7/31-The Forecast was Right

Just a short post for today’s day off the bike. The rain did indeed arrive in the middle of the night. There were moments during the day today where it wasn’t too bad, but it is now pouring again.

From my hotel window

So, what did I do today? Not much. I wanted to do laundry. The front desk didn’t have any quarters, so Will took my laundry and did it in the hotel laundry machine free of charge.

I also wiped down Wanda. She looks a bit better now. 

The wheels are actually black again!

I caught up with my kids, and FaceTimed with my grandkids. Also talked to a couple friends. Otherwise, that’s about it. I’m looking forward to getting back on the road tomorrow. I don’t do sitting still very well. 

7/30-Iowan Kindness Strikes Again! Or, RAGBRAI is Over!

I had a pretty decent nights sleep in my tent last night. I was packed up and on the road by 6:45. I had a banana for breakfast, with the idea that I would get something more at the first Casey’s.

The route started on the main road to the Hwy out of Marshalltown. 

Nice wide shoulder. The strips weren’t bothersome. 

I was actually enjoying the Hwy. I knew the route took a parallel gravel road to get off the highway. I toyed with seeing about staying on the highway, but I couldn’t because the road I needed to turn on was this. 

You just don’t mess with 27!

Sure enough, soon I was on the gravel. It was 8 miles worth of straight road. 

It was okay though. 

I made a turn onto another gravel road. Then I was turning again in a half mile. Up ahead at the turn, I could see a person running. I thought to myself, it’s strange enough that I’m out here riding these gravel roads. Who would be running on them? I turned onto Hawk Rd. Ah, it was paved. Not so strange now. I stopped when I got to the woman. I told her how I thought it was strange she was running on a gravel road (but she wasn’t). She said she thought it was strange I was biking on the gravel road! Her name was Dora. She lived close by. Offered to fill my bottles, but they were still full as I had only gone 12 miles. Her husband bikes. She told me I had just missed RAGBRAI. 

I continued on my way. Just a bit further, I came to Conrad, and the Comet Trail. 

I actually got off the trail right away as I wanted to go to the Casey’s for some chocolate milk and food (aka more breakfast). While I was outside eating, a gentleman named Nile came up and asked me where I was coming from and going to. He also said RAGBRAI had just finished. We had a great chat. He asked me if I needed anything. I said I was good. He went into Casey’s. Another guy walked by and said, “RAGBRAI is over, you know!”

I was still eating when Nile came back out and handed me a Casey’s gift card! How amazing is that!!! Of course we had to have a selfie (he had already taken a photo of me).

Thanks, Nile, for your kindness and conversation!

I returned to the Comet Trail. This was more of a hard packed dirt/crushed gravel trail. 

Nice covered shelter

Through the green tunnel

It went through Beaman. 

While the Comet Trail continued, at a later road crossing, my route went off of it, onto another 10 mile section of gravel roads. 

Notice the dust. I find it annoying that vehicles do not slow down at all. Good thing I have my dust bomb protector (Buff).

Just before Grundy Center, the road went back to pavement. I knew there was a Subway in Grundy Center. It was only about 10:45, but who cares. I stopped for some lunch. 

Iowa Subway…check!

Main Street Grundy Center

I think it’s the county seat for Grundy Co

When I came back out, and turned on my Garmin, the screen said “Saving diagnostics”. What the heck is that? I couldn’t get it to go away. Finally, I figured I would have to use my phone. I started riding. Then I had the lightbulb moment of stopping while I still had service, and Googling it. It wasn’t really clear what it was, but it said how to fix it. Voila! Back in business…whew!

I had a few miles on the highway before picking up the Pioneer Trail. 

Another dirt/crushed gravel trail

It was the same as the Comet Trail. Although I came to the end of this one, then had to go back out on the hwy to Reinbeck.

After Reinbeck, there was yet another almost 10 mile section of gravel roads. At least this section had some turns to break up the monotony. And, I even got a deer photo!

Been awhile!

I didn’t have too many more miles to Cedar Falls, but when I got to Hudson, I stopped for some orange juice at…you guessed it…Casey’s! I talked to a woman who was out on her road bike. Guess what she told me! Yes, I did know that RAGBRAI just finished!

I had one final paved trail that took me all the way to Cedar Falls, and the Super 8. At some point I know it was the Cesar Falls-Prairie Trail, but I don’t know if the whole thing was called that. 

The route into Cedar Falls proper is literally across the road from the Super 8. I’m here for two nights as it’s supposed to rain all night, and all day tomorrow. There’s a Kwik Star Mart across the parking lot. They have a decent selection of food. I had pulled pork Mac and cheese for dinner (I have a microwave), and some carrots and dip. I’m looking forward to sleeping in tomorrow!

One more thing…yesterday, I saw several people on the bike paths. I would say, “Morning”, and 95% of them said nothing…didn’t even acknowledge me! I was beginning to doubt the kindness of Iowans. Today my faith has been restored!

7/29-An A-Maize-ing Day on Bike Paths

Parting shot from Perry

I’m now on Segment 5, “Maize”. This segment is 791 miles. Today was all about the a-maize-ing bike paths. Practically out the door I was on the connector to the High Trestle Trail. 

Very well signed

Through a park

It was another smooth flat trail, like the Raccoon River Valley Trail. 

I saw one fawn leap across the trail, and about 27 bazillion bunnies. 

Just one of so many

Morning in Iowa!

I went through a few towns before getting to the infamous High Trestle Bridge after Madrid. 

Getting close!

The bridge came into view. Just as I took this photo…

One of the 27 bazillion bunnies photo bombed!

There was a lookout where you could get a good view of the bridge. 

The river

High Trestle Bridge…check! Movin’ on. At the next town, I departed from the High Trestle Trail, and joined the Heart of Iowa Nature Trail. 

It also connects several communities. 

This trail wasn’t quite as straightforward as the High Trestle. There were places where there was a bit of a break. One spot you had to go out to the highway for a couple of miles, but there was a bike lane. It brought me into the town of Huxley. That was at mile 29, and my last refueling opportunity until coming into Marshalltown (mile 70).

At Collins I had to go out to the road again. This time there wasn’t a bike lane. It wasn’t for long. This lead to the most interesting part of the day. It was about a mile or so of gravel, then I turned onto this…

You can see by the sign, it is the Heart of Iowa Nature Trail

A bit more nature than previous parts

Who even knows this exists?

Then there was this bridge in the middle of  nowhere. 

Grassy double track on both ends

Sketchy stairs to the observation deck 

Slowly being overgrown

I thought this was funny. There is no hard surface. 

This part was about 4 miles long. A wee bit swampy in a few places, but otherwise a nice distraction. 

Of course, no day is complete in Iowa without a few miles of gravel roads and rolling hills. 

Again, it was just a means of connecting to another trail. 

This little “alley” came to a tunnel under Hwy 330. 

On the other side of the tunnel it was the paved Hwy 330 Trail. 

As you might expect, this trail ran parallel to the Hwy. I could see the exit signs for Marshalltown, but wait, we had one more trail to do. The Linn Creek Recreational Trail.

While on this trail, I thought, I think I’ll just stay in a hotel in Marshalltown instead of camping at the Riverside Campground like I planned. I even looked up a cheap motel, and routed myself there. But, as I was riding, I told myself, suck it up buttercup. You are getting too soft! I stopped the routing, and continued to the campground. 

It’s nothing special, but has the necessary amenities. Besides, tomorrow I will go to Cedar Falls. Overnight, and all day Friday is forecasted to be thunderstorms. I’ll probably stay two nights in Cedar Falls, and not ride during the thunderstorms. Probably a good idea. As of today, I’m averaging 49.3 miles per day. I can afford an extra day.

7/28-Kinda Like Childbirth

Okay, the guys that read this blog might not get the analogy I’m about to put down, but here goes…

Today’s ride was kinda like childbirth. The morning was spent laboring up and down the gravel rollers. 

The pavement ends for the next 20+ miles

For the most part, the gravel was okay. Except for a few miles where they had put down fresh stuff. That was not so good. 

Pretty thick

Wanda handled it well though, so I just looked forward to the next turn, in hopes it would be better. Usually, it was. 

The morning was definitely Iowa corn and beans at its very best. It was pretty quiet except for the crickets and the soft whoosh whoosh of the wind turbines. Even they were barely moving. 

Finally there was a change of scenery as I entered the Whiterock Conservancy area. It was still gravel, but there were trees and curves! I stopped at the first campground to take a break, and camel up on water. It would have been a nice place to camp. 

Back to the analogy…climbing out of the valley was like delivery. It was a steep gravel climb, but the last one for the segment. Relief to be done with the “major” climbs for the day. At the top, I stopped at this sign. 

I looked at the route on my phone. It continued on the gravel road (rolling of course). But, I could see that the Main Loop Trail would take me to the route, possibly more efficiently and fun. There had been numerous dust bombs (vehicles) on the road. I decided to do the trail. 

It was really quite easy to ride

Nice view here

Down, and back to the route

It turns out, the route did eventually get on the Main Loop Trail. I don’t know why it didn’t get on where I did. 

End of the Main Loop for me

It popped out onto the Steve Garst trail. 

It was a cool trail that eventually became paved. 

Pond

At the end of the trail (sort of). There was a picnic area and this cool bridge. 

Maybe these are the rapids of Coon Rapids (the town)???

I climbed out of the park to the second campground of the day, Riverside. It, too, was not too bad. Nobody was there, but it had all the necessities, including showers. But, it was not quite noon. 

Now was that time post childbirth where you just have to keep going. Oh, the truly hard stuff was done, but it was a long road. 

As flat as Iowa gets

I was supposed to turn on F Ave, which was gravel. But, I knew I had a detour coming up because the first section of the Raccoon River Trail was closed. Sure, I could have made the turn, and done more gratuitous miles of gravel roads before making the detour. Or…I could just stay on this lovely paved road! I followed the alphabet of cross roads to Neola (would have been N Ave) Ave, aka Hwy 4. I had a short bit on 4, then turned onto a final gravel bit to avoid the closed trail section. 

Yep! Closed! Thanks Ben for the heads up!

And it was paved from here

Now was the fruits of all that labor! The Raccoon River Valley Trail. 

Perfection!

I stopped at Just 1 More in Jamaica. It was the only on-route restaurant option for the day. I was pretty hungry. I had a chicken salad sandwich and some potato salad. 

Kinda funny looking water tower. 

Now I had just 10 miles to go to Perry. First I went through Dawson.

Cute little depot building

Then I crossed the trail namesake river.

Raccoon River

Nice trestle bridge

Couple miles later, I was rolling into Perry. This is the end of Segment 4 (Plains). 

I’m staying at the only digs in town. The historic Hotel Pattee. 

National Historic Landmark

All the rooms have themes

I think Telital is a play on words for Tell it All

Wooden trench coat

There is a room called the RAGBRAI room. The lady at the desk said it’s pretty nice. 

Wanda isn’t allowed in the room. They provide bike racks on the first floor. She’s locked up there.

So, today’s ride started out hard, but ended up with the reward of the awesome baby…I mean bike path!