Burlington, IA
Bill and I pedaled 77 miles from the Cedar River Campground at I-80 and Hwy 38 to Burlington, IA, today.
Was a near sleepless night with the I-80 traffic and workmen keeping it up all night. I counted 10 semi-trucks a minute, making that 600 an hour, several of which used their jake brakes just as they were passing my tent. Really.
We must have slept sometime, however, because when we woke, our tent flies were sopping wet and lying on the tent mesh. We never heard the rain (or experienced it on our trips to the wash house). I even checked for sprinklers this am, but found none. [Later found out that this is normal condensation for the area! Yow!]
Our route saw us jogging over to Hwy 61/91 south. It looked good on the map—most direct route—but it was a poor cycling road. It was 4-lane, shoulderless, hilly, and 55 mph out of Muscatine, but after quite a bit, it became two lane. Lots of semi traffic, which was better on the 4-lane than the 2- as traffic could pull to the outside lane.
At one point on the 2-lane, a semi came to a snorting crawl behind me but couldn’t pass because of oncoming traffic. He tooted his horn for me to get off the road, but all of the IA shoulders we’ve experienced are deep dirt/gravel and it had rained. I stuck it out, and eventually he found the opportunity to pass. I want to find a parked semi with those huge teeth on the grill so that I can pose on my bicycle in front of it.
We stopped in one little town at a subway sandwich place and met a woman and her daughter who had previously ridden RAGBRAI and crossed country with Women's Tours. She advised us to get off 61 and onto Hwy 99. What a relief! Hwy 99 was a beautiful cycling road through some beautiful bottomland along the Iowa River. Iowa barns, farmhouses, and outbuildings are generally white, many of the farmhouses large, pretty two-story with black shutters. Very neat and tidy with mowed lawns and flower beds.
Bill and I posed with the corn today. Most grow corn, then soybeans, then cattle, pigs, and dairy cows, the later three not so much in evidence today. I posed as though riding my bike out of a cornfield and Bill hauled his bike and BOB over for comparison with the height of the corn stalks, some varieties of which are about 8 feet tall.
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| The corn is as high as an elephant's eye. . . |
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| Coming through the corn . . . |
The heat was on today—mid 80s—which of course began to melt me 20 miles out of Burlington. Bill was patient, though, and we stopped in the shade about every 5 or 10 miles. At one point I put up my umbrella, first line defense against the sun. Bill took a photo and I told him that I’d sing the Mikado if he wanted some video.
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| Umbrella's good for sun as well as rain |
Somewhere along the route was a Mickey D's. Bill wanted me to take his picture on his bike at the drive-thru. I accommodated.
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| Talking on the cell and taking a rest break before tackling a hill |
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| "Do you want French fries with that?" |
At 13 miles out we called the Tourist Info bureau to find a campsite. There were NONE in or around Burlington. Beth, at the Bureau, suggested we check in at the Arrowhead Motel, so we called it. Jerry, the guy at the motel said: “Burlington is a city of bluffs. You do not want to climb the bluffs. Just call when you get to town and I will pick you up in a truck.”
So, when we got to town, we called and . . . vóila . . . Jerry picked us up and then took us on a tour of the town! Geez. How spoiled can we get? Jerry showed us the riverfront area and auditorium where the riders will end Saturday; took us to Snake Alley, the steepest, crookedest road in the world, even counting Lombardy St in SF; took us to Mosquito Park where we could overlook the Mississippi River and steep Bluff Rd. Many of the houses in this very beautiful city of hills are restored or well maintained 1800s multistory brick. Very lovely. The sophistication of both this city and Fargo have surprised me.
So, when we got to town, we called and . . . vóila . . . Jerry picked us up and then took us on a tour of the town! Geez. How spoiled can we get? Jerry showed us the riverfront area and auditorium where the riders will end Saturday; took us to Snake Alley, the steepest, crookedest road in the world, even counting Lombardy St in SF; took us to Mosquito Park where we could overlook the Mississippi River and steep Bluff Rd. Many of the houses in this very beautiful city of hills are restored or well maintained 1800s multistory brick. Very lovely. The sophistication of both this city and Fargo have surprised me.
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| Typical Burlington, IA, house; loved that they were old fashioned with connecting yards and not hidden from each other behind "privacy fences" |
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| View of the Mississippi from Mosquito Park |
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| Snake Alley; later learned that Diane had ridden up it on her loaded bike; I am impressed |
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| One of the shady and relaxing areas outside our room |
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| Bill promises "no more bull" and seals his promise with a kiss |
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| Ho hum. Should I ride my bike or the waves today? |
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| Me delivering ice cream to Bill who is weary after a day of surfing |
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| Me reflected in the mirror taking pix of the cluttered Arrowhead lobby; notice that the Tour de France is on the television, also reflected in the mirror |
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| Looks like we have 1079 miles to go before we have a rest day at my brother Peter's house in Jericho, outside of Burlington, VT |
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| Arrowhead lobby koi in a large tank |
Friday we are going to Mt Pleasant to some of Bill’s friends. They are hosting some RAGBRAI riders. Understand that they are Mennonite and taught in Holland with Bill some years ago.
Have heard naught from Kevin and his group, which makes it difficult to plan Saturday night lodging. Think they are having difficulty getting out with so many cell phones in use.
Have heard naught from Kevin and his group, which makes it difficult to plan Saturday night lodging. Think they are having difficulty getting out with so many cell phones in use.
