The last day at Starved Rock, and the last post of the series: a planning day with tea and the Full Focus Planner, St. Louis Canyon with kids who’ve outgrown the trail, grandparents at the lodge, and the yearly ritual of wiping the slate clean before the drive home to Virginia.
Day fourteen of the RAGBRAI log: the anti-RAGBRAI day — sleeping in at Starved Rock, Sid Meier’s memoir, Marc’s first buffet, St. Louis Canyon, a round of “pass Marc” in the pool, an SXSW EDU submission, and a birthday drink with Sarah.
Day thirteen of the RAGBRAI log: the last 34 miles into Dubuque — a misty solo roll to the start, batting practice at the Field of Dreams, one final Beekman’s rescue by Jeremy’s ears, the Mississippi, and then Field of Dreams again that night with the kids at Starved Rock.
Day twelve of the RAGBRAI log: both girls ride their first RAGBRAI — Elizabeth to the meeting town, Maura to the finish — plus Iowa’s smallest cow, a regrettable Red Bull, a soft landing in a ditch, and a derailleur that didn’t survive the gravel.
Day eleven of the RAGBRAI log: 102 miles on a written game plan and a cranky knee — two Casey’s stops, a perfect pace line, Beekman’s at mile 55, the century patch, and a finish over the Wapsipinicon into Independence.
Day ten of the RAGBRAI log: nursing a bad knee to Marshalltown, an In-N-Out-grade burger in Nevada, wine slushies (Andrew…), a lazy river, and surprise news about where we’re headed after the ride.
Day nine of the RAGBRAI log: waking up under a blanket for the first time all week, pulled pork in Perry, Beekman’s ice cream, an e-bike pace line, and Domino’s delivered straight to camp in Boone.
Day eight of the RAGBRAI log: a 4:45 alarm on the hottest day of the ride, hauling past the party pack, an empty ghost town at 9:30am, four hours at the pool, and the schoolhouse that finally opened its doors.
Day seven of the RAGBRAI log: rolling out of Onawa at sunrise, the Mile of Silence, four liters of fluids into Harlan, and a pool that was worth every mile.
Day six of the RAGBRAI log: the last leg to Onawa, a lucky state-park campsite on Blue Lake, loose meat sandwiches downtown, and a 4:30 alarm for the first day of the ride.