Hunt’s Cedar River Campground, Tipton, IA
Hi All—
We are on the Cedar River in a campground directly on I-80—worse than the trains in MT and ND because the noise is constant. To top it off, they are doing repair work on the closest lane, so we get to hear the back-up beep, beep, beep also, AND someone is using a chainsaw in a nearby campsite. Promises to be a very restful night.
We are on the Cedar River in a campground directly on I-80—worse than the trains in MT and ND because the noise is constant. To top it off, they are doing repair work on the closest lane, so we get to hear the back-up beep, beep, beep also, AND someone is using a chainsaw in a nearby campsite. Promises to be a very restful night.
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| Bill working on his journal; in background traffic and construction on I-80 |
We are here only out of necessity—the next place to camp is 25 miles away and we’ve already pedaled 72. Neither of us was up for a near century. Our route today was up and down and up and down rounded, corn and soybean-covered hills. Actually more up than down. I told Bill that I was going to report that Iowa DOT doesn't know how to build roads. They build only half of most hills—the up side. We’d often pedaled up long hills and then rode either a very short distance down or found ourselves on the flats.
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| My tent with the RV campers in the background |
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| Taking a break on a climb |
We stopped for lunch in tiny Olin. One café—Selma’s Kitchen. Selma’s daughter served us the day’s special: ham balls in pineapple sauce, layered green salad, potatoes au gratin, and a roll. Most of the townfolk were enjoying the special also.
When we went out to our bikes, a young boy was admiring our rigs. He had a cast on his left arm (fell out of a tree) and was riding an unusual bike with a curved inverted top tube that he said was his sister’s. He wanted to ride a way with us so we said okay. After about four blocks he challenged me to a race. Considering that he was wearing flip-flops, had a cast on his arm, and was riding a small bike, he did a pretty decent job of staying up with me . . . for about 10 seconds.
When we got here, we set up our tents, and then I hiked to the washhouse for a shower, “hike" being the operative word. When I got back, Bill was not around, so I assumed he was showering. Not so. He appeared a bit later on his bike. He’d ridden to a Subway sandwich place and returned with a chicken sub, a large can of beer, and a bag of chips. Thanks to Bill we enjoyed an easy dinner. I suspect that he’also found himself some sipping whiskey as he’d often disappear into his tent for a bit.
The day started overcast with drizzle and temps in the low 60s. About 2 o’clock the sun came out and the temp rose into the 70s. Right now it is sunny and pleasant. Tomorrow, though, the temps are predicted to rise into the 80s. We will start early to cover the 70 miles between here and Burlington, IA where we will meet the rest of the group.
