Author: Phil

Off early to get miles in before the storm!

Chafing from sloshy ride the day before

Enjoying the cooler start!

Birds chirping, and a rooster crowing

Cows wondering from where comes the “Moo!” 

Tires humming on the tarmac while heading East

Hawks and crop dusters overhead

Wind roaring across ears when heading South into the wind

Grizzled silos and gaping barns stand proud and unused (Is there more story?)

Whistling wind through spokes

Civilization evident with transmission lines and telephone poles

Alternative power from windmills (not the Quixote type) and solar panels

Chocolate milk at Henry Foods

Bike boots repaired at Central Park

River pic from the bridge

Cheeseburger and fries from Rio Vista

Mystery of Goat Hill pondered by Amy and Nancy!

This morning’s bike riding was delayed by a downpour, and the first miles were a bit ‘splash-splashy’ on the road.  Progressed through the 30 miles North to connect with the Northern Tier Route, where traffic was lighter, though the road was rough until Sherrard.  Stopped at the 7-11 for some hydration drink, and had a conversation with the cashier, Kaitlyn.  She was born in Texas, and she has had discussions with her husband to possibly return.  The idea seems to die when they realize the Summer heat there.  They have two children, a son 8 and a daughter 13.  At the moment the son has expressed multiple ‘crushes’ and has Evel Knievel tendencies, and so is a ‘handful!’

When both sides of the road are blessed with fields of corn, and on occasion the corn is but six or so feet from the edge of the pavement, it seems that the stalks are sentinels protecting the road for the bicyclists, as other vehicles seem to be rare on such roads.

Cathy was able to visit the birthplace of her fraternity, founded in 1870 at Monmouth College by six (progressive-for-their-time) women.  Reading of their struggles and history nearly brought tears and shivers.

Stopped in Cambridge to consume a PB&J sandwich I had carried around for two days.  Cathy had wrapped it well, so it was still fresh.  Cambridge impressed as a cool and quaint town, with tree lined streets to cool the emerging Sun!

Met up with Cathy at the Public Library in Kewanee.  A very nice, historic building!  We went to lunch at Cerno’s, built by Pabst Blue Ribbon in the 19th Century.  The fifty foot mahogany bar survived Prohibition, though the male patrons did take their ‘lady friends’ upstairs for a beverage, as the bar was then male-only.

We did go through the tedious exercise of trying to get some timing set for visiting with family and friends along the Northern Tier Route.  With the possibility of weather complications, all are estimates!  We do feel good that we have been flexible, and are adapting as we go.  Now that we enter areas that are much more populated, we will see what ‘traffic’ that may add complications, as well.

Tomorrow looks to be a ‘short’ day!

Cheers!

After RAGBRAI, it has been a ‘hectic’ two days.  First, we left Des Moines, IA after helping to clean out the team bus.  (It was good to spend a night in a ‘real’ bed at Threase’s!).  We headed East in the van on I-80 to North of Muscatine, IA, and I rode down to where we camped for the night at Deep Lakes Park.  The bike/ped trail through Muscatine is very pleasant, and there was a ballet event in the park as I rode through the city.  The night was pleasant, with a significant lightning/thunder/rainstorm.

I was off on my bike early this morning, while some of the road was still wet.  The trip South from Muscatine went along many corn and soybean fields.  The traffic or the shoulders were good.

Cathy and I met up at the Burlington Public Library (after my stop, and a great ‘hello’ from Janet at Casey’s).  We called into Adventure Cycling, and after a couple of conversations with Nathan and Juliette, about the impact to the transamerica Trail logistics and the flooding in Eastern Kentucky and Western Virginia, decided to change our route and destination.

We are now tracking to the Northern Tier Route, with a target ‘finish’ location of Portland, ME.  The distance doesn’t seem to be much more, but the course doesn’t have the same possibility of detours/closed roads.  We also have a number of folks we can possibly see along the way.  We may even run into Chris and Bob, and e even Daniel, as we cross New England/New York!!

Tomorrow, we connect with the NT Trail, and begin the final third of the journey!!  (Cathy may spend a bit of time in Monmouth, as this is the birthplace of her fraternity!)

Be safe, Have fun, Spread joy!!

Today we will head over to Threase’s place in Windsor Heights.  There will be the start of the team gathering today/tonight, and tomorrow morning we will load the team bus for the drive to Sergeant Bluff on the Missouri River for the RAGBRAI Expo and the start of RAGBRAI riding on Sunday!  (RAGBRAI.com for details.)

We will be leaving the van for the next week, and Cathy will be riding her bike and not driving.  She will have a break from all of the laundry, supplying, nutrition prepping, and driving.  We are hoping for a dip in Threase’s pool for a bit of relief today, as well.

On the way to Threase’s we’ll stop for a few ‘personal provisions’ and some contributions to make for the group on the bus.  On the team’s way to Sergeant Bluff, we will make a ‘social stop’ for some partying and socializing!  (And there will likely be some cup tipping competition!)

I’ll be taking a break from ‘daily’ postings, as there will be limited internet bandwidth during RAGBRAI.  (There will be as many as 20,000+ riders, plus support moving our way across Northern Iowa.) I’ll catch up next weekend.

Enjoy and be safe!

After breakfast, including waffles, we stopped at a Goodwill thrift store where we picked up some ‘asundries’ priced by the pound!  (I think we got a backpack, a couple of yoga mats, and ?!?)  From there we drove to the Des Moines area, stopping at DSW, Trader Joe’s, and REI for other items.  We dropped Cathy off at our ABNB location for the next few days.

Daniel and I took our bikes to Rynovelo to drop them off for service by Ryan.  Daniel also picked up some replacement boots (bike shoes), as his had lost their support.  On the way back to the ABNB, we also picked up some pre-mixed margarita from Central City Liquors.  Dana was very helpful in helping us to get the ‘best’ with Triple Sec and Jose Quervo!  Our ‘coupon’ helped!

Cathy, Daniel and I settled in at the ABNB, and were later joined by Steve and Deanna (from Chicago), and Stefanie (from Kansas) to visit for the next couple of days.  Deanna and Cathy have known each other since second grade!  Steve, Deanna, Cathy and Phil have vacationed together for the last many years, including Young Philip and Annabell (their son and daughter).  Stefanie and Cathy met while Cathy was in graduate school at the University of Kansas.  Stefanie’s daughter, Olive, is housesitting for Cathy and Phil while we are on our journey this Summer!

It was great to ‘catch up’ with them over multiple meals and local excursions (including visits to Black Cat Ice Cream shop).  We had an especially fun meal at Eatery A, where Hannah and Kate provided us with exceptional service for our hungry group!  We returned to the ABNB for a brief respite, before a short stroll to Black Cat for another dessert, and viewing of lightning bugs (which have been sought and been evasive for us).

This morning, Stefanie heads back to Kansas (and returns to the real world), and Deanna and Steve head back to Chicago (as Steve never left the ‘real world,’ doing business and attending e-meetings from wherever he may be ‘connected’).  Daniel and I pick up our bikes, and do some final shake out.

Looking forward to getting together with our RAGBRAI team, and riding with a great group for the week!!

Cheers!

Since we had ridden ‘extra’ yesterday, today’s ride was even shorter.  After breakfast quesadillas and coffee from Casa (on the road) de Cathy, we were off to meet her at the Council Bluffs Public Library.  The ride was shaded by many trees along the way!

Shawn at the Crescent, IA Casey’s helped us identify where we were at the time!  Daniel and I decided to ride all the way to the Wabash Trace, and then ‘double back’ to the Library.  On the way to the Trace, we made a wrong turn onto Frank Street (instead of Franklin Street).  Since my Dad’s name is Frank, and part of the stories I tell and am honoring him with the ride, it was special, particularly that the gradient on the hill approached 15% before I realized it was an unintended and fortuitous diversion!  Just beyond the Trace is a Tastee Treat, which was unfortunately closed until 11A.  [Darn, we biked too fast!]

We met Cathy at the Library, and did some ‘constructive work,’ while she conducted a business call.  The Library was accommodating in providing her a conference room for her Zoom call.

We lunched near the Library at Duncan’s Cafe, which is tucked into a building on Main Street.  They are a farm-to-table place, with the condiments made fresh on location.  Daniel and I had the roasted pork and mashed potatoes, with brown gravy.  Daniel’s eyes popped when he saw the portions!  Holly was helpful in helping us navigate to something much-more-than-needed!

After lunch, we loaded the bikes onto the van for a quick drive to an overnight stay in Omaha, NE.  Daniel has a haircut planned, and Cathy will head to a vegetarian place for dinner, while Daniel and I enjoy whiskey-marinated steaks at The Drover.  (A favorite place of mine from when I worked in Omaha in the 90’s!)

Coming up we will have a few ‘off’ days in Des Moines, get some repairs and/or tuning to our bikes, possibly some shopping for RAGBRAI, and maybe massages.  Stay tuned!  

Daniel and I took off this morning from downtown Sioux City (not having lost anything at the Casino), and after a few meanderings found our way to the Adventure Cycling Lewis and Clark Trail.  We had planned to camp in Little Sioux, but found the campground to be ‘private.’  After a phone conversation with Cathy, we decided to go further to Missouri Valley, as we had been making good time on ‘mostly flat’ roads and the intermittent clouds provided appreciated relief.  We encountered some rough road, and a bit more than ten miles of gravel.

Today we had multiple stops to refresh our hydration supplies, and cool off a bit.  Hailie and Omar, Mollie (at Casey’s), and Cristi were helpful, inquisitive of our journey, and helped us enjoy our day.

Cathy had made arrangements at the Aquatic Center for Daniel’s and my admission, and had a picnic lunch ready for us at poolside.  We settled in at the pool for the afternoon, enjoying the water AND the water slide.  (The Aquatic Center is open until 9P!  After getting our fill (and well-wrinkled fingers), we walked to JC’s Dairy Den for the possibility of fish balls (a Swedish delicacy, but mostly because it is National Ice Cream Day (again!?)!  The place was hopping with other celebrators, including the local Sheriff!

We did find a spot to ‘park’ for the night, though the City campground was closed for a Fair.  Because of the extra distance ridden today, tomorrow will be the shortest ride day of the journey.  All three of us will spend tomorrow night in Nebraska!

guten nach!

We enjoyed a well-deserved rest day in Sioux City!  We didn’t manage to schedule massages in Sioux City, but did have a relaxing time.  (Thank you to Lisa for her donation through Daniel and Cathy’s visit to the laundromat last evening!)

Picked up bike from Albrecht Cycles, and thanks again to Kelly!  Cathy and I took a walk to the local Post Office to mail a set of postcards, and on the way back stopped at the Arts Center to view the exhibit of ‘Earth, Water and Light’ curated by Christopher, whom we met and discussed the Cuyahoga River and one of the bridges over the River.

Daniel and I went to the pool and hot tub for some recovery.  Met Mike Leonard and his son Landon.  Mike is a chef with Workiva (of Ames, IA) and shared with his son some potential approaches to learn more about alternative professional paths.

On our pub crawl, we first visited Crash! Bang! Boom! Whiskey Hole, and were treated to a smile and great service by Emma.  Second stop was at The Diving Elk, with Katie and John.  Recommend their version of Old Fashion, but with a great taste twist.  Thirdly, we stopped at Marto Brewing Company for beers and Midnight Sangria, dinner and to-go beers, after an up-sell by a hustling Austin!

Time for a night’s rest, and a ‘warm’ ride tomorrow!

Split start today.  I was off early to get to Vermillion Public Library to leverage the Wi-Fi for a video call appointment.  It was still dark when I left riding on the trail through the Park.  Chirping and singing of the birds, and clouds of gnats, greeted my early passage, along with unseen bumps and a few sticks and clumps.

Great trails and roads for the first 20 or so miles, then rough road and some gravel after passing through Gayville.  Riding into Vermillion, I stopped at Burdick Service to get some hydration refill before stopping at the library.  Dave at Burdick’s was helpful and supportive!  Jeffrey at the Library was able to schedule a small conference room for me to have my call.  Cathy and Daniel arrived just a bit after me, to also enjoy the air conditioning at the Library.

After my call, the three of us moved down Main Street to Cafe Brûlé for ‘second breakfast,’ my including Potatoes Brule.  We were served by Anna, with a smile.

After our ‘second breakfast,’ Daniel and I were again together on our bikes for a warm to very warm afternoon.  We left South Dakota, and entered Iowa.  We rode directly to Albrecht Cycles to refresh some of our supplies, and to engage Kelly to get my Trek ready for RAGBRAI, switching out the pedals and cleaning and adjusting the transmission!  (Thanks to Kelly/Albrecht for fitting us into their schedule!)

The evening included stops at a couple of local taverns, and then pizza at Buffalo Alice.  The broad display from Yellow Submarine, across from the popcorn machine, is impressive!

Looking forward to a day of rest before heading South to Council Bluffs/Omaha, and then RAGBRAI!

With the mooing of cows in the distance, we rode from the campground to again climb away from the River!  Of course, after taking some farm roads, we saw a multitude of fields again filled with corn, soybean, wheat, cows and a few horses.  The roads are lined with prairie grass, that is the envy of our local park managers in Littleton!

 We returned to ride along the River, treated to gently sloping fields, and more humidity than experienced yet on this journey.  When we ascended back to Route 52, we found that the road was under construction, having been stripped in preparation for chip sealing.  the rough surface enhanced the possibility of a few loose fillings and disrupted bridges.  The construction seemed to go on for over 20 miles or longer, but was likely something short of that.  

We did not encounter any opportunities to refill our hydration bottles, as all facilities were closed or nonexistent along the route.  Both Daniel and I depleted our hydration!!  Fortunately, there was a ‘fourwheeling momma’ coming out of her driveway, and Daniel begged Kathy for some water.  She ran her hose till the water was cool, and refilled two of our bottles each.  We were in-a-world-of-hurt, and Kathy came to our rescue!

Traveling on to the Lewis and Clark Recreation Area, we were challenged by a seven mile downhill into an 18 mph headwind, where it was necessary to pedal to progress downhill!  Eventually, we came to the un-manned entrance, but came across a maintenance worker to inquire where our site might be;  The Park is very large along the bank of the River, and offers much access to the river (beaches, boating, fishing, …).  He pointed us in the right direction, though the site numbers went down before going up (We are in site 236.) so we were hesitating on our way.

We were greeted by Cathy, and plenty of re-hydration to become human again.  Lunch, shower, nap, happy hour, dinner, and planning for tomorrow.  While lunching, we were joined by Steve from Brandon, SD, who came by to inspect our van.  He and his wife are looking at the possibility of down-sizing their camping accommodations.

Before retiring for the night, I did meet Kim and her three beautiful children.  The youngest (2?) was riding a bike (without pedals).  They were headed to the playground, but I wondered at what speed the youngest would conquer the slide while still fixed to his bike!

I’ll be off early tomorrow morning in an effort to get to Vermillion’s library to call-in for an interview.  (Sometimes we are so in our travel bubble that it is hard to realize that so much else is happening.)

Stay safe, and keep the rubber down!