Monday, June 29, 2020

Iowa is NOT flat!

Sunday we left Sandy Beach Campground, Coralville Lake, MO at 8 a.m., and arrived at Eagle Ridge Campground, Chippewa Falls, WI at 2:30.  A long day for us. There's a large ball park across the street where they seem to have a lot of tournaments.

This popped up yesterday as a memory on Facebook from 7 years ago.  Our group was training for RAGBRAI (Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa).  This was the second year we did a "Confidence" training ride.  This year we went from Confidence, IA to Ottumwa, IA.  I think it said it was a 62 mile ride.  A year or two before we rode from Ottumwa, to what was supposed to be Confidence, but we never found it.  We joked that we had lost our "Confidence".  I had to call my sister-in-law Diane, Pat's youngest sibling, tonight to find out why we looked so rested and refreshed.  She told me that this was the second year and we were just starting our ride at Confidence.  Some Sunday or more I will do a RAGBRAI post.  Lots of interesting pictures and funny stories.  By the way Eric Pieper if you are reading this I saw something about Plover, WI (I've heard that rhymes with lover by the way).😂

 "Push Me Pull Me" team

If you ride on RAGBRAI you know better, but in case you think Iowa is flat!

This and the following 2 pictures are of the same Iowa town.  Anyone know which one?



We have not seen any of the Eagles that might nest here, but they say there are some.  I will say the soil is VERY sandy and we've brought our share of it inside!  It stormed most of last night and a good portion of today.  The storms brought a lot of rain.  Looks like a storm might be brewing tonight too. We thought we would take the campground's "river walk" after dinner tonight.  Armed with Deep Woods Off and Bug Soother we set off.  I wouldn't recommend it.  We walked a ways but at the second sign, where it looked like it hadn't been mowed in months or maybe ever, we turned around.  Mosquitoes and other bugs didn't seem to heed our spray either! 

So far the "river walk" looks doable.

What happened to the path???

Eagle Ridge Campground

Just in front of us is a really nice playground.

5 comments:

  1. Yes, I remember the Confidence rides and the hills! We drove out that way a couple of weeks ago and I was remembering you and I riding up one of the hills. I think that was when you still had your old heavy bike and I could keep up with you. :)

    I believe the town in the pictures is Dubuque IA. Landon and I visited there a couple of years ago on a vacation trip.

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    1. You are correct the town is Dubuque. It was fun riding with everyone.

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  2. Dubuque. And if you scout around Wisconsin has some nice rail lines converted to bike trails.

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    1. Correct. We are leaving WI today and we no longer have bikes. Funny story about this year's Chevy Sonic can't accommodate a bike rack so those went in Louisiana! Honestly we spent more time taking them on and off than riding. Figure if we're in a good spot for it there's rentals.

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  3. No bikes. This years model of Chevy Sonic can't have a hitch installed. Pat sold his and the bike rack in Louisiana and I gave my bike to our oldest granddaughter. We hadn't ridden our bikes much as we are on gravel a lot it seems. Figure we could rent them if we were in a good riding place. It seemed last fall like it made my glute hurt worse even with a comfort seat. Suppose to be good for backs though. Just walking now. Sometimes I miss it.

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