RAGBRAI XLVII: Day 2, Monday, July 22, 2019

Day 2: Monday, July 22, 2019
As you can see from the pictures, the weather on Monday was a huge improvement from Sunday. 

Dick, Kelsi, Lindsay, Jean, Me, Dad, and Mom in Atlantic before departing for the day's ride

Doris Krogman, our host in Atlantic, and Dad before departing for the day

One of my favorite parts of RAGBRAI is on the first day and coming to the crest of the first hill and looking ahead to a county road filled with bicycles.  The temperature is comfortable and there's an enthusiasm that can heard and felt since everyone is excited and energized.  I had to save that moment for Monday since I wasn't going to mess with my phone in the rain. 

I wish I was a more skilled photographer so I could capture how incredible this actually looks.

Pass-through Towns

RAGBRAI is the "longest, largest, and oldest recreational bicycle touring event in the world."  One of the reasons it's so successful is that it turns otherwise sleepy small towns into hives of activity swarming with bicyclists.  In these small towns, RAGBRAI passing through provides something to prepare for, something to talk about, and most importantly, an infusion of cash. The small town we spent the most time in during the ride was Anita, which is also where Westel Systems, the company for which Dad has worked for 38 years, has an exchange.  On RABGRAI, towns like Anita, population 926, have 15,000 riders roll through and it's a spectacle that can't be replicated. 

We spent quite a bit of time in Anita and eventually ate at the American Legion, which I don't have pictures of.  One of the things we discovered is that American Legions, Elks Clubs, etc usually don't have lines because they're tucked into a storefront or building that doesn't have a lot of windows or look like a business.  So to avoid the lines for food and the restroom, we began to seek out the storefronts for civic organizations rather than the vendors and spot-a-pots on the streets.

Bacon on a stick.  A photos can't capture the energy of this scene.

Dad and Rich Barnholdt, one of dad's Westel co-workers

Family pic in front of Westel's Anita exchange, sporting the former name of West Iowa Telephone Co

The Ride

The wind on Monday was out of the north so we face headwind and crosswind for most of the ride.  The last third of the ride, however, was a straight tailwind and we were able to fly from Earlham to Winterset.

Beer of the Day

On the day that I wore my West O jersey, I was lucky enough to find West O Coco Stout.  A stout is not necessarily a great summer beer, but Coco Stout is so good that it doesn't matter.  

In my 15 minutes of social media fame, I tagged West O in this picture, which they then put on their Instagram feed!

Me, Dad, Jean

Pie of the Day

I found pie at the Amish pie and ice cream stand that was located about halfway through the route.  Jean had alerted Lindsay and I to this stand last year, so I wanted to visit it everyday.  The Amish don't work Sunday, but they did on Monday and created this delicious blueberry pie, my favorite.

Overnight Towns

One of my regrets of RAGBRAI week is that I was so focused on the ride (and the pie and beer) that, other than Atlantic, I didn't take the time to enjoy what the overnight towns have to offer.  Monday's overnight town was Winterset, which has all kinds of touristy things to do, including John Wayne's birthplace and museum and the Bridges of Madison County, which I've never been to.  But I was tired and we were staying in Des Moines that night. Since Winterset is only half an hour away, I figured that I could visit some other time.  Besides, a shower in my own bathroom and sleeping in my own bed sounded much better than being a tourist.

Mary, Kelsi, and Traci (my cousin) at John Wayne's Birthplace and Museum