RAGBRAI Update
If you read my post from yesterday about Seattle, you know that I haven’t been very prompt in posting to my blog. In fact, I should have finished this last August, but I procrastinated. Then in mid-October, the RAGBRAI staff quit over the handling of the Carson King incident and formed a competing ride, called Iowa's Ride. To be frank, it destroyed some of my enthusiasm for RAGBRAI and bicycling, and at that point I no longer had a desire to ride a bicycle across the state. I was grateful, however, that I had done the previous year's ride because at the time I feared there wouldn't be a RAGBRAI. RAGBRAI, however, is too big of a brand and if only one of the two rides will survive, it will definitely be RAGBRAI
As of now, I plan on doing a day of the Iowa’s Ride and a few days of RAGBRAI since they both pass through northwest Iowa (unless COVID-19 cancels them), but I still lack the motivation to pedal several hundred miles in a week. (Although looking at the pictures, composing this post, and some warmer weather is definitely getting me more excited to at least get out and ride.)
Day 5
Day 5 spanned from Centerville to Fairfield. We were joined today by Bryan and Jessica's friends, Kevin and Susan from Kansas City. One of the interesting things about RAGBRAI is that things that normally wouldn't be important in rural Iowa are suddenly very important. Since we sometimes stay slightly off the route, like we did in Centerville, we usually need an empty lot in which to unload our bikes and pump up tires. So in this case, an abandoned building with an empty lot did the trick. Mom or Mary even got some nice pics of us taking off for the day.
 |
| Dad, Kevin, Susan, Bryan, Jessica, Lindsay, Dick, Me |
 |
| Dad, Mom, Lindsay and Me |
 |
| Starting Day 5: Action shot #1! |
 |
| Action shot #2 |
 |
| Action shot #3 |
 |
| I guess there is an exception to Lindsay and Jess's morning runs...they don't do them if they're going to pedal 75 miles in a day. |
 |
| Providing more evidence that on RAGBRAI the strangest places become valuable, here are Susan, Kevein, Lindsay, Bryan, and Aunt Jean finding some shade from a trailer. |
In the picture above Bryan is wearing an old school RAGBRAI jersey that once belonged to Mark Johnson, my aunt Jean's long-time boyfriend. Mark and Jean met because of their love of bicycling and they both loved RAGBRAI. Mark rode in sixteen RAGBRAI's until being diagnosed with cancer in 2016 and then he passed away in October 2017. It was great that Mark's memory is kept alive in our RAGBRAI crew.
 |
| Dad, Jean, and Mark on a rainy BRASL (Bike Ride Around Spirit Lake) |
Thursday night's accommodations
 |
| Every RAGBRAI host should have a pool in the backyard...Me, Kevin, Bryan, and Dad enjoying a beer. |
In the picture above, we're relaxing in the pool of Lindsay and Jessica's college friend, Allison, who lived in Danville, IA. It was a little bit of a drive from Fairfield to Danville, but as you can imagine, the beers and pool were well worth the drive. Thanks for your hospitality, Allison!
Pie of the Day
 |
| Strawberry Rhubarb |
Beer of the Day
New this year RAGBRAI had an official beer appropriately, or perhaps optimistically, called "Tailwind." It is (was?) made by Big Grove Brewery in Iowa City and Solon. It tasted exactly like a RAGBRAI beer should taste...light and easy to drink.
 |
| I am not consuming Tailwind in this pic. But I didn't have many pictures from this day so I figured I'd include one of me stretching and drinking. |
 |
| Drinking "Tailwind," the official RABRAI beer, while wearing my official RAGBRAI jersey on RAGBRAI jersey day. |
No comments:
Post a Comment