After arriving around 2:00 pm in Pocahontas, the ride part was finished. Another 72 miles added to the tally.Waiting out the rain at camp.
Most of the climbing was done early. Roads are clean and glass free! It is as if the state DOT buffed the roads clean just for us! I am so used to pot holes and grooves and glass, that this is a refreshing change. However, there are the rumble strips leading up to stop signs–interesting to see the various hand signals riders make up to warn those behind.
Breakfast was about 6 miles out, the first of many mornings with the pancake guys. Pancakes on the griddle, breakfast sandwiches and…a free beer (Coors).
Pork chops, popcorn (in the popcorn capital), ice cream and eggs and ham (not green).
And tractors and farm equipment everywhere.Music on the road, blasting from personal speakers on bikes, included Patsy Cline, Frankie Valle and Buck Owens. What a varied experience and refreshing to hear the varied tastes from riders of all ages.
And it was college jersey day. So many colleges and universities represented including:- Arizona
- Arizona State
- Purdue
- Virginia
- St Thomas (Minnesota)
- Minnesota
- BYU
- Utah
- Florida State
- Rutgers
- Oregon
- USC
- And of course Iowa and Iowa State
Met some great folks in those jerseys, too. John was not only a U of A grad (class of 81) but a PVHS grad (class of 77). Joe was U of A, class of 67. the Purdue guy was John, too. And the BYU jerseys were on a tandem pair. the proximity to the Minnesota border made for the appearances of the Gopher and Tommy jerseys.
Just getting started on the road east.
Relentless
(this was first published as a Facebook post and replayed here with a few more notes)
