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.
Day five of the RAGBRAI log: a slow morning at Starved Rock, CCC stairways and fort models, chocolate in waffle cones, Rudy hops in, and the traditional night-before camp at Kellogg RV Park.
Day four of the RAGBRAI log: Buckeye Lake to Starved Rock — the first Casey’s of the trip, dinner in the CCC-built lodge, and Monk beamed down from orbit.
Day three of the RAGBRAI log: the home server rack takes over while we’re gone, and the drive begins — Virginia to Buckeye Lake, Ohio, with tollbooth cash and giant checkers.
Day two of the RAGBRAI log: rooftop carrier on, tent mounted, trailer cleaned and checked out — and a sunburn to show for it.
T-minus 5 days to RAGBRAI: the trailer’s packed, the bike’s tuned, and the new Kia Carnival gets its first tow across the country.