Tag Archives: bike rides

I LOVED IT! Granted I only rode 37 of the 56 miles (from Slater to Altoona Iowa) on one of seven days of RAGBRAI – but I loved everything about it. The scenery – small towns with welcoming residents, from kids offering welcome sprays from water hoses to elderly people sitting in lawn chairs clapping, to farm families rooting by ringing a cowbell as we chugged up a steep hill; picture postcard perfect farmsteads, fields and fields of corn and beans; the scene – riders of every shape, size, complexion, age, attire on all kind of contraptions (a variety of bikes, upright, recombinant,old-fashioned, sleek and modern, tandems, triple-seat bikes, plus the occasional wheelchair), great food (pastafari’s pesto pasta/ariabiatta pasta with sautéed zucchini and grilled salmon outside of Alleman, terrific rhubarb/strawberry pie in Elkhart, a homemade citrus sorbet bar  (which completely hit the spot when we arrived in Altoona in 94 degree heat/humidity completely dripping with sweat). Eating my sorbet bar and watching nine very cute kids do a pretty impressive musical performance where they all danced and played the drums was perfect!  I met people from Brooklyn, Vancouver, Oak Park (Illinois); Oregon, all over really.  I’d really love to go again tomorrow but not sure I’m  physically up for it. Next year, maybe I’ll do more serious training and try to do more of the ride.