to get help for heat exhaustion, EMTs came. I had them call 911. I heard in Atlantic the hospital was full from heat cases, I've been drinking more water than you can believe and stopping for shade when it gets too hot. I'm doing fine, even my butt is ok!

Phone seems fine, I think it was the sweat from being in my pocket. Just two pics. One is a fountain some one put up in their yard for cyclists.

Day two Atlantic to Carroll

Another great day...a bit hotter, longer and hilliier, but still fun. We went through two Danish towns and a german one. Here are some pcs of the windmill and the mermaids. Food was good today including pork chop on a stick and bologna on a stick and my second slice of rhubarb pie...I was gonna pass on the pie but was told it was baked by the best cook on the area. It was very good but Elissas was better. Our camp tonight is a bit further out of the center of the action, so there is so dinner here. I'll just stay in camp tonight unless others go out.

My phone is acting up, so if I don't post much more it is just a technical issue. I'm hoping I can get it to keep working.

Day one. Glenwood to Atlantic

Great day! Got underway at 6:15. Dry overnight, didn't need to wipe down tent. Reasonably cool early, hot by the end. Went about sixty miles, rolling time of about four and a half hours. Lots of rolling hills, I passed most going up hill, they got me on the way down.

I stopped in most towns to get water and say hey to folks. The locals sit out front and watch the bikes go by. Not much happens on some of these small towns. Everyone is very nice. Among the way I had: strawberry smoothie, BLT and avocado wrap, ear of sweet corn, since of rhubarb pie and a root beer float with home made ice cream. Arriving in Atlantic we all got a free bottle of Coke. Dinner was at the Catholic church, all you can eat spaghetti. It was good. The carbs were just what I needed.

I actually made Mass in Griswald for the 10:30. Two guys I met last night from Chicago hooked up with me for the final leg of the day. We are camped near the swimming pool so I spent a couple hours there after setting up camp.

Looking for another beer before going back to camp. There is free wifi at the bike expo  cell coverage is weak here. So I'm sitting on the curb writing.

Some random photos attached, the sign was a jokr, it says ladys room and points to the cornfield. Saw the worlds largest bike...tomorrows run looks a lot like today.