First things first. Leaving Grinell was really a sight. People on every corner thanking us for coming. Something about this sight just put a lump in your throat. Thank you Grinnell, you were our favorite overnight stop, and its not really close.
OK, this is a bike trip and I suppose we need to discuss the ride. Wait though, before the tide even begins Mike is caught eating pie for breakfast. We need to figure out if the pie count can begin before pedaling has started. The first stop this morning is going to be Breakfast Delight. Another first for me. This consisted of a bowl with French toast on one side and hash brown sausage mixture on the other side. Great breakfast.
The first town will be Brooklyn and I mention to the ladies I'm riding with that Brooklyn is the city of flags. We need to pay attention and see what this looks like. Wow, when we arrive the view is unbelievable and everyone stops to take photos. The streets lined with flags, a park with all the state flags and downtown hanging high above us was a flag that had to be 3 or 4 stories high, wow.
The meetup town features something I've never seen before. All of my close friends know the obsession I have with unusual foods that can be deep fat fried and served on a stick. You'll never guess what Susan found for me. Are you ready for this? Peanut butter and jelly, deep fat fried and, ok, no stick, but cut into quarters and served on a plate. I wish I could tell you it was the best thing I've ever tasted, but actually it tasted like a pb&j sandwich sort of. Way too much for one person, and believe it or not, none of my riding friends (who now call themselves Denny's harem) will help me eat it.
A couple of towns later, we enter South Amana and the girls are hungry. I for some reason have no appetite. They split up in search of food and I'm just going to wait for everyone to finish. Susan (the enabler) points out that she is eating the best coconut cream pie she has ever had. This is about the same time Mike texts me to let me know his lunch included two slices of pie. This fires me up and I do indeed discover just how wonderful the coconut cream pie is.
Lunch is finished, and on we go. Now we are in Homestead. Here we split up, some of the ladies want to go on and some want to visit the beer garden. I'm with the group sticking around. A great band is playing, and the girls enjoy a bit of dancing while I enjoy the music and people watching. once they are significantly rested, we are off to finish the ride.
This last 20 miles. on a 75 mile day, the hills become relentless. I was hopeful that at some point Iowa would prove to be flat, but not this year.
Tonight we are in Coralville in the basement of a newer church.Pretty nice. we will be sleeping in the classrooms and everyone is dividing up. I ask if I can sleep with Carrie and Deb, and they are acceptable. We actually run into them and their spouses downtown, and the spouses are fine with this as well. Since Carrie is a snorer, this is to be the snoring room. I sometimes snore, so I'll stick it out here. Oh, Bob and Kevin also are joining us. I'm the only one awake at this late hour and I'll need the ear plugs Deb gave me.
Tomorrow will be about 65 miles, and I have an afternoon wedding to attend. I will probably cut the ride short. We are all anxious to get home and sleep in our own beds, wash laundry, hide our bikes.
This has been an incredible trip with a great bunch of people. I know I have made several new friendships this week.
Odds and ends. The gals voted me into the Sisterhood of the Spoke Club. I have a bracelet that I will treasure as a reminder of this week. Awesome ladies, thank you.
I enjoy hearing that people find this worth reading and are actually following this adventure. Deb told me how much her daughter was enjoying the blog, but she was curious who the elderly man mom was feeding pie in one of the photos!
That's about it. Another early morning awaits.
The pie count? I think Mike leads 14 - 11. I'll just concede. The man is a pie eating machine.
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