The morning is cool…around 65 degrees. We think of our friends in other areas and how they are battling the heat. We are grateful for our riding conditions. Rain is expected today. We’ll see how bad it gets and adjust accordingly. We haven’t melted yet!!
The forecast for today is good and we ride several rail trails. Our plan is to get as many miles in a possible as storms are predicted tomorrow and later in the week.
We were able to get out of Columbus before the town woke up.
While early August, it is staying dark until 7 AM and getting dark early. Our planning will have to take this into consideration so we travel when it’s light and we’re more visible.
Coffee at the Starbucks on base began the morning. There we met Joshua who lived in Loma Linda at one time! It’s a small world. He had lots of questions about long distance cycling. He is an ultra marathon runner!!
The museum was spectacular!!
Four huge hangers housed planes beginning when first invented to missiles, spacecraft and experimental aircraft. We walked for hours and it was certainly worth it
We are back in the corn/soybean fields and welcome it. The traffic is sparse and it's relaxing to ride amongst the corps.
We find 'second coffee' in Lapel, Indiana where we meet Donna and Angela. Fabulous cups of vanilla latte and we are ready to forage forward.
Winding our way, we crossed a train track just before the train arrived. We've learned there still is a lot that is transported by rail.
Next, the Cardinal Greenway Trail. Oh so beautiful!! The trail is very well maintained. We are now traveling on a great surface amongst trees. So nice!
So, what will we see today?
After traveling over a beautiful old bridge, we went past a house where two cattle dogs came rushing towards us. Using the small marine horns stopped them. They are so loud and I think it left the dogs stunned.
3 vultures were ahead cleaning up a dead raccoon.
With a fog advisory, we headed to Love's truck stop for coffee and breakfast. Miles and miles of crops and flat terrain had us feeling like we were in an endless corn maze. Everything was beginning to look the same.
Road closed ahead. Detour. One after the other. Finally, at one I suggested we go to see why it was closed. Thankfully, it was a bridge, closed to cars but passable by bicycle.
A standing joke at RAGBRAI is that Iowa is flat, which it is not! But the parts of Illinois we are traveling through is!!
Corn and soybeans.
Soybeans and corn.
Corn and soybeans.
Soybeans and corn.
Corn and soybeans.
Soybeans and corn!
You get the picture.
After breakfast in the hotel, we went into town.
Pontiac is a neat old town. We had lunch at Delongs, enjoyed the museum and then headed over to the Pontiac Transportation Museum where we met Tim & Penny Dye. Tim gave us an insiders tour filled with interesting facts. We even got to go in the basement which housed even more memorabilia.
Our first stop was Tiskilwa where we found coffee at the gas station. The town was pristine...almost like a movie stage. We met Cecille Gerber who was raised there. She spent her years as a teacher in Chicago and now retired, has returned to Tiskilwa.
She shared amazing history of the town.
We found the entrance to the Hennipen Canal Trail and hopped on. It was so relaxing to ride along the canal away from traffic. And, with just the two of us, so quite and peaceful. No "On your left!!". We passed an area where there was red algae growing , saw people fishing from the edge and then the Lily Pads!!
During certain sections, they were edge to edge of the water and in one place, nearly a mile stretch! The pad were huge-about 3 feet across.
It was breathtaking!
We eased into the morning with breakfast at the hotel. The second cup of coffee, lingering just a bit longer...all special treats we've learned to enjoy on our rest day.
While doing laundry, I encountered another rider staying in the hotel before returning home. This was his and his wife's first RAGBRAI and sadly, he said their last. The heat and distances were too brutal. The final few days of RAGBRAI, several first timers were saying the same thing. One and done. It truly was the hardest we've ridden and we were fortunate to have been well trained and acclimated. I'm not sure how we would have felt had this one of the other years when we hadn't had as much seat time.
The morning after.
The promise of a new day...the morning light filters over the camp. The sun is rising.
Our roommates are stirring...organizing gear, putting on kits, brushing teeth as if nothing happened the night before. Outside we see riders mounted and heading out. There is a light breeze but today is our last ride day. Okay. Let's get going.
We slept amazingly well last night, not only because of the miles covered over the past 6 days but because of the air conditioning.
We prepare the duffles for pickup. But normally we leave them in the tent. Now, the tent is missing. Tents are in trees, the river and scattered everywhere. All the Kybos have blown over and one is in the river.
Leaving our duffles at the recommended area, we head out.
A Casey's is just outside of camp so we stop in for breakfast and morning coffee. There we met Chuck from the USAF Cycling team and have a great conversation about RAGBRAI and the teams history.
Drew mentioned how still the air was. And indeed, not a whisper of a breeze. Looking to the sky, it was crystal clear behind us but dark clouds were forming in front of us. And then the sirens began. I remember that sound from 2014 when I was in Dallas visiting my sister. We were out on a morning run at 5:30 am and the sirens began. I asked "What are those for?" She told me they were tornado warning sirens. "What does that mean?" She replied " Run faster!". It was frightening.
Sadly, We are seeing more and more emergency vehicles.
The sun is beating down. There is very little shade and no cloud cover. By midday, I decide to put the water bladder filled with ice into my string bag and on my back. I'm riding in zone 2-3 knowing that the byproduct of metabolism is water, CO2 and HEAT.
And what better day than today to enjoy another tradition-Beekman's ice cream!! Cold and lots of calories!
Woohoo!! A short day!
Today was quite crowded. At RAGBRAI, you can sign up to ride all day or one or more days. We hear that the organization is trying to break a record for the most riders ever recorded. It does seem a little more crowded today. Our first stop, we met a young man who is riding a unicycle the entire route. Talk about an inspiration. You can see him on YouTube at WorldofUnicycles.
We had fun riding through Polk City...named after my wonderful neighbors! Well, not really but they share the same last name! lol!!
We finished riding just after 1 and searched for camp. All the charters are located at Waterworks Park. OMG! People, people and more people!!
Today is a ride day, not a tour day.
On ride days, the focus is different. While you see really cool things along the way, stopping for photos is not practical. The time to decelerate, get the phone, take the photo, get back going, especially in a large group where you have to strategically find a safe spot to stop and start...well...it's just not very practical.
Today will be Zachary's longest ride yet. He's doing amazing and is embracing the eat/drink regime.
The beauty of the sun rising over the water is breathtaking. A promise of a new day...a day to explore and experience...a day to meet new people and to feel alive!!
Riders were up early and setting out to beat the heat. By 7 am, the Pork Belly Camp was nearly empty.
Sioux City to Storm Lake, Iowa
Day One and you can feel the nervous tension in the air. New riders are uncertain about what to expect and return riders are excited for new experiences and memories! We were blessed with great weather.
Off we went and the group flowed easily. After about 20 miles, things seemed to settle and everyone was in a groove. Drew and I are on cloud nine riding the bikes unloaded. They feel so fast now!! And being at around 1,100 foot elevation versus over 7,000 foot elevation, it's so easy to breathe!!
Saturday, July 22, 2023Day 50Shuttle from Carter Lake to Sioux City, IowaAnd so it begins! Breakfast downstairs in the hotel. Fuel up. And enjoy an extra cup of coffee. Life won’t be like this over the next week!We chack out and…
The morning was spent cleaning and tuning bikes, sorting kits and preparing for our week ahead in the corn.
Zachary would arrive this afternoon around 3 and we're so excited to share his first RAGBRAI with him.
We walked to the airport hoping to both surprise and help Zachary with his gear.
It was so great to see him walk up the concourse.
Each year I've traveled to Omaha, I'm told the zoo is one of the world's best. Being a weekday, we decide to try it. Last Saturday, it was so crowded, we skipped it.
We were happy to get tickets for half price since we are annual pass holders for the Living Desert.
It was a beautiful day to spend outside, walking four hours to visit all the exhibits. Our favorite area was the rainforest where there were monkeys, birds and bats. The setting was awesome.
Tonight we see Chris Stapleton. I can't remember the last time we stayed up late. We're typically up at 5:30 am and asleep around 10 pm.
We decided to try the Spaghetti Works. Fresh salad bar and gluten free pasta available. And the cheesecake! Drew could only eat half so we got a to-go box.
On the way home, we saw a billboard saying Chris Stapleton was playing tomorrow night. On a whim, we checked to see if any tickets were available at a reasonable price. The last concert we looked into was at the Acrisure Event center in Palm Desert. The tickets were really expensive. And to our surprise, we were able to get two seats. So excited. We love his voice and down to earth demeanor. Now that's living life unScripted.
What another amazing day!!
Carter Lake, Iowa
Hail storm- check.
Facebook inspiration-check.
Pizza Bites-check.
Bike nap- check.
Care package from family- WOOHOO!!!!!!!
While driving to return the Uhaul this morning, we saw emergency vehicles on the opposite side of the road. There were about 4 bikes laying on the greenway and someone being loaded into the paramedic vehicle on a stretcher. We were reminded how fragile life is and how quickly things can change while on the bike. It doesn’t take much…a rock, an uneven surface, a wet painted line or a change of position in the cyclist in front of you to cause you to fall. You’re up. You’re down. And this feat of physics-speed, angle, weight- cares not who you are, how many miles you’ve ridden in your life or how expensive your bike is-it is just the law of physics.
Holy Moly!! With blackout curtains drawn, we woke up at 8:12 am! I can’t remember the last time I slept this late!! I have a belief that your body will determine the rest it needs. Perhaps we’ve become a little sleep deprived…a bit fatigued. Maybe that’s the root of Drew’s ‘allergies’.
Road trippin’
After a month and a half on bicycles, riding in a vehicle feels rather strange!! With over 2,000 miles ridden, we’ll cover over 400 miles today in the Uhaul. The mind continues to weigh pros and cons.
During the night, we were awakened by the loud noise of hail crashing on the vehicles in the parking lot. And the light show!! Thank goodness we’re not in a tent. Thank goodness we will travel safely to Carter Lake today.
Rest day? Day off? Catch up day?? Off the bike day-that’s what this is.
As we travel southeast, temps will be higher. Having ridden RAGBRAI before, staying cool and hydrated is important. And with the bikes, we can carry more than on a normal road bike. We embark on how to carry an ice chest or cooler of some sort. A postal bubble wrap envelope? A hot/cold grocery bag? Last year, we had a battery box that we used to protect fans we used in the tent. With the fans out, it became our ice chest after the ride. A trip to the local Safeway, we found the hot/cold bag but it wasn’t going to work. There, they had a 12 pack foldable ice chest. It zipped closed and fit perfectly in the trunk over the bike’s rear wheel. Success!!
It was a torrid night filled with bizarre lights flashing, swirling against the tent walls. Lightening flashes mixed with the lights from the trucks on the road…the sound of thunder pounding, jake brakes shuttering , tires on the tarmac, the stream nearby…brewed a fitful sleep. Listening to Drew’s breathing wrought with congestion. Light rain pinging. All a bit of sensory overload.
Morning could not come soon enough.
At the break of dawn, we were up and breaking camp with few words spoken. Our routine has become perfected. Coffee is 5 miles away. Into a headwind.